A fabulous and eminently desirable high-performance French motorcar with sublime coachwork by Fernandez et Darrin of Paris. Lovingly maintained by a passionate enthusiast, and offered for sale for the first time since 1957.
One of the most influential designs born of Fernandez et Darrin is this breathtaking four-passenger cabriolet atop a Delage D8S chassis. Car number 35880 is one of only two such examples built in this dramatic style, both utilizing the superb, high-performance Delage D8S as a base. Staggeringly beautiful, the design has classic long hood/short deck proportions and is masterfully detailed for maximum impact. Darrin’s placement of the spare wheel at the rear adds visual length, while the curvaceous front wings flow gracefully into the full rear fenders, which enhance the low-slung profile. The steeply raked compound V windscreen is of particular note, as it gives energy and motion to the design. While subtle, the detail is used to dramatic effect on this Delage, and the styling cue was widely mimicked by other great designers, including Alexis de Sakhnoffsky and Ray Dietrich. Viewed as a whole, the Darrin-penned D8S Cabriolet is nothing short of a masterpiece of early art-deco automobile design.
