Description
Delage D4, 1933 The Delage D4 was a compact 4-cylinder luxury car belonging to the "8 HP automobile tax" bracket produced by the automaker between 1933 and 1934. With the D4, the manufacturer returned to a market segment it had neglected since production of the "Type AM" ceased in 1921. A strategy of broadening the range downwards was understandable in the context of a French car market struggling to bounce back after the great economic depression of 1929, following the example of Great Britain and Germany. French car production did not return to its 1928 level until 1938. Launched in October 1933 at the 27th Paris Motor Show, the D4 was positioned at the lower end of Delage production, below the 2-liter D6-11. The latter had been introduced the previous year, initially to complement, then effectively to replace, the manufacturer's DS. The D4 was therefore part of a wider Delage strategy to move away from building luxury cars, to produce middle-class cars during the first five years of the thirties. The D4 was based on a 2,800 mm (110") wheelbase and was designed to incorporate the maximum possible level of common components with other Delage models. Nevertheless, it was equipped with the manufacturer's only four-cylinder engine, a 1,480 cm3 (8 hp) overhead-valve block. Maximum indicated power was 40 hp (30 kW) at 4,200 rpm. Performance figures varied according to body type and driving conditions, but a figure of "around 100 km/h (63 mph)" was quoted at the time. The car could be ordered as a bare chassis, allowing customers to order bespoke bodywork from their coachbuilders. This was normal practice for traditional carmakers, particularly those building luxury automobiles. Nevertheless, the catalog distributed at the Salon de l'Automobile listed six types of "standard" bodywork from which customers could choose. These included 2-door and 4-door saloon/sedan bodies, as well as a coupé, a four-seat cabriolet and a two-seat roadster-style cabriolet. The vehicle offered for sale is an elegant, pillarless 4-door interior. It's powered by the 4-cylinder 1.5 l engine. It was produced by Carrosserie Baldenweg in Geneva, and was bodied by the current owner's grandfather. It is in perfect condition. It has a 13.20 and enjoys veteran status after passing the technical inspection. It is a magnificent testimony to Geneva's expertise in bodywork. It is undoubtedly a part of Geneva's and Switzerland's heritage.
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Delage D4, 1933 The Delage D4 was a compact 4-cylinder luxury car belonging to the "8 HP automobile tax" bracket produced by the automaker between 1933 and 1934. With the D4, the manufacturer returned to a market segment it had neglected since production of the "Type AM" ceased in 1921. A strategy of broadening the range downwards was understandable in the context of a French car market struggling to bounce back after the great economic depression of 1929, following the example of Great Britain and Germany. French car production did not return to its 1928 level until 1938. Launched in October 1933 at the 27th Paris Motor Show, the D4 was positioned at the lower end of Delage production, below the 2-liter D6-11. The latter had been introduced the previous year, initially to complement, then effectively to replace, the manufacturer's DS. The D4 was therefore part of a wider Delage strategy to move away from building luxury cars, to produce middle-class cars during the first five years of the thirties. The D4 was based on a 2,800 mm (110") wheelbase and was designed to incorporate the maximum possible level of common components with other Delage models. Nevertheless, it was equipped with the manufacturer's only four-cylinder engine, a 1,480 cm3 (8 hp) overhead-valve block. Maximum indicated power was 40 hp (30 kW) at 4,200 rpm. Performance figures varied according to body type and driving conditions, but a figure of "around 100 km/h (63 mph)" was quoted at the time. The car could be ordered as a bare chassis, allowing customers to order bespoke bodywork from their coachbuilders. This was normal practice for traditional carmakers, particularly those building luxury automobiles. Nevertheless, the catalog distributed at the Salon de l'Automobile listed six types of "standard" bodywork from which customers could choose. These included 2-door and 4-door saloon/sedan bodies, as well as a coupé, a four-seat cabriolet and a two-seat roadster-style cabriolet. The vehicle offered for sale is an elegant, pillarless 4-door interior. It's powered by the 4-cylinder 1.5 l engine. It was produced by Carrosserie Baldenweg in Geneva, and was bodied by the current owner's grandfather. It is in perfect condition. It has a 13.20 and enjoys veteran status after passing the technical inspection. It is a magnificent testimony to Geneva's expertise in bodywork. It is undoubtedly a part of Geneva's and Switzerland's heritage.
