1911 Delaunay-Belleville Type HB6
| May 1, 2008
At the beginning of the 20th century Delaunay-Belleville cars were among the most prestigious cars produced in the Europe, and perhaps the most desirable French marque. The Company was formed in 1903 by Louis Delaunay and Marius Barbarou. Barbarou's family owned a boiler making company and Marius had experience working for Clement, Lorraine-Dietrich and Benz.
Delaunay-Belleville cars were the favorite automobiles of Russian Tsar Nicholas II. Other royal owners included King George I of Greece and King Alphonso XIII of Spain. Jules Bonnot, the famous French anarchist gangster, used a Delaunay-Belleville for his first hold-up.
This is a 1911 Sedanca Coupé de Ville with coachwork by Labourdette. The car is in original, nicely-patinated condition and incorporates Louis Vutton luggage trunks. The car features its original big six-cylinder engine which offered state-of-the-art performances for its time.
By the late 1920s the Delaunay-Belleville had lost its prestige and converted to truck and military vehicles production.