1950 Delahaye 175 S Coach by Motto

Offered by Bonhams | Monaco | May 2024

Delahaye’s post-war bread and butter was the prewar 135 line of cars. It was kind of late in the game when they introduced the 175 model in 1949, as they company only had a few years left in it. These were luxury cars, usually built to order.

The model came to be after Delahaye gave up on its ultra-expensive 165 model. The 175 was joined by the 178 and 180 models, and the three really just differed in wheelbase. Power was provided by a 4.5-liter inline-six that in 175 S spec (which meant triple carburetors) made about 160 horsepower.

Just 51 examples of the 175 were built, and most were optioned into a 175 S with a three-carb setup. This particular car was built with a racing engine that made 200 horsepower as well as Motto coachwork. It has racing history:

• 1951 Monte Carlo Rally – 1st (with Jean Trevoux and Roger Crovetto)
• 1951 Carrera Panamericana – 37th, DNF (with Louis Chiron and Andre Mariotti)

After that race, the car remained with a serious of Mexican owners, and it was restored more recently. But this is a Monte Carlo-winning race car that was one driven by one of the legendary prewar Grand Prix racers. It now has an estimate of $480,000-$700,000. More can be found here.