1937 Delage D6 3-Litre

Registration No: MG 6028

Chassis No: 51281

Arguably the greatest French sporting car manufacturer Delage recognised the publicity value of racing right from the start, winning the Indianapolis 500, dominating Grand Prix racing in the 1920s and even holding the Land Speed record.

The grand marque eventually faltered, then failed, during the Depression and in 1935 ran out of funding. Paris-area distributor, expatriate Englishman Walter Watney, acquired the company's rights, designs and inventory, but appreciating that continuing automobile manufacture would be beyond his means he transferred the process to Delahaye.

Delages were built to Delahaye 135 designs, using there excellent independently front suspended chassis but utilised their own 3-litre short-stroke version of the Delahaye engine, this model the D6-70 was introduced for 1937.

However, Walter Watney's finest achievement whilst running the company was to create the D6 3-Litre Speciale, this mated the excellent and lightweight competition Delahaye 135CS chassis with a specially tuned version of the short stroke Delage engine, this was arguably superior to Delahayes own competition unit since it would rev much higher than the long stroke Delahaye, the resulting car was initially clothed in a supremely elegant Coupe body.

Spotted by slot-machine tycoon Louis Gerard in a Paris showroom, Gerard decided this was the ideal vehicle in which to start his racing career. Following a dream debut 4th overall in the Le Mans 24-hour race. Gerard convinced Watney to rebody the car with a lightweight open 2-seat body by Figoni to make it truly competitive in sports car racing.

The resulting car would prove extremely competitive with Gerard and the Delage proving to be one of the quickest combinations in top level sports car racing during 1937/38 seasons, culminating in a famous win in the TT at Donington.

This car and subsequent near mechanically identical Works cars built and run by Watneys team would prove highly competitive right up to and indeed beyond the Second World War, with Gerard very nearly winning the Le Mans 24-hour race in 1939 and two works entered cars running very competitively in the 1940 Mille Miglia.

The car offered here was imported into the UK and sold in 1937 by the UK Delage distributors University Motors, as confirmed by records on file from the Delage Register. Little is known of the cars subsequent history until it was found by well-known pre-War competition car connoisseur and restorer Bill Summers during the 1980s. Having owned 8C Alfa Romeo and Grand Prix Maserati Summers knew the Louis Gerard 3-Litre Delage was the equal of these cars and decided to convert this car to the same exact specification as the Gerard car.

To this end the chassis was shortened and lightened, the rear axle narrowed and all necessary details were painstakingly copied from the Gerard car, leading UK coachbuilder Keith Roach was commissioned to build the cars body exactly to the specification of the Gerard car, also copying exactly the cars iconic aerodynamic wings, this form was superbly captured by Roach. He was greatly assisted in this by having the Gerard car in his workshop at the same time, since he was re-building this cars body simultaneously. The chassis work and all other fabrication necessary was all also carried out by Roach. Simultaneously the car’s engine was rebuilt to racing specification with the correct special racing Solex 44HD carburettors being fitted, along with the correct type cylinder head and many other detail improvements.

The resulting car was absolutely identical to the Gerard D6 3-Litre Speciale in all details, barring the gearbox where a correct type manual gearbox was used in place of a Cotal electromagnetic- both were period factory options. On the restorations completion in 1989 the car was sold to leading UK collector Anthony Mayman, Mayman used the car sparingly and following his sad death the car passed through the trade to founder of our sister restoration business Ian Polson in 1994. Ian had owned one of the original competition Delahaye 135CS for many years and purchased this car believing it to be arguably a quicker car then the 135CS. Whilst in his hands Ian did much sorting and detail improving to the car, since it had been little used since completion. Ian benefitted from having the Gerard car in his workshop at the same time, since he carried out much of the mechanical restoration of this car on behalf of Colin Crabbe.

Unable to find sufficient time to enjoy the car Ian sold the Delage onto connoisseur of French sports racing cars John Guyatt in 1996, the current owner fell for the car and purchased it from Guyatt in 1997.

An enthusiastic user of sporting cars of the highest quality of many years standing, he spotted in the Delage a car that was both visually striking, very competitive and highly eligible for events.

During his 30 years of ownership the car has been used enthusiastically primarily on the road and in VSCC hillclimbs, always proving reliable and competitive, with multiple class wins achieved. In the hands of a younger driver Will Mahany the car has proved very competitive in circuit races run by the VSCC and Motor Racing Legends, culminating in winning the VSCC’s prestigious Fox and Nicholl Trophy Race at Silverstone in 2007.

Whilst in the current owners hands ‘MG 6028’ has benefitted from the construction of an easily removable windscreen for touring, a new competition cylinder head fitted by IS Polson, new front spring to improve handling, rebuilt radiator, work to brakes, rear axle and front suspension, engine rebuild by David Morris, work to the gearbox strengthening and improving the gear ratios and much else besides, see invoices on file.

‘MG’ is offered with FIVA papers, FIA HTP (expired), a spare gearbox, cylinder head, radiator, detachable aluminium cover for the passenger seat (as fitted to the Gerard car whilst racing), the aforementioned windscreen and sundry other spares.

Only for sale now because the owner is no longer using the car as much as he feels it deserves, ‘MG 6028’ will provide the fortunate new owner with an example of one of the ultimate sports racing cars of the 1930s, potentially eligible for the world’s leading historic motor sport events such as Le Mans Classic and the Mille Miglia, whilst at the same time being a fast road car of the highest quality ideally suited to more relaxed touring.

Please note this car is incorrectly dated as 1949 on its UK V5C registration document.