Page 13 - Sample pages "Figoni on Delahaye" by Richard Adatto

along with the fold-down windshield. The order notes called for scalloped hood louvers similar to those on the Delahaye Type 165 shown at the 1938 Paris Auto Salon, but Mr. Jeantet changed these instructions while the coachwork was being built. The door handles were placed in the center of the doors’ chrome molding. The body of the car was painted “Andalusian” red, and the interior was red leather. The first registration was 627 RM 4.
In the end, Figoni completed the car in record time and delivered it to Mr. Jeantet at his home in Paris in March 1939. Claude Figoni stated that this car, “was the only roadster of this type ever built by them, and one of my father’s favorites.” Joseph Figoni’s love of this car is illustrated by the extensive dossier on the car that exists today. It includes eight different variations of the coach- work, multiple build sheets, notebook entries, timecards, and letters that go back and forth between the Delahaye factory and Figoni, providing rare insight into the coachbuilding world of the late 1930s.
With his car safely in his possession, Mr. Jeantet departed for Switzerland, where he ran a flourishing enterprise until his death in 1981. The car was put away during World War II, after which there is a gap in its history; although
DRAWING NUMBER 504-M
for Chassis 60158 is now closer to the wishes of the customer.
FIGONI ARCHIVE
CHASSIS 60158
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LTON WATSON FINE BOO © DALTON WATSON FINE BOOKS © DALTON WATSON FINE BOOKS © DALTON WATSON FINE BOOKS ALTON WATSON F