racing cars 43: February 2018

Delahaye 145 V12 Chassis # 48771

Delahaye 145 V12 Chassis # 48771

The first of the 145 V12 Delahaye was the most successful. In 1937 the french government decided to create a "1 million de Francs or " to promote the development of racing cars able to beat the nazis government backed Mercedes Benz and Auto Union which dominated the racing world. Delahaye won this event with this car. Chassis 48771 went on to win in 1938 the Pau GP and the Cork GP against the German cars. It raced six other events in 1938 with mixed results and none in 1939. The car was entered by the private team "Ecurie Bleue" with poor result not being able to develop it properly.
Stored away during the war it was sold in 1946 and rebodied by Franay as a two seater. The car changed hands a few times. In the 1990s the car was again rebodied as a '38 Mille Miglia look alike. The Franay body was installed on a 135M chassis. By the late 1990s both cars belonged to Sam Mann. It's possible that 48771 is the 145 in the Mullin museum.
Nobody know for sure

dates	race	no.	driver	finish
27/08/37	Million Franc Prize	-	Dreyfus	victory
10/04/38	Pau Grand Prix	2	Dreyfus	1st
29/04/38	Cork Grand Prix	14	Dreyfus	1st
15/05/38	Tripoli Grand Prix	60	Dreyfus	DNS
24/07/38	German Grand Prix	22	Comotti	DNF
05/08/38	La Turbie hillclimb	23	Dreyfus	2nd.cat.race
06/08/38	Coppa Ciano	48	Dreyfus	5th
14/08/38	Coppa Acerbo	48	Comotti	4th
24/09/38	Dunlop Jubilee	24	'Raph'	7th/10th.race
22:10/38	Donington Grand Prix	10	'Raph'	DNF

More infos on this car at:

http://8w.forix.com/delahaye145.html

The Models:

Delahaye 154 V12 - Chassis 48771 -Winner / vainqueur Grand prix du million

de franc or 1937 (Kit JOHN DAY with SLM 43 tires and VROOM wire wheels)

The same

Delahaye 145 V12 - Chassis # 48771 - Winner GP de Pau 1938 (Kit C SCALE)

The same

Delahaye 154 V12 - Chassis 48771 -Winner Grand prix du million

de franc or 1937

48771 at the 1938 Cork GP (winner)

48771 restored by Sam Mann

The Franay body

Delahaye 145 V12 Chassis # 48772

Delahaye 145 V12 Chassis # 48772

This 145 V12 started its racing career in 1937 at the Marne GP its only race of that year with a DNF.
In 1938 it raced 11 times with such poor results that the car was put for sale in 1939. It was sold only after the war and as 48773 received a new body by Chapron called "Coupé grand luxe". It changed several time and as its sister car 48773 received a 165 V12 engine along the way.
The car is now also in the Mullin collection in California with a metallic grey livery.

race	no.	place
1937 Marne GP	14	DNF
1938 Mille Miglia	152	4th
1938 Tripoli GP	40	DNF
1938 Le Mans 24 hours	1	DNF
1938 German GP	20	5th
1938 La Turbie hill climb	24	1st cat sport
1938 Coppa Ciano	58	DNF
1938 Coppa Acerbo	36	DNF
1938 Swiss GP	20	11th
1938 Tourist Trophy	-	DNS
1938 Paris 12 hours	2	DNF
1938 Dunlop Jubilee	1	? 1st race
	3	? 3rd race
	25	4th 10th.race

more infos on this car at:

http://8w.forix.com/delahaye145-3.html

The Models:

Delahaye 145 V12 Chassis 48772 - Le Mans 24h 1938 DNF
(SPARK)

The same

48772 at the Mille Miglia in 1938

48772 at the paris 12h in 1938

48772 at the Le Mans 24h in 1938

48772 for sale after the war as a Coupe Chapron

48772 at the Mullin Museum

Delahaye 145 V12 Chassis # 48773

DELAHAYE 145 V12 - Chassis # 48773

This 145 V12 first appeared at a press presentation prior to the ACF GP (later known as the French GP) on June 25th 1937.
In 1937 it raced twice:
ACF GP #18 DNF
Marne GP #18 DNF
In 1938 it raced four times;
Mille Miglia #147 DNF
Tripoli GP #60 7th ( a new aerodynamic nose was added for that race)
Le Mans 24 h. #2 DNF
Paris 12 h. #$ DNF
In 1939 it raced three times:
ACF GP #32 9th
German GP #26 5th
Comminges GP #14 DNF
Also seen at the at the practice of the Liege expo GP
Like chassis 48772 the car was sold after the war in 1946 and received a new body called "Coupé de grand luxe" renumbered 6517 and painted in blue. Later it received a 135S engine easier to maintain.
The car changed hands a few times, it received a 165 V12 engine circa 1970 (The town version of the 145 V12)
The car is presently in the Mullin museum in California with its sister car 48772.

More infos on this car at: http://8w.forix.com/delahaye145-4.html

The Models: