In the rarefied world of high-end automotive collecting, few titles carry the weight of "Best of Show" at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. Since the inception of this legendary event in 1950, only 74 vehicles have earned the industry’s most prestigious accolade. These cars are not merely transport; they are rolling sculptures, historical touchstones, and the ultimate prizes for the world’s most discerning collectors.
This August, the automotive community will witness a rare occurrence that has sent ripples of excitement through the collector car market: the sale of one of these illustrious victors. The 1937 Delage D8-120 S Aerodynamic Coupe, a masterpiece of French Art Deco design that claimed the top prize at Pebble Beach in 2005, is set to cross the block at the RM Sotheby’s Monterey Auction. Held at the Monterey Conference Center from August 13 through 15, the sale marks a significant moment for the Sam and Emily Mann Collection, which is parting with a 22-lot field of world-class vehicles.
A Masterpiece of French Art Deco
To understand the significance of this sale, one must look beyond the gleaming aluminum-and-steel bodywork. The Delage D8-120 S is more than a car; it is a manifestation of pre-war French industrial ambition. Designed by the visionary Georges Paulin—a pioneer in the application of wind tunnel testing to automotive aesthetics—the car represents the pinnacle of "Aerodynamic" styling.
Paulin, working in tandem with the Parisian coachbuilder Marcel Pourtout, created a silhouette that challenged the conventions of the late 1930s. The long-tailed coupe, with its sweeping lines and teardrop influence, was a sensation at the time of its creation. It was intended to showcase the engineering prowess of the French marque, serving as the prototype for the D8-120 S model. Compared to the standard D8-120, the ‘S’ variant was significantly more athletic, boasting a 4.75-liter straight-eight engine, a lowered suspension for improved handling, reduced overall weight, and oversized brakes designed to manage the increased output of its high-performance powertrain.
A Storied Chronology: From Salon Floors to Daily Driving
The history of this particular Delage is as dramatic as its styling. According to research conducted by RM Sotheby’s, the car’s debut was nearly thwarted by the rigid bureaucracy of the era. Louis Delâge, the founder of the marque, had intended to unveil the vehicle at the 1937 Paris Salon. However, by the time the car was completed, the application window for the show had long since closed.
Rather than accept the exclusion, Delâge and the craftsmen at Pourtout displayed a flair for the theatrical. They drove the prototype directly to the Grand Palais, the venue for the Salon, and parked it prominently outside the main entrance. It was a bold move that ensured the car would be seen by every attendee, effectively hijacking the event’s spotlight. Following the exhibition, the vehicle became the personal daily driver of Louis Delâge himself, a testament to the founder’s pride in his creation.
However, the car’s path to its current pristine state was not without obstacles. In 1953, the vehicle was involved in a collision and was sent to the coachbuilder Saoutchik for repairs. For reasons that remain lost to history, Saoutchik made significant modifications to the original Pourtout design. The elegant, sweeping nose was replaced with a blunter, more upright aesthetic, the windshield was flattened, and the original split rear window was discarded in favor of a single, continuous pane of glass.
The Path to Redemption and Provenance
The car’s transformation back to its original glory is a case study in obsessive restoration. After spending time in the hands of various owners—including newspaper magnate William A. Raidy, who used it as a touring car in France; experimental filmmaker William Maas; and collector Alfredo Brener—the Delage was eventually acquired by the esteemed New Jersey-based collector Sam Mann.
Mann had spent nearly a decade pursuing the car, only to be rebuffed by Brener. It was only when the car’s condition began to deteriorate and the owner lost interest that a deal was finally struck. Recognizing the historic importance of the vehicle, Mann entrusted it to the restoration experts at Stone Barn in Vienna, New Jersey.
The project was a monumental endeavor that spanned more than two and a half years. Relying on original period photographs and technical documentation retrieved from the Pourtout archives, the team painstakingly reversed the "Saoutchik modifications." They reconstructed the original curved windshield and the iconic twin rear-window design, effectively undoing decades of structural changes to restore the car to its 1937 factory-specification elegance. The result was a triumph, culminating in its 2005 Pebble Beach Best of Show victory and a subsequent "Best of the Best" award at the inaugural Louis Vuitton Classic in New York City.
Market Implications and the Great Wealth Transfer
The upcoming auction is being viewed as a bellwether for the pre-war collector market. Harvey Stanley, director of private sales for RM Sotheby’s, emphasizes that the Delage is not merely a collector’s item; it is a "coachbuilt masterpiece" and one of the most significant French Art Deco vehicles in existence.
When asked if the Pebble Beach victory adds to the car’s collectability, Stanley is emphatic. "One thousand percent," he tells Robb Report. "It is the ultimate accolade for a car, adding immeasurably to its provenance. People talk about certain cars being a ticket to the world’s leading car events. This car not only provides a ticket to the likes of Pebble Beach and Villa d’Este, but a ticket to win them."
Perhaps most intriguing is Stanley’s prediction regarding the buyer profile. Despite the common assumption that pre-war cars are the domain of older, established collectors, Stanley suggests the market is shifting. He anticipates that the buyer could be significantly younger—someone in their 40s—driven by a resurgence in interest for highly specialized, rare, and aesthetically daring pre-war machinery. This shift aligns with broader trends in the "Great Wealth Transfer," where a new generation of collectors is seeking out assets that provide unique cultural and historical experiences rather than mere investment returns.
A New Chapter at Auction
The 1937 Delage D8-120 S represents a rare convergence of engineering, art, and history. As part of the 22-lot offering from the Sam and Emily Mann Collection, it stands alongside other legends, such as the breathtaking 1935 Duesenberg JN Convertible once owned by Clark Gable.
The expected price point, projected to fall between $5 million and $6 million, reflects both the rarity of the Delage and the current strength of the top-tier collector car market. For the winning bidder, the acquisition will represent more than a transaction; it will be an induction into an exclusive club of stewards who have protected and celebrated this piece of automotive history.
As the auction dates approach, all eyes will be on the Monterey Conference Center. Whether the car breaks records or simply cements its status as a timeless icon, the sale serves as a potent reminder of why we continue to celebrate the automobile as an art form. In the words of Sam Mann, who has long considered this his favorite piece, "It is the cream of everything we have ever owned, and the purest example of the automobile as art."
For the next owner, the Delage will be more than a display piece; it will be a living legacy, ready to return to the concours circuits and grace the lawns of the world’s most prestigious events for decades to come. As the automotive world undergoes a massive technological transition toward electrification and autonomy, cars like the 1937 Delage remind us of a time when the automobile was defined by human passion, hand-crafted detail, and the relentless pursuit of aerodynamic perfection.
