1926 Delage Grand Prix – Car Profile

By Dennis Gray and Peter Giddings | Photos by Dennis Gray

This 1926 Delage Grand Prix 15-S-8, better known as Dick Seaman’s “Black Delage”, is now garaged in California, having been recently rebuilt to period specifications.

As a ten-year-old Grand Prix car the Delage, chassis #4, was driven to victory by Richard “Dick” Seaman in the 1936 Isle of Man race against a number of newer and more advanced racing cars, including ten of the new 1.5-litre ERAs.Seaman’s other successes with the Delage include three straight weekend in mid-1937 when he drove the car to a win at the Junior Coppa Acerbo, followed by a win at the Prix de Berne, and finally a win at the 200-mile Donington Park J.C.C. race. The car was reportedly untouched over the course of all three race weekends, a remarkable testament to the stamina of the Black Delage.

Back to the beginning. In 1926 Louis Delage gave his young engineer designer, Albert Lory, free rein to develop a chassis and engine to meet the new 1500cc GP European championship. While Lory utilized some features from the previous 1925 V12 Delage, this 8-cylinder engine was in all ways a new design. Dual overhead camshafts with two valves per cylinder working together with (in 1926) twin Rootes-type superchargers, producing 160 bhp at 7,500 rpm. The cylinder head was integral with the cast iron block, while the crankcase was aluminum. The billet steel crankshaft was supported by nine ball bearings, together with eight roller bearing rods. A single Bosch magneto supplied juice to eight spark plugs.

Lory installed the 1.5-litre engine in an extremely flexible 98.5-inch wheelbase chassis with 53 inch track; the Delage standing at a mere 35.5 inches to the top of the cowl, its highest point.

Lory had made one major mistake in his design. While the car was fast, the right side exhaust proved capable of roasting the driver. In preseason testing in and around Courbevoie-sur-Seine drivers were already complaining of blisters on legs, feet and hands.

In its first race, the 1926 San Sebastian GP, only one Delage finished (third place) using up 7 drivers in all. The car was then disqualified for using an excess of relief drivers!

At succeeding 1926 races, French fans would come out of the stands to volunteer to drive the cars, when all the team drivers were heat exhausted or roasted and unable to continue. There are stories of the drivers submerging their hot feet/shoes into buckets of cold champagne, which then hissed, bubbled and steamed until everything had cooled down. What a way to get your first Grand Prix drive!

The following month, during the Donington Park British Grand Prix, one car had its instrument panel burst into flames. Another Delage driven by Robert Senechal and Louis Wagner finished first. At the finish, both drivers are reported to have soaked their feet in buckets of iced champagne. Unfortunately, the British Grand Prix was the only highlight of the season for Louis Delage, Albert Lory and their cars.

For 1927 Lory changed the cylinder head to left hand exhaust, and away from the cut-down driver’s side. The second mechanic’s seat was also discarded. The drive now ran down the left side of the chassis positioning the driver even lower. With the new cylinder head design, the twin superchargers could no longer be accommodated, due to the existing steering box. Thus, Lory designed a single Rootes-type supercharger driven off the front of the timing tower. The revised red line was now an amazing 8,000 rpm.

In 1927 the Delage works team was crowned European champion. At one point the car, driven by Benoist (who also won the European driver’s championship), completed over 1,400 miles in competition with — it is claimed — never having to raise its hood.

In 1929 Louis Chiron drove this same Delage in the Indianapolis 500 mile race, painted French racing blue. Chiron qualified 14th at 107.351 mph, finishing seventh with an average of 87.728 mph. The Delage was the only entrant to finish that was not based on a Miller or Duesenberg.

 

1926 Delage Grand Prix – Car Profile Page Two

 

According to Delage expert, the late Alan Burnard, this car, chassis number four, was later raced by Robert Senechal, then by Lord Howe, before being purchased by Briton John Richard “Dick” Beattie Seaman.

Towards the end of 1935, Dick Seaman put the Delage into the hands of his erstwhile mechanic, Giulio Ramponi, with instructions to overhaul, improve and lighten the entire car.

Ramponi “upped” the compression, utilizing dome-shaped pistons, and carefully weighed, balanced, and tuned valves, rocker arms and camshafts, resulting in 185 bhp at 8,000 rpm. Ramponi also removed some 250 pounds from the car, resulting in a scale weight of 1,650 pounds.

Ramponi also did what he could to stiffen the flexible chassis, by the addition of two pieces of hard oak to the front frame rails under the radiator shell. This marginally improved the rigidity of the frame. Today the oak has been replaced by New Zealand beech wood.

Brakes were also upgraded to hydraulic, and an original five-speed transmission (a carry over from the earlier V12 Delage) was installed, replacing the Howe fitted heavy pre-selector gearbox.

Seaman, and his friend, Whitney Straight, considered that the only proper color for a race car was black. Hence the Seaman Black Delage.

Ramponi’s excellent preparation paid off, as the Delage, skillfully driven by Seaman, made quick work of the competition throughout the UK and Europe. Seaman’s string of major wins during the 1936 season brought him to the attention of Alfred Neubauer at Mercedes-Benz, which led to a ride on the famed Silver Arrows team. (See Richard Seaman – Driver Profile).

When Seaman left the amateur gentleman’s driver circle to become a factory Mercedes-Benz driver, he sold the Delage to Prince Chula of Siam. By the end of the World War II, Reg Parnell had acquired the Black Delage, along with most of the other 15-S-8 Delages and spares.

 

Sometime in the fifties Rob Walker acquired the Seaman Delage. Over the next 14 years Walker’s mechanic, John Chisman, restored it. Walker often entered the Delage for other drivers in VSCC events, while also driving it himself in various speed trials.

In 1968 Walker’s Formula 1 garage, with the Black Delage inside, burnt to the ground. Miraculously, the engine (which still turned over), chassis axles, steering box/column, springs, hubs, fuel tank, among other parts, remained virtually intact. However, the body, several of the aluminium castings and plumbing were lost. Nevertheless, Walker and Chisman once again restored the Delage and brought it back to life. From period automotive magazine and news reports it appears this restoration was close to a British national project with help coming from all parts of Britain.

December 1970 saw the reborn Black Delage reappear for the Jacky Ickx Motor Racing Show in Brussels. When it was started up, the exhibition center emptied: the deafening high C scream of the engine had driven exhibitors and fans alike from the hall.

From the Walker years until the present, this 1926 Delage Grand Prix 15-S-8 has seen few miles on any track. Recently rebuilt to full Seaman specification by Auto Restorations of New Zealand, we can now look forward to it becoming a frequent star at vintage and historic automobile events around the world.

1926 Delage Grand Prix – Photo Gallery (click image for larger picture and description)

 

[Source: Dennis Gray; Peter Giddings]