10 DELAGE TYPE 15 S8 1926-27
There were various regulations prior to the arrival of the famous 750kg weight formula in 1934, and one of those was a 1500cc engine limit for 1926-27. The exquisite Delage straight-eight Type 15, designed by Albert Lory, was undoubtedly the car of the era, but minimal opposition means it can’t climb higher on this list.
Teething problems, including extreme cockpit heat, were addressed following outings in 1926, and the Type 15 was ready for the following season. Delage’s lead driver Robert Benoist won four of the five qualifying races for the short-lived World Manufacturers’ Championship, including the French GP, easily giving the financially troubled firm the 1927 title.
Key to the car’s success was its expensive powerplant, which featured a nickel-chromium crankshaft and nine roller bearings, producing 170bhp at 8000rpm, a high engine speed for the time. “The Delages were masterpieces of design and construction,” wrote George Monkhouse in his 1950 book Grand Prix Racing. “They were extremely reliable and ran like sewing machines.”
Although not strictly top-level GP events, the 1936 Voiturette successes scored by Richard Seaman in his modified and lightened 1927 Delage – against strong, newer ERA and Maserati opposition – underlined the design’s quality and helped launch the Briton’s GP career.
9 FIAT 804-404 1922
Fiat was one of the major players in the early days of GP racing, and the 804-404 was the best car at
