Just Cool Cars: Hey, it's a gorgeous 1937 Delahaye
PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. -- Lots of people live dual lives -- a rough childhood before blossoming into a handsome adult. The same thing happens with cars.
Sam and Emily Mann's 1937 Delahaye 145 Franay Cabriolet started life as a rough-and-tumble racer. With 12-cylinder engine that puts out about 250 horsepower, it raced and won in France.
After being hid away during World War II, it surfaced again. Its racing history behind it, the car was given a stunning art-deco style roadster body. At the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance here, it was one of the most head-turning cars on the lawn -- and our bet to win top honors.
"The lines are just phenomenal, from the exterior to the interior," Emily Mann says. "It is pure art deco."
The Delahaye didn't win the crown, but won many hearts. And the best part is that it's beauty isn't just skin deep.
"It's a mild looking road car with roaring engine and drivetrain underneath," says Sam Mann, from Englewood, N.J.