Most all the Delahayes were very swept back and aero in an Art Deco way. To each his own, some think they’re stunning and some think they’re cartoonish. I waver back and forth.
Viewed purely as “car” in the American idiom, they’re somewhat nonsensical. Not that we didn’t produce a few “boutique” vehicles ourselves along these lines.
The French do what they do for their own reasons, always have and always will. Seldom does it match our own expectations or aesthetic sensibilities, but when they hit a homerun it’s really something else. This roadster is one of them, as is practically any DS19 through DS21.
I think it’s great, a masterpiece of craftsmanship in steel, chrome, wood and leather. Is it practical at all? No, not really. But, for the right person of means, with the persona to pull it off, this no doubt was a conveyance without peer for making an entrance.
I’m glad it’s been cherished and maintained for us to enjoy. Thanks for posting the photo.
A guy at work drives a '73 Citroen SM, in very good condition. I'll bet he'd have a spaz attack viewing this car. Practicality is out the window when taste is in charge. And a taste which leans toward French design... Besides if plain old utility had the final say, none of us would ever be allowed to like anything. It would be a plain, generic, boring world with no place for Industrial Design, or Diana Dors, or the French for that matter. When it comes to impractical cars, I'm more of a TR3 kind of guy. But there's something about this car...