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Chassis no '880003' was one of a mere five such cars prepared by the Delage factory for that postwar racing return. It was campaigned through1947-1949 as a Delage factory entry in such events as the 1947 Pau GP, the Belgian Grand Prix, the 1948 Spa 24-Hours, the Paris 12-Hours and the 1949 Le Mans 24-Hours. It was driven during this period by such renowned French racing stars as Phillippe 'Phi-Phi' Etancelin, subsequent Le Mans and Monaco Grand Prix winner for Ferrari and Cooper, Maurice Trintignant, by French Porsche importer Auguste Veuillet and by future Ferrari importer Charles Pozzi. Only seven of these fabled Delage D6 3Ls were built overall, the two pre-war cars followed by five more D6-70s postwar, of which the machine offered here is one. Their robust design and construction – combined with their competitive power, handling and braking – made them consistent performers at both Grand Prix Formula and endurance sport car racing level. Weighing around 900Kg ready-to-race '880.003' as offered here is capable of more than 220km/h/136mph. During the 1947 season this Delage as new is believed to have been the car co-driven by Etancelin/Henry Grignard in the Pau Grand Prix. It was then driven by Etancelin at Perpignan, Marseilles and Nimes, and by Rene Achard at St Helier, on the island of Jersey, before the great Maurice Trintignant took over for the Swiss Grand Prix at Berne (finishing 7th) and the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps (a fine 5th). In the 1947 Marne Grand Prix at Reims-Gueux Trintignant/Henri Louveau co-drove '880.003'. Into 1948 the car was acquired by August Veuillet. His record with the car includes a great 4th place in the Spa 24-Hours co-driving with Varet, while he also appeared in it at Chimay, in the Grand Prix de Paris and in the Paris 12-Hours at Montlhery. Veuillet retained the car for 1949, when he shared it with Mouche at Le Mans in the postwar revival 24-Hour Grand Prix d'Endurance race, and driving solo he placed 2nd at Sarrebruck and 6th in the Grand Prix de l'ACF. By 1950 this Delage D6-70 was becoming obsolescent as more modern Grand Prix and sports-racing cars had emerged but Veuillet still campaigned the car, taking 9th place at Rouen, while retiring from both the Grand Prix de Paris and Paris 12-Hours at Montlhery. Auguste Veuillet- subsequently founder of the famous 'Sonauto' concern – sold this car to Charles Pozzi in 1951. Charles Pozzi then campaigned the ageing car during 1951, taking it to the Portuguese city-race at Oporto in which he placed 13th. Thereafter he retained ownership for many years, running the car again in the Rallye Delage of 1966 and the GP de la Baule historic event as late as 1979. In 1981 ownership passed to Claude Afchain and in 2002 it was acquired by the present vendor.
