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The Delahaye years
1938: Delahaye wins the Pau and Cork GPs and comes 1, 2, 4 at Le Mans

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Who?

René Dreyfus

What?

Delahaye 145

Where?

Cork

When?

1938 Cork GP

 René Dreyfus, Delahaye 145, 1938 Cork GP
Why?

1938 was the best year ever for Delahaye. After a modest start, with fifth place at Le Mans in 1935, it gradually climbed to nearly reach the top, scoring major wins in 1937 and 1938. But the V12s were very disappointing, despite the wins at Pau and Cork, the Million Prize Car was way ahead of the three others in top speed and reliability.

Halfway through the season, Delahaye decided to sell all the V12s, and this is why the cars were very slow towards the end of the season, the drivers having received instructions "not to break" them. From them on, Delahaye saw a steady decline in the sporting world.

1938 Monte Carlo Rally, Delahaye

The only photo we have of the two identical cars entered by Joseph Paul/Philippe Maillard-Brune (no.98) and Laury Schell/René Dreyfus (no.97). On the left are Paul and his wife, on the right is Maillard-Brune, waving. The photo was taken in Athens before the start.

1938 Mille Miglia, Delahaye

Maurice Varet and René Dreyfus at the Mille-Miglia, in the Schell car, no.48772. They came fourth.

date event no. chassis driver result
25/30 Jan Monte Carlo Rally 97 ? Schell/Dreyfus DNF
98 ? Paul/Maillard-Brune 35th
15/20 Feb Paris/St.Raphael Rally ? 47192 Rouault 1st
? 46810 Lucy Schell 5th
02 Apr Coronation Trophy (final) 20 47192 Gerard 11th
9 46094 Paul DNF
03 Apr Mille Miglia 152 48772 V12 Dreyfus/Varet 4th
147 48773 V12 Comotti/Roux DNF
? 47194 Mazaud/Quinlin ?
09 Apr British Empire Trophy 24 46094 Paul 9th
25 47188 Viale DNF
10 Apr Pau GP 2 48771 V12 Dreyfus 1st
4 48775 V12 Comotti 3rd
26 46084 “Danniell” DNS

René Dreyfus, Delahaye 145, 1938 Pau GP

René Dreyfus driving to victory in car no.2, his 48771, at the Pau GP.

Gianfranco Comotti, Delahaye 145, 1938 Pau GP

Gianfranco Comotti driving car no.4, 48775, at the Pau GP, where he came third.

The fourth and last 145 V12, engine and chassis no. 48775, bodied by Lecanu in a very different style to the three preceding ones, was entered by the Schells in the Pau GP, its first race. As car no.4, driven by Comotti, it finished third.

It ran in just two more races in 1938, and took part in three in 1939. It was then seen again at the Saint Cloud GP, still with the same Lecanu bodywork.

Rebodied in 1949 by Valta, it was entered in five races during 1949-'50. Motorised by Delahaye with a 4.5-litre 6-cylinder 175S engine, it won the Comminges GP at the hands of Charles Pozzi.

After its racing career, it was rebodied as a town car with a Ford Comete body and a 235 engine, then sold to Serge Pozolli, who partially reconstructed it into a racing car and sold it on to Jim Hull and Peter Mullin in 1987. It is now in the Peter Mullin museum in California.

René Dreyfus, Delahaye 145, 1938 Cork GP

Dreyfus, driving the winning car at the Cork GP, no.14, 48771.

Gianfranco Comotti, Delahaye 145, 1938 Cork GP

Comotti's car, no.12, 48775, at the Cork GP. He didn't finish.

René Dreyfus, Delahaye 145, 1938 Tripoli GP

“Le Bolide”, seen for the first and last time at the Tripoli GP, car no.12, 48773, was driven by Dreyfus instead of Schell, when his own car, 48771, broke down.

22 Apr Cork GP 14 48771 V12 Dreyfus 1st
15 46094 Paul 5th
12 48775 V12 Comotti DNF
16 47188 Viale DNF
11 V12? Laury Schell DNA
08 May Coupe de Paris, 2nd series 96 47194 Mazaud 2nd
58 46625 Benazet 5th
68 46084 «Danniell» 7th
101 ? Divo ?
103 ? ? ?
07 May Junior 200 Miles Trophy 11 46094 Mongin DNF
12 47188 Viale DNF
15 May Tripoli GP 12 48773 bolide Schell no Dreyfus 7th
40 48772 V12 Comotti DNF
60 48771 V12 Dreyfus DNF
22 May Antwerp GP 14 47194 Mazaud 1st
6 47190 Tremoulet 3rd
18 47188 Willing 4th
16 6047RK4 Snow 5th
10 46094 Viale DNF
20 46084 «Danniell» DNF
05 June GP des Frontières, Chimay 14 47194 Mazaud (1st Sport) 2nd
12 45497 Tremoulet 4th
18 June 3 Hours Light Car Club 15 47188 Willing/Jarvis 1st
18/19 Jun 24 Hours Le Mans 15 47190 Chaboud/Tremoulet 1st
14 46084 Serraud/Giraud-Cabantous 2nd
10 46626 Villeneuve/Biolay 4th
1 48772 V12 Dreyfus/Chiron DNF
2 48773 V12 Comotti/Divo DNF
11 46094 Mongin/Mazaud DNF
12 45497 Monneret/Loyer DNF
19 June Ars Hill Climb ? 46625 Benazet (Sport) 1st
03 Jul ACF GP 30 ? Dreyfus DNA
32 ? Comotti DNA
9/10 Jul Spa 24 Hours 8 47194 Mazaud/Ravenet accident
12 47190 Chaboud/Tremoulet accident
24 Jul German GP 20 48771 V12 Dreyfus 5th
22 48772 V12 Comotti DNF
20 48774 mono Dreyfus DNS

