Delage 4 Cylinder
Delage D8
Car : Delage D8
Year : 1929
Engine : 8 cylinder in line
Bore and stroke : 77×109 mm
Cylinder capacity : 4060 cc
Gears : 4 forward
Brake horse power :120
Maximum speed : 98 mph
Wheelbase : 10 ft 10 ins (3.30 m) or 11 ft 11 ins (3.63 m)
Suspension : front and rear: semi-elliptic leaf- springs
Delage was a famous name in the second and third decades of the twentieth century due to its numerous sporting victories. Outstanding amongst these was the one gained by Thomas in the 1914 Indianapolis 500 setting a new record (at an average of more than 82 mph) for the celebrated American circuit. Another of its instant successes was the win in a race based on fuel consumption at the Sarthe circuit (Le Mans).
Racing activity absorbed a large part of the French firm’s manufacturing resources but it also enjoyed an excellent commercial reputation. The 1912 4-cylinder is typical of Delage’s touring products. These, to begin with, were powered almost exclusively by 4-cylinder engines, the standard models being built by Ballot. The 1447 cc 4-cylinder entered production in 1910 and continued until 1913. Its maximum speed was about 31-34 mph.
The 1929 8-cylinder was a luxury machine. Its straight-8 engine developed 120 bhp in the touring version and 145 bhp in the D8 S. The 4-speed gearbox was mated directly to the engine. The use of rubberized canvas flexible couplings made the transmission particularly quiet. It had wire wheels like almost all prestige cars of the period. The model pictured here weighed 3,180 pounds (1,440 kg) which was quite heavy. It was unveiled at the 1929 Paris Motor Show and it entered production in 1930. The D8 was the firm’s largest model.