Emile Delahaye (1843 - 1905), a Frenchman , got interested in steam engines and petrol engines. During 1894 , he manufactured his first automobile and displayed it in the Paris Motor Show.
In order to gain publicity , Emile Delahaye built cars and raced in the 1897 Paris - Marseilles race with a Delahaye 6 HP car.
Failing health made Emile Delahaye to quit the company in 1900. Automobiles Delahaye continued to make automobiles under the leadership of its Works Manager , Charles Weiffenbach , known as Monsieur Charles. Monsieur Charles steered the company towards road cars and trucks. A 1908 Delahaye -
In the 1930s , in the midst of crisis in the French Auto industry , Delahaye decided to move in to sports cars . Engineer Jean Francois was given the project and thus born the famous Type 134, Type 135 , Type 138 cars with large 6 cylinder engines.
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One of the famous such car was owned by actress Diana Dors , a Delahaye 178 -
After the war , Delahaye designed and developed a model to compete with the famous "American Jeep" , called the Delahaye VRL-"Vehicules Leger de Reconnaissance". Around 10000 of these VRLs were sold to the French Army.
The Delahaye logo -
Delahaye acquired the other French car manufacturer , Delage in 1935. In 1954 , Delahaye was taken over by Hotchkiss and the brand Delahaye slowly disappeared.
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