Robert Mazaud, Delahaye 145, 1938 Antwerp GP

They are practically all there, at the Antwerp GP. Mazaud in car no.14, 47194, won the race.

Eugène Chaboud/Jean Tremoulet, Delahaye 145, 1938 Le Mans 24 Hours

Chaboud and Tremoulet, in car no.15, 47190, with Serraud and Giraud-Cabantous, car no.14, 46084, after their victory and second place at the Le Mans 24 Hours.

Eugène Chaboud/Jean Tremoulet, Delahaye 145, 1938 Spa 24 Hours

The crashed 47190 of Chaboud/Tremoulet at Spa.

Delahaye 155

No photo of the Delahaye 155 at the German GP, since the monoplace only practiced. This is what it looked like.

The new monoplace, type 155 V12 no.48774, designed by Jean François at the request of the Schells, was a big disappointment. At the German GP, it could hardly hold the road and didn't take the start. It had a few owners after the war and was engaged in a dozen races, but it only completed one race, in 7th and last position, driven by its owner André Simon. It ended up in a scrapyard and was never seen again.

Delahaye 145 V12, 1938 Coppa Acerbo

Here are the two V12s before the race for the Coppa Acerbo. They always travelled in the Delahaye truck and trailer, never by road. Unlike most of the 135S racing cars they weren't road-registered.

René Dreyfus, Delahaye 145, 1938 Swiss GP

Dreyfus driving no.18 at the Swiss GP, he only came 8th.

2-6 Aug Paris-Nice Rally 9 47192 Rouault 4th
21 ? Chaboud 9th
25 45497 Tremoulet 12th
10 ? Laury Schell DNF
05 Aug La Turbie hill climb 23 48773 V12 Dreyfus, Course 2nd
24 48772 V12 Dreyfus, Sport 4th
07 Aug Coppa Ciano, Livorno 48 48771 V12 Dreyfus 5th
58 48772 V12 Comotti DNF
14 Aug Coppa Acerbo, Pescara 48 48773 V12 Comotti 4th
36 48772 V12 Dreyfus DNF
36 48774 mono Dreyfus DNS
21 Aug Swiss GP 18 48775 V12 Dreyfus 8th
20 48772 V12 “Raph” 11th
11 Sept Paris 12 Hours 12 46626 Villeneuve/Biolay 2nd
10 47192 Rouault/Itier 3rd
28 46635 Chotard/Grignard 4th
2 48772 V12 Dreyfus/Divo DNF
4 48773 V12 “Raph”/Schell DNF
8 46084 Seraud/Giraud-Cabantous DNF
6 47189 Trevoux/Matra DNF
17 Sept BRDC Race Brooklands 22 47188 Charlie Dodson 5th
24 Sept. Dunlop Jubilee
First race 1 48772 V12 Dreyfus ?
Third race 14 47188 Dodson 2nd
2 48771 V12 “Raph” ?
3 48772 V12 Dreyfus ?
Fourth race 6 47188 Dodson ?
Eighth race 14 47188 Dodson 4th?
15 47192 Rouault ?
1 48771 V12 “Raph” ?
Tenth race 4 47192 Rouault ?
24 48771 V12 “Raph” 7th
25 48772 V12 Dreyfus 4th
25 Sept Lapize hill climb 120 46625 Benazet 1st
123 Berlinette? Tremoulet ?
15 Oct Brooklands Handicap 1 47188 Dobson 3rd
9 6047RK4 Snow DNA
22 Oct Donington GP 9 48774 mono Dreyfus DNF
10 48772 V12 “Raph” DNF

Rouault/Itier, Delahaye, 1938 Paris 12 Hours

Mesdames Rouault and Itier getting their 47192 attended to during the gruelling Paris 12 Hours. They came in third.

René Dreyfus, Delahaye 145, 1938 Donington GP

Dreyfus and his monoplace V12, 48774, its first race at the start of the Donington GP. He didn't finish.