Delage 3-litre Type X

The SeeRed meeting at Donington Park in September 2006 included a race for Edwardian cars, and the photograph below is of one of the cars that took part in that race.

It's a 1911 Delage 3-litre Type X and the programme of the event says this about the car:

'This car was one of four 3-litre Type X racers built by Louis Delage to compete in the 1911 La Coupe des Voitures Legeres at Boulogne. Paul Bablot drove it to victory in the event - thus earning the Coupe de L'Auto, the prize presented by The Automotor Journal.

Immediately after the race it was bought - for a hefty £1000 - by Buster Lacon, one of two spectating Cambridge undergraduates.

Later that year Lacon sold the car to his companion on the Boulogne trip, Billy McBain. McBain and his brother George both raced the car at Brooklands over the next couple of years. It then changed hands three times in 1914, finishing up in the possession of Captain Leslie Corah, who was killed in action in 1915. It remained in the Corah family though until 1951.

It was then acquired by Lord Charnwood - formerly a director, and designer, at Bamford and Martin - and he restored the car and nicknamed it 'Denise'.

Following Charnwood's death in 1955 it was little seen until it was purchased by Sir John Briscoe in 1961. In the hands of the Briscoe family it became a familiar sight, enjoying a busy demonstration career at VSCC and VCC events until recently. It was also restored again and had its coachwork brought very close to its 1911 spec.

Last year it was purchased by David Ozanne, who will this weekend give the car its first race appearance for decades.'

The sale of the car in 2005 was organised by Bonhams, and here is their description of the car when it was put up for auction.