#Delahaye 175 S

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1949 Delahaye 175 S Saoutchik Roadster

Saoutchik was a cabinet maker when he moved to Paris from his home in Ukraine around 1900, but he didn’t take long to establish himself in the fledgling automotive coachbuilding industry and he showed a consistent flair over the next 50 years which puts him among the very elite of automotive designers.

His designs borrowed little from other designers, and along with names such as Figoni et Falaschi, Chapron, Franay and de Letourner et Marchand, Saoutchik was one of the foremost designers of exquisite Art Deco coachwork during the 20s and 30s.

Saoutchik was commissioned to produce the spectacular work-of-art by flamboyant English collector, Sir John Gaul. The design was based on the first post-war Delahaye chassis from a 175 S Roadster (chassis number 815023) producing 165 bhp from an engine much larger than the pre-war Delahayes ran – a 4,455 cc naturally aspirated overhead valve inline six cylinder engine with four-speed electro-mechanically actuated Cotal Preselector gearbox, Dubonnet coil spring front suspension, De Dion rear axle with semi-elliptic springs, and four-wheel hydraulic finned alloy drum brakes. The wheelbase was a whopping 116 inches.

The car was unveiled at the 1949 Paris Auto Show, and was exhibited at all the major European concours events that year, from Paris to Monte Carlo to San Remo, scooping the pool wherever it was exhibited. It won best-in-class in the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in 2006 just a few months after a complete restoration. Just a few months later, the car was honored again, winning People’s Choice at theprestigious Amelia Island Concours d’ Elegance.

Having fulfilled its exhibition duties, it then passed through a succession of other flamboyant owners, including actress Diana Dors.

The final word on this stunning automobile goes to Ian Kelleher, President and Chief Operating Officer, RM Auctions

“Following the financial depression of World War II, there were few collectors with the means, flamboyance and flair to commission a car as exotic as this Saoutchik Roadster. Arguably the most desirable post-war, coachbuilt automobile of all time, it is truly a masterpiece of the coachbuilder’s art. Eye-catching and exotic, it is wonderful to drive and combines superlative styling on a chassis of competition quality.”

Courtesy of RM Auctions

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Delahaye « 175 S Roadster » 1949. - source AGUTTES.

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1949 DELAHAYE 175 S SAOUTCHIK ROADSTER

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Delahaye 175 S Chapron Dandy Cabriolet - 1948

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British actress Diana Dors and her 1949

Delahaye 175 S Saoutchik Roadster.

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British actress Diana Dors and her 1949 Delahaye 175 S Saoutchik Roadster.

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British actress Diana Dors and her 1949 Delahaye 175 S Saoutchik Roadster.

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Museo nazionale del Qatar

Il Museo nazionale del Qatar di Doha (Qatar) è noto come “Rosa del deserto”. Questo è un altro luogo molto particolare per la sua struttura architettonica perché l’architetto Jean Nouvel si è ispirato proprio alla meravigliosa forma della roccia sedimentaria formata da cristalli di gesso che ricordano i petali di un fiore. Qui si parla però di una gigantesca rosa del deserto: oltre 40.000 metri quadri di superficie con una struttura composta da 539 dischi che si incastrano tra loro, il tutto ricoperto da circa 74 mila pannelli di calcestruzzo.

Oltre ad una notevole valenza ingegneristica ed architettonica, il museo è importante perché presenta la storia del Qatar attraverso 8 mila oggetti: reperti archeologici, opere d’arte, tessuti e vestiti, imbarcazioni, macchinari, gioielli, libri, reperti naturalistici e documenti storici.

E’ molto coinvolgente percorrere le 11 gallerie (il percorso è lungo circa 1,5 km) perché l’esperienza è multisensoriale: ad esempio ci si ritrova immersi nella natura, si assiste alla tradizionale cerimonia del caffè o alle attività dei pescatori di perle.

Il museo ospita anche mostre: nel periodo in cui l’ho visitato vi era “A SNEAK PEEK AT QATAR AUTO MUSEUM PROJECT” dove ho potuto ammirare un esemplare di Ferrari 250 GTO del 1963, una Pontiac Plexiglass Deluxe Six del 1939 conosciuta come la “Ghost Car” per via della sua carrozzeria trasparente ed una lussuosa Delahaye 175 S Roadster.

Estasiata invece davanti alle magiche luci dell’installazione immersiva di Pipilotti Rist “YOUR BRAIN TO ME, MY BRAIN TO YOU” che rappresentano i neuroni che si attivano e comunicano costantemente tra loro.

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1949, Delahaye 175 S Roadster

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British actress Diana Dors and her 1949 French Delahaye 175 S Saoutchik Roadster.

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1949, Delahaye 175 S Roadster.

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Delahaye 175 S Roadster 1949. - source Les Anciennes Autos.

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Diana Dors in her 1949 Delahaye 175 S Saoutchik Roadster, Sadly Diana passed away aged just 52 of ovarian cancer in 1984, The Delahaye however was rediscovered by a friend of mine and fully restored and sold at auction in 2010 for nearly $3 million (£1.9m)

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1949 Delahaye 175 S Saoutchik Roadster

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British actress Diana Dors and her 1949 Delahaye 175 S Saoutchik Roadster.