Delage 15-S-8 History

The 15-S-8 (Type 15 S 8) was Louis Delâge's masterpiece as a racing constructor. Built to the 1.5-litre supercharged formula, it used a supercharged straight-eight engine of approximately 1,500 cc producing around 170 hp, housed in a beautifully engineered chassis. The car was notorious in its first season for exhaust routing that roasted the driver's right leg — a problem cured by redesign for 1927.

In 1927 the revised cars dominated European Grand Prix racing entirely. Robert Benoist drove the 15-S-8 to victories at the Grand Prix de France, Spain, Great Britain and Europe, winning all five major events he entered. The sweep earned Delage the title of 'World Champion of Car Builders' for 1927 — the pinnacle of the marque's competition history. The cars were sold to private entrants after Delage withdrew from factory racing the same year.

The 1914 Coupe de l'Auto winner and the 1914 Indianapolis 500 (driven by René Thomas at an average of 82.47 mph) had established Delage as a race-winning force before the First World War; the 15-S-8 represented the culmination of that two-decade programme.