The Delahaye years
1936: Delahaye wins 9 out of 18 races
Author
- André Vaucourt
Date
- June 28, 2013
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Who?Louis Villeneuve, René Le Begue, Georges Soulié, Eugène Chaboud What?Delahaye 135 Where?Saint-Gaudens When?1936 Comminges GP |
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Why?
Le Grand Prix de l’Automobile Club de France held at Monthlery was a major event for Delahaye. There should have been 11 cars lined up at the start, but “Helde”, who had entered his two new Delahaye 135S, 47193 for himself, and 47192 for Henri Stoffel, failed to turn up with either of them.
After the ACF GP, the seven cars having completed the race are all lined up: the first car is 6047RK4 with "Michel Paris" standing behind "Monsieur Charles" in shirt sleeves and Marcel Mongin, on the other side of the car in a dark jacket.
| date | event | car | drivers | results |
| 28/06/36 | ACF GP Monthlery | 6047RK4 | "Paris"/Mongin | 2nd |
| 9715RK3 | Brunet/Zehender | 3rd | ||
| 46835 | Schell/Carrière | 4th | ||
| 47189 | Perrot/Dhome | 5th | ||
| 46626 | Villeneuve/Vialle | 7th | ||
| 46084 | "Danniell"/Marie | 11th | ||
| 47188 | Divo/Girod | 12th | ||
| 47186 | Maillard-Brune/Druck | DNF | ||
| 47187 | Le Begue/Danne | DNF | ||
| 47193 | “Helde”/”Nime” | DNA | ||
| 47192 | Stoffel/Cadot | DNA |
47192: This is the third Delahaye racing car bought as new by “Helde”. He never raced it but sold it early 1937 to Count François de Bremont who had it registered as 7866YU3 in the Var department. After a few races, he sold it to the formidable lady driver Germaine Rouault, who obtained very good results in the 1938/'39 seasons. After the war, it was sold to Eugène Chaboud who raced it with success until 1951. It is now in the Philadelphia museum of Frederick Simeone, in its original 1951 configuration.
Louis Gerard driving 47192 (no.20) lent to him by Germaine Rouault at the British Empire Trophy, Crystal Palace. London in 1938.
47193: This is the fourth and last Delahaye racing car bought as new by “Helde”, who never raced this one either and instead sold it early 1937 to Lucy O’Rilley Schell who had it registered as 6146YB7 in the Seine et Marne department. In 1939, the car was sold to Marcel Contet. After the war, it belonged to Marcel Trillaud and half a dozen other owners. It now belongs to Craig Davis in California.
The brand new 135S no.47193 sold by “Helde” to Lucy O'Riley Schell early in 1937.
The 24 hours of Spa-Francorchamps was open to almost anything on four wheels, from the mighty Buick to the tiny Adler, provided it had at least two seats. To please everyone, there were six classes: supercharged cars, over 4 litres and under 4 litres, 2 litres, 1500cc, and 1100cc.
46078, the Chaboud/Trémoulet car which had never raced before, didn't race this time either, blowing up its engine during practice .As one would expect, a supercharged car won the race.
| date | event | car | drivers | results |
| 11-12/07/36 | 24 hours of Spa-Francorchamps | 47187 | Le Begue/Mongin | 2nd |
| 46835 | Schell/Carrière | 3rd | ||
| 46084 | "Danniell"/Paul | DNF | ||
| 6047RK4 | Brunet/Zehender | DNF | ||
| 46626 | Villeneuve/unknown | DNS | ||
| 46078 | Chaboud/Trémoulet | DNS |
The Grand Prix du Comminges at Saint-Gaudens on August 9 was the last big race in France for the year, and once again, Delahaye came out in force with ten cars but failed to be present on the podium…
The start of the 1936 Comminges GP, with Villeneuve (no.28), Le Begue (no.20), Soulié (no.34) and Chaboud (no.30). Le Begue came fourth with his 48187.
| date | event | car | drivers | results |
| 09/08/36 | Comminges GP, Saint-Gaudens | 47187 | Le Begue | 4th |
| 6047RK4 | Mongin | 5th | ||
| 9715RK3 | Brunet | 6th | ||
| 45513 | Soulié | 7th | ||
| 47194 | Jeannin | 8th | ||
| 46626 | Villeneuve | 11th | ||
| 46810 | Carrière | DNF | ||
| 46835 | Schell | unknown | ||
| 46084 | "Danniell" | unknown | ||
| unknown | Chaboud | unknown |
The Royal Automobile Club Tourist Trophy held at Ards near Belfast on September 5 proved to be a real disaster for Delahaye, the first one since the firm had gone into racing two yeas earlier. Alan Selborne, the Delahaye agent on the British Isles and in the Brirish Empire, had sponsored the venue with five cars from France plus the one in England owned by Tommy Clark. The surroundings and regulations were unfamiliar to the French drivers, and the cars were unfamiliar to the British drivers. This probably explains why the results were so bad.
Robert Brunet in his 47191 during practice at the 1936 RAC TT.
Another shot of Brunet, this time during the race. He was the only one to finish.
The Blue Buzz Team of Lucy O’Riley Schell was out in full force with Laury Schell in BBI, George Field in BBII and René Le Begue in BBIII. One consolation however, Le Begue set the fastest lap at 137.64 km/h.
| date | event | car | drivers | results |
| 05/09/36 | Tourist Trophy, Belfast | 9715RK3 | Brunet | 8th |
| 46835 | Schell | DNF | ||
| 46810 | Field | DNF | ||
| 47187 | Le Begue | DNF | ||
| 47188 | Clark | DNF | ||
| 6047RK3 | Mongin | accident |
| date | event | car | drivers | results |
| 06/09/36 | GP de France MCF, Montlhéry | 46626 | Villeneuve | 2nd |
| date | event | car | drivers | results |
| 20/09/36 | Coupes d’Automne, Monthléry | 46094 | Paul | 1st, Sport class |
| 46626 | Villeneuve | 2nd, Sport class | ||
| 46084 | "Danniell" | 3rd, Sport class | ||
| unknown | Chaboud | 6th, Sport class | ||
| 46094 | Paul | 1st, Course class |
| date | event | car | drivers | results |
| 20/09/36 | Mont Ventoux Hillclimb, Avignon | 46810 | Carrière | 1st |
| 46835 | Schell | 2nd | ||
| 47194 | Jeannin | 3rd | ||
| 47187 | Le Begue | accident |
| date | event | car | drivers | results |
| 26/09/36 | Lapize Hillclimb, Monthléry | 46094 | Paul | 1st |
| 7442RJ4 | Rouault | unknown |
Another big disappointment for the last race of the season but nevertheless, Delahaye won nine races out of 18 entered, also taking four second places. Not a bad result at all for a full motoring year!
The Blue Buzz team getting ready for the last race of the year: Le Begue and Kay Don (no21), Carrière and Fields (no.22) and Schell and Selborne (no.23).
| date | event | car | drivers | results |
| 03/10/36 | Donington GP | 46810 BBII | Carrière/Fields | 8th |
| 47188 | Clark/Faulkner | 11th | ||
| 46835 BBI | Schell/Selborne | 12th | ||
| 47187 BBIII | Le Begue/Kay Don | 15th |