"Million Franc" Delahaye
The Mullin Automotive Museum's "Million Franc" Delahaye: The Car That Beat the Nazis
Peter Mullin, Chairman of the Mullin Automotive Museum, recounts the story of the "Million Franc" Delahaye. One of France's most storied race cars, this 1937 Delahaye Type 145 won the Million Franc Challenge in 1937. The million-franc reward was posted by the Auto Club of France for any French manufacturer that could beat Alfa Romeo's 1934 record for completing 16 laps (200 total kilometers, approximately 120 miles) at the Montlhéry Autodrome the fastest. The challenge was good through August 1937.
The rise of the Third Reich and German nationalism had Hitler furiously backing the Mercedes-Benz Silver Arrow cars in a frenzied effort to overshadow French and Italian carmakers. The Delahaye campaign was financed by American Lucy Schell, and former Ferrari factory driver René Dreyfus was chosen as the Delahaye’s pilot.
Dreyfus won the prize by completing the 16 laps in 1 hour 21 minutes: an average speed of 91.3 miles per hour / 146 kilometers per hour. The feat was a source of national pride in France. A few months later, Dreyfus and the "Million Franc" Delahaye defeated the Mercedes Silver Arrow team again at the 1938 Grand Prix of Pau.
After Germany invaded France during World War II, René Dreyfus, who was Jewish, fled to America - where he ultimately became a renowned New York restauranteur. Hitler ordered that the Million Franc Delahaye be found and destroyed. Instead, the car was disassembled and its parts scattered to avoid German discovery.
Four decades later, Peter Mullin painstakingly reassembled the car and documented its provenance. He tells the car's story at the 2015 Monterey Historics. When the “Million Franc” Delahaye isn’t at car shows and vintage races, it resides at the Mullin Automotive Museum in Oxnard, California.
www.mullinautomotivemuseum.com
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Good film and an obvious enthusiast. I am here too after reading Neil Bascomb's book 'Faster'. Tribute to both Rene Drefus and Lucy Schell who made this car famous !
This Delahaye and the Bugatti Type 41 Royale are the most interesting and best cars of ALL TIMES.
Great respect to Mr Mullin and to Neal Bascomb (whose book “Faster” chronicles Mssr. Dreyfus, his American female team principal (Lucy Schell) and the brilliant Delahaye team of Jean Francois and Charles Weiffenbach) for preserving this historic, heroic response to the Third Reich backed Mercedes Silver Arrows and Auto Union P-Wagens.
@IndoZambian
2 жыл бұрын
I just finished that book and found this!
Thank you sir for sharing your passion and excitement with us. How completely beautiful these cars are. I can compare the designs in to other French arts as music. I am a retired symphony horn player of 36+ years from many parts of the world. It helps to understand the culture of the region and design of the arts.
Neal Bascomb does a great job of telling this wonderful story in his book "Faster".
what a story! This is the best car story i ever know
The regulations described started from 1938 on. In 1937 was last year of the 750 kilo rules, total weight limited to 1500 lbs weight, the racetrack was reigned by W125 from Mercedes (5600 cc inline 8, 620 hp, 200 miles topspeed, 160 octane special petrol from Leuna Petro Chemical). In 1938 started a chance for 4.5 litre Engines naturally aspirated, they have not been faster than the 3 Liter supercharged (W163 485hp !!) but their petrol consumption was at least 50 to 75 % lower than the Silver Arrows (Silver Arrrows: 100 to 120 litres per 63 miles at 150 to 160 miles/hour speed / french Delahayes 45 to 65 litres per 63 miles (100 kms) at 130 to 145 miles per hour) so the french had one stop during the race for petrol and the germans had 3 to 4 stops during 500km race duration and the tyre rubbing when having to brake or accelerate hard was also in favor of the 4.5 litres. In the 1938 Grand Prix of France at Reims the course was prepared very curvy with short straights so that supercharged versions could not unfold their speeding superiority. In the end it was the longer petrol intervals that made Dreyfus win the Grand Prix.
@Arctic_Falcon
3 жыл бұрын
Actually, it was an injured driver (Caracciola) and an extra pitstop for a driver swap that caused the Mercedes to lose. Carracciola led until this extra pitstop.
Who else is here from faster?
I wish we had footage with the sound of the car!
Great car! Thanks for the ride.
en 1954 ,dommage que cette marque a disparue , a cause du plan marschal et du plans pons du gouvernement francais et de limiter les matiere premiere apres guerre ,en 1948 une 135 et 138 couter 30% plus cher qu une jaguar xk les 175 et 180 pris d une roll royce , et prioritée par les actionnaires aux vehicules militaire et camions apres guerre que des voitures de luxe