Delahaye 135MS Figoni et Falaschi Narval Cabriolet 1947, França

 

Delahaye 135MS Figoni et Falaschi Narval Cabriolet 1947, França

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There are a few coachbuilders whose art and workmanship is immediately identifiable but none as obvious and flamboyant as that of the Paris firm of Giuseppe Figoni et Ovidio Falaschi. When a true classic car enthusiast sees a Figoni et Falaschi body, the coachbuilder’s iconic styling becomes evident and the make of the chassis becomes secondary. The flowing lines create a feeling of speed and freedom. Figoni et Falaschi continued to build its elegant creations from the 1930s through the 1950s.
Although Figoni created impressive designs for a number of important European chassis, some of the most memorable were on the French-built Delahaye. The most interesting and advanced custom bodies appeared on the 6-cylinder Delahaye 135M and MS, built from 1935 to 1954. Some enthusiasts consider the Delahaye 135M one of the most beautiful automobiles ever made, and the Figoni and Falaschi designs are an important basis of that idea. One of the most flamboyant Figoni et Falaschi designs was the Narval, or “Narwhal,” built on the Delahaye 135M chassis and introduced at the 1946 Salon de Paris. It was named Narval for its prominent front treatment, like a narwhal or perhaps a Beluga Whale, named—in French—for the Arctic sea creature it resembles. The graceful lines of the hood, center section and trunk evoke the shape of the narwhal’s body, and the car’s protruding nose clearly references the unicorn-like tusk that distinguishes the male members of the species.
Delahaye 135MS Chassis No. 800495 was one of seven built with an example of the flamboyant and artistic Figoni et Falaschi Narval Cabriolet and was selected to be shown at the 1947 Salon de L’Automobile de Paris. Its first owner was the legendary French singer-songwriter Charles Trenet (1913-2001). The 135MS chassis has a 116-inch wheelbase and uses independent front suspension and a live rear axle with parallel semi-elliptic springs. Its cable-operated Bendix brakes and the 17-inch Rudge center-lock wire-spoke wheels with black sidewall tires were standard. The engine is a 3.6L inline 6-cylinder with overhead valves and three French Solex downdraft carburetors producing 125 HP. Power is connected to the rear axle by a unique Cotal 4-speed transmission with a preselector shift mechanism at the steering column. The construction and operation of the shifter is similar to that of the 1936-37 Cord 810-812. The 135MS is easily capable of 100 MPH speed.
The Giuseppe Figoni-designed body features unique, chrome, curved side accents on each side of the hood. The chrome-plated front and rear bumpers are designed with artistically curved tubular bars. Full skirts envelope the front and rear wheel openings, creating a smooth aerodynamic styling cue, while its convertible top finishes off the exterior appearance theme.
The interior trim of 800495 is finished with individual pleated seats accented on the floor, with the rear-hinged doors trimmed in leather. The instrument panel is equipped with two large round gauges on either side of the center, including a tachometer and a row of small rectangular gauges to the right. A dash-mounted clock was included with the instrumentation. The right-hand drive steering wheel is made of a hard plastic with distinctive finger grooves around its perimeter and three chrome-plated banjo-type spokes. A special Charles Trenet La Carriere Antiles plaque mounted on the dash rounds out this 1947 Delahaye 135 MS, a highly desirable car with Parisian coachwork and celebrity provenance.

MG MGA 1500 Roadster 1958, Inglaterra

MG MGA 1500 Roadster 1958, Inglaterra

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Introduced in 1955, the MGA brought MG fully into the post-war era. As a replacement for the MG TF, at its heart was a 1,489 cc inline four-cylinder engine, topped with twin SU carburettors and mated to a four-speed manual transmission. Although its initial output of 68 bhp (which was shortly raised to 72 bhp) seems small by today’s standards, the MGA tipped the scales at just over 900 kg. It proved to be a hit with customers both in England and abroad, with 13,000 examples sold in the first year of production and a total of 101,081 examples built by July of 1962.
This particular MGA was produced for the 1958 model year and destined for the United States, built to LHD specifications with instrumentation in miles. While the majority of its history there is not known, a previous Illinois title on file shows that it was purchased by a Florene Wren of Morris, Illinois in August of 1990. It appears that the car remained in the ownership of her family until early 2014.
It was then imported to the Netherlands later that year and then sold to the current owner via a French dealer in 2015. Subsequently exported to Germany, the MGA has remained in Berlin ever since. Upon purchasing the car, the owner restored the interior upholstery and reports it to be in excellent condition. Afterwards, the car was entrusted to Michael Gross, a Berlin-based British car specialist, to bring it to an excellent mechanical standard to be driven an enjoyed. This work totaled to €4,549.06 and invoices from this work and subsequent regular service work carried out from 2015 to 2019 by him are included in the car’s history file, along with a reproduction MGA owner’s manual.
According to the consignor, the car starts easily and runs well today, thanks to completely rebuilt brakes, a refurbished fuel system, and the replacement of the head gasket of his ownership. An affordable and accessible entry point to classic car ownership, MG As are fun to drive, relatively easy to maintain. Its easy to see why these cars have a fervent following of enthusiasts who enjoy driving their cars regularly. Considering this example’s regular service work and attractive colours, this MGA will surely not disappoint.