Darl’mat – The French Evolution

One glance at a late 1937, ‘38 or ‘39 Darl’mat 402 Special Sport tells you it’s classic Art Deco French. Those swoopy airfoil fenders reminiscent of custom coachbuilder Saoutchik’s Delahayes, as well as Ettore Bugatti’s creations of the era are the giveaway. Also, the almost cubist bright work trim and the sweptback grille absolutely smack of late Third Republic Parisian chic.

One could envision Edith Piaf and Yves Montand rumbling up to a club in the labyrinthine left bank in a Darl’mat to hear jazz artists Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli, oblivious to the fact that the Nazis were shortly going to spoil all the fun, commandeer all the Darl’mats for their military officers, and make Peugeot captive to Volkswagen for the duration.