Louis Delage founded his automobile company in France in 1905. The company was known for luxury automobiles and its eight-cylinder D8 models of the 1930s are considered its finest products. This D8’s Aérosport’s body was built by French coachbuilder, Letourneur et Marchand and its styling is credited to the founder’s son Marcel Letourneur.
The D8’s long 132-inch wheelbase offers a vast canvas for the streamline school’s design elements, such as the long, low hood, pillarless greenhouse, and sloping finned fast-back rear deck. The D8 Aérosport’s lack of bumpers further emphasizes its precise curvaceous lines.
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN |
ENGINE |
HORSEPOWER |
NUMBER BUILT |
| France | Inline Eight 4.7 Litre | 120 | Twelve |
Exhibited courtesy of the Collection of the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles, California
DID YOU KNOW? |
| Delage’s front suspension utilizes a transverse leaf spring system similar to Studebaker’s “Planar” front suspension used from 1935-1949. |
Photo Credit: Visit South Bend
About this Series
Streamlined: Style on Motion was on display at the Museum in 2019. This series of articles comes for the displays from that exhibition.
