1949 Delahaye Type 175 S Roadster
As curvaceous as its owner, this 1949 Delahaye Type 175 S Roadster is going up for auction on August 14 in Monterey, California for between $4 and $6 million. The stunning car was once owned by Diana Dors, an English actress and sex symbol who is also referred to as Britain’s answer to Marilyn Monroe.
One of only 51 Delahaye Type 175 S Roadster made, was bought second-hand by the film star when she was just 17. It had been bought new by Englishman Sir John Gaul and Miss Dors purchased it from him about five years later for £5,000, a considerable sum at the time. Before the war coach-building companies, in this case the French firm Saoutchik, made unique cars especially for shows, and the Delahaye was one of the last of that era. The outrageous design included French curves of the 1930s combined with more modern baroque ornamentation.
Described as extravagant and outrageous, a rolling sculpture the car has been completely restored and delivers 165bhp with its 4.5-liter six-cylinder engine. The Diana Dors-owned 1949 Delahaye Type 175 S Roadster is one of the featured lots at the RM Auctions’ Sports & Classics of Monterey auction.
[Source: RM Auction]
