Delage D8-120 Cabriolet, Red

Delage introduced the D8 late in 1929 to replace the GLS, and its straight-eight was a first for the company. After the Courbevoie works closed in April 1935, D8 engines went into Delahaye chassis, and by 1938 Delage was in effect a Delahaye subsidiary. The D8-120 was listed at the Paris Motor Show in October 1937: a D8-100 with the bore taken out by 4 mm, giving 120 hp at 4,500 rpm. Bodies came from coachbuilders such as Letourneur et Marchand, Figoni et Falaschi and Chapron, and a long-wheelbase D8-120 had a part in An American in Paris. Production ended in 1940, when the German occupation took over the Delahaye plant.

This cabriolet is in two reds: the long sweeping wings are bright red, the body and bonnet a deeper maroon, and the fabric hood is raised in a matching red. A small Henri Chapron badge sits low on the scuttle. The wheels are red pierced discs with chrome hubcaps on whitewall tyres, a chrome grille stands between the headlamps and twin fog lamps, and the tail carries a chromed spare wheel cover above a French number plate, with a California historical vehicle plate at the front. The car sits on a cobblestone base with a black plaque. Minichamps builds it at 1:18.