DELAGE 15-S-8 Having established Automobiles Delage in Paris in 1905, Louis Delage himself quickly identified the potential public relations benefits of motor racing, embracing the nascent sport enthusiastically.

The company’s first significant racing victory came as early as 1908, when Albert Guyot won the Grand Prix des Voiturettes at Dieppe.

By 1910 the company had developed their own engine, which powered Paul Bablot to victory in both the 1911 Coupe des Voiturettes at Boulogne and the 1913 Grand Prix de France at Le Mans.

In 1914, Delage unveiled their ground-breaking Type S Grand Prix model—boasting twin-overhead camshafts, four valves per cylinder, desmodromic valve operation, and four-wheel brakes—while later that year, Rene Thomas gave the company their first significant overseas win with victory in the Indianapolis 500.

After a lucrative wartime spell manufacturing munitions, Delage resumed road car production in 1918 with its innovative four-wheel-braked CO model.

Howev...