The 1949 Delahaye Type 175 S Saoutchik Roadster owned by British “blonde bombshell” actress Diana Dors is widely considered one of the most striking and flamboyant coachbuilt automobiles of the post-WWII era. Often referred to as “the ultimate expression of French automotive Art Deco,” the car was a spectacle of dramatic swooping lines and extravagant chrome ornamentation.
The car was originally commissioned by the flamboyant English millionaire Sir John Gaul. Built on the first post-war Delahaye chassis (chassis number 815023), it was brought to life by the legendary Parisian coachbuilder Jacques Saoutchik. Saoutchik gave the roadster its iconic “Narval” nose, heavily inspired by the protruding tusk of a narwhal whale. The car was fully wrapped in sweeping, voluptuous Art Deco bodywork featuring fully enclosed wheels, heavily skirted fenders, and intricate brass trim that was original gold-plated.
The roadster debuted at the 1949 Paris Auto Show and spent the year sweeping top honors at elite European Concours d’Elegance events in Monte Carlo and San Remo. It was eventually purchased for a 23-year-old Diana Dors for £5,000 in 1954, before she even possessed a driver’s license. It perfectly matched her glamorous, headline-grabbing persona.
She did not keep it long; it was traded for a Cadillac Eldorado convertible around 1955. By the 1970s, the car migrated across the Atlantic to Colorado. Frustrated by the unreliable and complex French mechanical layout, a subsequent owner controversially sliced out the front portion of the chassis to swap in an Oldsmobile Toronado V8 engine and a front-wheel-drive system.
The car remained separated from its original powertrain for nearly 40 years. Eventually, a dedicated collector sourced correct Type 175 components, commissioning master restorer Fran Roxas to bring the vehicle back to its original factory glory. The restored automotive masterpiece made its official comeback debut at the 2006 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, where it won Best-in-Class. It later commanded a jaw-dropping price of nearly $5 million USD at auction and has been displayed as a historic treasure at the Qatar National Museum in Doha.
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