Delage Styling and Design: La Belle Voiture Francaise

Very little has been written in English about Delage, the sultry, art deco French car that was a favorite of the rich and famous during the inter-war years. This book seeks to introduce car enthusiasts to this fabulous marque. It describes the beginnings of the company headed by Louis Delage and his team of engineers, and touches upon its early racing history when driver Robert Benoist won the trophies that made the car famous around the world. Subsequent chapters describe the styling and design of the stunning cars built during the golden age of European Continental travel when the Delage chassis was dressed by the best French coachbuilders of the time, including Letourneur & Marchand, Henri Chapron, Marcel Pourtout and Figoni & Falaschi. Examples of each are described and photographed, with images taken at the time of their construction and present day photographs of beautifully restored cars. Reproductions of sales catalogues from the 1930s are also incorporated and the book includes an appendix with 15 pages of technical information and tune up specifications.

About the Author :
Richard Adatto is one of the world's experts on French aerodynamic cars produced before the onset of World War II. He sits on the Advisory Board of the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, and for over 20 years has been a judge at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance and Meadow Brook Hall. He is the technical advisor for the Classic Car Club of America on French-built cars and is the American correspondent for the French Delahaye and Talbot-Lago clubs. His articles and scripts have appeared in major magazines and automotive TV programs. Mr. Adatto lives in Seattle, Washington. Ms. Meredith is an interpreter, translator, editor and writer working in English, Spanish and French. She has traveled broadly to research and uncover original sources and information related to the automotive industry with a focus on the period before World War II. Ms. Meredith has collaborated on numerous projects involving private car collections of Alfa Romeos, Jaguars, Bentleys, Talbot-Lagos and other vintage automobiles. A native of Chile, Ms. Meredith is based in Seattle, Washington. Mr. Adatto and Ms. Meredith are the author and editor respectively of the award-winning book "From Passion to Perfection -The Story of French Streamlined Styling--1930-1939", published in 2003 with color photographs by Jean Paul Caron. In 2004, the book received the "Most Beautiful Book of the Year" award in Paris. The authors have collaborated over several years, most recently curating the acclaimed "French Curves" exhibit at the Petersen Museum in Los Angeles that included many of the automobiles presented in their book.