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Rare 1936 Delahaye 135 S Racing Car Offered at Monaco Sale

1936 Delahaye 135 S Racing Car
1936 Delahaye 135 S Racing Car

Named the ‘Buzz II,’ the 1936 Delahaye 135 S Compétition Court racing car, which campaigned in 1930s endurance races, including the 24 Hours of Le Mans, will be auctioned at Bonhams The Monaco Sale ‘Les Grandes Marques à Monaco’ on 23 April.

Recognized for its success, not only on the racetrack but also in concours d’elegances, the 1936 Delahaye 135 S Compétition Court race car was one of the all-time great sporting automobiles of the pre-war period. 

1936 Delahaye 135 S
birdeye view of 1936 Delahaye 135 S

The Irish American heiress, Lucy Schell, played an important role in the French marque’s successes. Schell became the first female motorsport team owner following her career as a former racing driver.

In the 1938 Pau Grand Prix, she was triumphant when her semi-works Delahaye team conquered the seemingly unbeatable Mercedes team to take the chequered flag.

historic photo of car
racing the automobile

In 1936 Schell bought the Delahaye 135 S (that is being auctioned this April by Bonhams), and it made its first appearance as part of Écurie Bleu, her three-car semi-works team that competed at the 1936 ‘Three Hours of Marseille’ endurance race.

 Delahaye 135 S in 1930s

The cars’ were affectionately named ‘Blue Buzz’ given their sky-blue paintwork (the French national color) combined with their engines’ muffled ‘buzzing’ noise.

Blue Buzz

The car on offer, Blue Buzz II, raced in pre-war Grand Prix races at Pau, Donington, and Commiges and the Belfast Tourist-Trophy before facing its greatest challenge at the 1939 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Additionally, in 1939 the distinguished coachbuilders Chappes Frères rebodied the Delahaye 135 S into a more aerodynamic style.

Bonhams Monaco Sale
 Delahaye 135 S racing on the track
https://youtu.be/ugyMrpiXx1Y?t=10
Jay Leno presents his own 1935 Delahaye 135 S in detail. Source: YouTube

After two further face lifts’ in subsequent years, the Delahaye 135 S now displays the coachwork in the Chappes Frères bodyshell style, preserving its authentic period running gear, engine, and the original chassis – a rareness for racing cars of this period.

The Bonhams Monaco Sale will be conducted at the Fairmont Monte-Carlo, facing the legendary hairpin bend of the Monaco Grand Prix circuit on April 23. The sale format will be a Live and Online auction with further details of the Delahaye 135 S being found on Bonhams website.


[Source: Bonhams]