Born: 1904 Nationality: French
When an engineer employed by boiler and locomotive builder Delaunay-Bellville designed the company's first car, he was hardly thinking that the new automotive marque would be famous among the Russian nobility and also feature as the first getaway car used by one of France's most notorious gangsters.
But Marius Barbarou's early cars did set the formula to be followed through the next four decades, of fine engineering and high build quality, with commensurate expense. Early 4-cylinder cars of 16-40hp were soon joined by, and subsequently superceded by, 6-cylinder models. Typical of that early classic period was the 1A-6, which was sumptuously finished, often with mahogany coachwork and leather fenders.
The 1911 Coupe de Ville set the format for a closed rear section with an open front for the chauffeur, which most buyers employed.
The Delaunay-Bellvilles were very recognisable by their round radiators, reflecting the boilermaking heritage, and in prestige terms were considered by many to be superior to Mercedes-Benz and Rolls-Royce, especially in quietness and bodywork. The reputation was helped by the fact that Delaunays were the favoured car of Tsar Nicholas II of Russia, who in 1912 had - among 33 vehicles in his personal garage - no fewer than seven examples of the French marque. The company even produced a special model for him, with an 11.8-litre monster of an engine outputting 70hp.
The anarchist gangster Jules Bonnot is believed to have been the first "motor bandit" when he stole a Delaunay-Bellville in 1911 to use for transportation for a series of planned burglaries. After using it to get away following the shooting of a bank messenger, his gang left it on tidal mud flats near Dieppe.
During the first World War, Delaunay-Bellville built military trucks and developed prototype light tanks and weapons.After the war, the company produced cars with 4- and 6-cylinder engines ranging in output from 10-50hp, still handbuilt and aimed at the luxury market. By now the trademark radiator had an oval grille. The 2L5 Torpedo of 1923 was a long and rakish tourer with a removable soft roof, while the S6, built between 1928-1931 was a much more sedately-styled model. In 1929 a 2.1-litre version was also produced.
The U6, built between 1931 and 1934 had a 3.6-litre OHV six, with a 4-speed transmission, more in the company's traditional grand style. But competition was getting more intense at this level, and Delaunay began losing out to the much-improving Rolls-Royce and the newer Hispano-Suiza brands. By 1930, it was no longer believed to be the best car in the world, and even its target market was being affected by the world recession.
In order to provide a more refined option at a lower production cost, the company imported 8-cylinder Continental engines from the US, but the thus-powered cars weren't particularly successful in sales terms.
The key model up to the second World War was the R16, powered by a 2.3-litre six of Delaunay's own manufacture. After the war, an updated R16 was sold, with an electrically-operated gearbox. The company ceased making cars in 1950.
BEST CAR: Arguably any of the 6-cylinder models of the mid-1920s
WORST CAR: None were built badly
WEIRDEST CAR: Not so much weird as wonderful, a 1910 model converted to be the first motor fire engine in Midhurst, West Sussex. A similar application in Lyons, France, in 1922 is just plain gorgeous