Some Postwar Delahaye Sedans

A few years ago I wrote about 1949 Delahaye cars with "pontoon" fenders by carrossier Guilloré.  This was one aspect of the firm's attempt at keeping up with post- World War 2 styling trends that were largely driven by General Motors and other American carmakers.

Unfortunately, Delahaye was undercapitalized and, being a builder of upscale cars, received little benefit from France's Plan Pons that favored production of entry level automobiles.  So motors, chassis, and other engineering details were pre-war.  And this yielded long hoods and comparatively short passenger compartments while American cars were getting shorter hoods and longer trunks and rear overhang.

Shown below are four-door sedan designs by Letourneur & Marchand, illustrating how difficult putting postwar features on prewar chassis could be.  The Delahaye 148 L (for Léger) cars are probably 1948 models, though one of my best sources on French automobiles claims they first appeared in the Fall of 1949.

Gallery

1948 Delahaye 148 L Berline - by Letourneur et Marchand - likely a for-sale image
This design was used for a small "production" run by the coachbuilder.  Unlike Delahaye's prewar custom sedan bodies from its various carrossiers, the beltline below the windows did not curve downward.  This made the car look more postwar.  The front fender extend across the forward door, terminating at the aft door cutline, an awkward touch.  However, the doors are hung on the B-pillar creating a front "suicide door" that at least lacked the complicated fender-related hinging that an A-pillar attachment would have required.

1948 Delahaye 148 L Berline - by Letourneur et Marchand - for-sale photo
Probably the same car as in the previous image.

The "notch-back' is somewhat in line with General Motors' thinking, though the curved backlight window is a little small by contemporary American standards.  Perhaps a matter of French car window glass forming technology compared to that in the USA.

1948c Delahaye 148L Berline - by Letourneur et Marchand - Hyman photo
This car, found in the USA, features wire wheels.  It lacks the chrome rock guard on the rear fender.  The front fenderline is more horizontal than that of the other 148 L.

1949c Delahaye 148 L 4-door by Letourneur et Marchand
Here Letourneur & Marchand placed a "pontoon" fender on a 148 L.  Slab-sided to begin with, the long expanse between the front door cutline and the wheel opening exaggerates the slabiness.  More modern, more ugly.

1949 Delahaye 135 M 2-door coupé - Dyler photo
Probably by Guilloré, whose designs I featured in the first link above.  Perhaps Letourneur & Marchand were reacting to cars like these when the sedan in the previous image was built.