Art Deco at its peak: the Yo-Yo Delage

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It is June 1933, and yet another Concours d’Élégance is being held at the botanical gardens of Bagatelle in Paris. To earn points here, one needed to arrive with something truly extraordinary—preferably presented by someone equally remarkable. The Delage seen here was just that. Not only was it an exceptional motor car, but it was also presented by actress Nadine Picard, earning the car the honorary prize at the show. But before we look at the car itself, a few words about Mademoiselle Picard.

Aside from being an actress, she was clearly a genuine motoring enthusiast. She was a familiar face at concours events, often appearing with different cars—many of them Delages. As early as 1930, she had been appointed vice-présidente of the Automobile Club des Artistes. In 1932, she starred in the film Conduisez-moi, Madame, which tells the story of a woman who loses her fortune through risky financial investments and wagers that she can exchange roles with her chauffeur for three months. Unsurprisingly, cars play a central role in the film.

Now, to the Delage. It was most likely built on a D8 chassis, with its characteristic eight-cylinder engine. This example was bodied by Letourneur & Marchand in their distinctive streamlined style of the early 1930s. The design featured a pillarless coupé body, with a striking roofline and reverse-raked C-pillars that gave the rear side windows their unusual appearance. At the 1932 Brussels Motor Show, an almost identical car was shown in black. That car, named “Yo-Yo,” was described in a period clipping as follows:

“Original lines and great luminosity, with its large windows and no intermediate pillars. The red dot at the rear, with a red line running to the top of the radiator, is reminiscent of the yo-yo.”

The car shown at Bagatelle appears to have been a counterpart to the Brussels car, with many details finished in white. The three air vents on the sides of the bonnet look familiar—have we seen them before? And what colour was the “yo-yo” detail on this example? What we do know is that Mlle Picard wore a white dress with matching contrasting details, clearly chosen to complement the car.

A third Delage Yo-yo coupé is also believed to have been built. But do any of these remarkable cars survive today?

Words: Jeroen Booij
Picture: Bibliothèque Nationale de France

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