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This Delahaye 135S replica was constructed over many years bymarque specialist Ian Polson contemporaneously with his long termand painstaking rebuild of chassis number ‘47190’, an original 135Snow in the Mullin Automotive Museum in Los Angeles. The chassishas been given the number ‘47191’, the identity of an original135S that no longer exists, but makes no claim to be that car. Allcomponents are correct Delahaye, converted in much the same wayas the works did in period, with a proper Delahaye racing cylinderhead (purchased from Rob Walker), correct racing Solex carburettors(remanufactured), racing water pump, etc. During Graham’sownership Hartford friction dampers were substituted for the correctRaxef units, these are offered with the lot.The interior trim was done by John Foy, acknowledged as one ofthe best coach trimmers in the country. The Delahaye had beenpurchased in 2003 as a project for circa £40,000 (£25,000 plusan Austin-Healey 100 valued at £15,000). Work commencedimmediately and was completed circa 2006 at a total cost of around£250,000. Restoration invoices and photographs are on file and thecar also comes with current HTP FIA papers and a V5C registrationdocument.Following the car’s completion, Graham found that he could notfit in it comfortably; he was unwilling to alter the car’s lines and soused it sparingly.To get the Delahaye sorted, he asked Bonhams MotoringDepartment specialist John Polson to race it for him in VSCC andother pre-war sports car races in 2012. With its few minor teethingtroubles quickly sorted, the car formed part of the winning team inthe VSCC Relay Race at Pembrey in 2012, and elsewhere provedcompetitive with short-chassis 8C Alfas, etc, just as the real thingwas in period but no replica has ever managed.The gearbox is currently being rebuilt, but will be completed by thetime of sale. Delahaye manual gearboxes were notoriously unreliablein racing, with breakages a frequent occurrence in period. This led tomany cars being fitted with Cotals in period or with Hotchkiss/Rileygearboxes in historic racing today. Sure enough, John Polson hadencountered gearbox problems while racing the Galliers Delahaye.Since Graham did not want to depart from original specification,the decision was taken to have stronger gears made and ex Borg-Warner and Cosworth transmission engineer, Cecil Schumacher, wascommissioned to redesign them to withstand the engine’s massivetorque without altering the Delahaye gearbox’s fundamental design.A perfect ‘tool room copy’, ‘945 UXE’ is indistinguishable from thereal thing and undoubtedly a potential winner in any pre-war sportscar race, as well as a fast and exciting road car.£130,000 - 160,000€160,000 - 200,0001John Polson, VSCC Silverstone, 2012Motor Cars | 87