Delahaye 135- a sports car that reached a fabulous speed
Thursday, March 27th, 2008Some of the most beautiful, but also often the most strange cars were built after the Second World War. Specialists at Saoutschik, Figoni et Falaschi and Guillore built many of their amazing models on the chassis of a Delahaye 135 M or MS. In 1935, the Delahaye 135 had been designed and called the 135 S. This sports car had a six-cylinder engine possessing a capacity of 3 liters and an output of 119 hp. In 1936, the valve-in-head engine was drilled to 3.6 liters and the model was called the 135 MS. The MS reached a fabulous speed at that time-a top speed of 93.2 mph. The front wheels had independent suspension and were switched by an electromagnetic Cotal box while the clutch pedal was used only when moving from a stationary position In 1946, Delahaye brought the 135 M onto the market again. In the normal version, the 217 cu. in. engine gave 95 hp/3800 rpm, but this output could increase to 110 hp when, for instance, three carburetors were installed. The 135 MS was normally equipped with three Solex carburetors, a higher compression ratio (8 instead of 7.1:1), and an output of 130 hp. The MS consumed lots of fuel so the gasoline tank had to be enlarged (100 instead of 90 liters). The 135 M could be delivered with a four-speed gearbox including an electromagnetic Cotal box. The standard MS was equipped with the Cotal box. Most clients ordered their Delahaye as a rolling chassis.