In 1874 Pierre Louis Adolphe Delage was born in the verdant countryside of Cognac, France. Among some of the finest vineyards in the world the watchmaker’s son studied the sciences, graduating from the nearby Ecole de Arts & Metiers with a degree in engineering. After securing financial backing in 1905 he founded Delage, which would go on to find great fame in the world of motorsports. 

With a fleet of hand-built, V12-powered racers, Delage claimed Grand Prix wreaths and world speed records, peaking in 1927 when his Type 15 S 8 crossed four European Grand Prix checkered flags, winning his eponymous nameplate the World Championship and the Legion d’Honneur for his driver Robert Benoist. 

Sadly Delage’s halcyon years would be short-lived. Despite building some of the most luxurious and expensive cars the world had ever seen, the knockout combo of the Great Depression and Word War II conspired to kill the marque. By the early ’50s, after being sold to Gallic peers Delahaye, Delage faded to black. 

Until now, that is. 

“Because I’m French, Delage was really an obvious choice,” Laurent Tapie explains from his headquarters in Magny-Cours. A serial entrepreneur, the son of businessman and politician Bernard Tapie—best known for reviving the moribund Adidas label in the early 90s, and being owner of the Champions League-winning Olympique de Marseille football club—charged himself with resurrecting the storied marque. 

“The only two brands in French history that were ever world champion in Grand Prix are Bugatti and Delage, no one else,” he reminds us. “Delage set several world records of speed, and in the first half of the 20th Century won more Prix d’Elegance than any other brand in the world. 

“Nobody remembers that France used to be the number one country for luxury cars until the Second World War,” he continues with a hint of exasperation. “We were selling more prestigious cars than the English, the German, the Italians. We were number one!” 

Speaking with Tapie for only 20 minutes, it quickly becomes apparent his goal is not just to return his nameplate to the apex of global motoring, but the French flag as well. “Delage still remains one of the most prestigious brands in history,” he urges, “we just need to relive this past, and remind people of it.” 

Rebirth of a Legend

Luckily for Tapie the vehicle he wants to spearhead this gallic resurgence, his Delage D12, has all the ammo necessary to lead the charge. First off, the heavy artillery: grounded by a gargantuan 7.6-liter, 12-cylinder engine fully developed in-house, the naturally-aspirated lump’s 990-hp comes coupled to an electric motor with 110-hp of its own to create an asphalt-melting 1,100-hp. 

Obviously developing an engine is an expensive and time consuming endeavor. But Tapie determined to engineer a big block to avoid bolting on any turbos or superchargers. “The golden years of Formula One to me were the years where you had the naturally aspirated V12 and this unique sound they had — I’m a bit nostalgic of this period,” he explains. 

“Personally I feel that approximately 50% of the pleasure in driving is the sound, and if it is ruined by the whistling of a turbo or a compressor, well, that’s really a pity.” 

The second singular aspect is its nimble feet: the D12 sports a very expensive and rare F1-style pushrod suspension, a system that revolutionized Formula One two decades ago but is still so cost prohibitive that no other hypercar utilizes one. And even if they could afford to, French engineer Mauro Biancchi, who holds the patent, granted Delage exclusive rights for road-legal cars. 

“Nobody else has it on a street legal car, so it was one of the cool things I wanted the D12 to have,” boasts Tapie. Finally there’s the D12’s most salient innovation: a central seating position. Its twin seats come positioned one behind the other, a fighter jet geometry that offers unparalleled balance and vision—separating  the hypercar from just about everything but perhaps McLaren’s fabled F1. 

When asked about the origins of his motorsport obsession, Tapie is quick to share: “The emotion has been there since I’m a boy,” he reveals, “because I’m truly passionate about cars.” The way he sees it racing since the age of 20 lends the CEO a big advantage—largely from how well he’s versed in the competition. 

Despite being a longtime fan of Porsche, Ferrari, Lamborghini, McLaren, Aston Martin, et al, Tapie knew none quite appealed to him, at least not as a visionary and entrepreneur. He credits (blames?) the stratospheric standards he’s established for Delage on winning a Porsche-organized amateur race in 1996 where the first place prize was driving an actual Formula One car. 

“It’s one of the best experiences I’ve had in my life,” he recalls wistfully, “and nothing I’ve ever driven since, even the very recent supercars that are 700- or 800-horsepower, can approach the feeling when I drove it.” 

Palpably excited by the memory, he continues. “The will to create a kind of road-legal Formula One car was born that day, [though] honestly I never thought I would actually build one.” After a pauses he adds: “If you have ever driven a car from the central position, you never want to go back to a side of the car. I think the D12 will be the closest street-legal thing to a Formula One.” 

D12 Dreams

Since the D12’s conception, its success has hinged on one single goal: setting the world record lap time around the Nurburgring. As arguably the most coveted accolade in the automotive landscape, lapping the Nürburgring’s Nordschleife holistically challenges a vehicle in a way that no other single metric can.

Notching this record would be final proof for Tapie that his D12 is worthy not only of the Delage name but of its robust heritage, and perhaps most importantly of waving the Tricolore flag. 

“I am extremely confident that we’re going to beat [the record],” he states unwaveringly, “and we’re going to beat it by several seconds, not just one or two.” 

This supreme confidence is built upon some of motorsport’s most basic tenets. Pointing out the D12 has more power than both the current (Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series) and previous (Lamborghini Aventador SVJ) record holder, it is also lighter than both, the prime combo of racing superiority.

Now throw in the pushrod’s unique suspension and the fact the hybrid hypercar has more than double the downforce of its competitors. 

It’s clear the Frenchman seems to think he has all the necessary elements to turn this goal into reality. But raw ingredients won’t suffice; to prepare the D12 for this ultimate test, the final stage of the $2.3 million hybrid hypercar’s development will mean handing the keys over to famed F1 Champion Jacques Villeneuve. 

Simply because Tapie believes only a world-class driver—not an engineer—can orchestrate and balance all these parameters into one symphonic package. 

Tapie learned this lesson from a vehicle he says is the best street car he’s ever driven: the Ferrari F430 Scuderia. The arguable G.O.A.T. of Formula One (all respect due to Lewis Hamilton) Michael Schumacher famously composed the balance of that super machine, and Tapie believes the difference between a driver- and an engineer-led setup is the reason for the F430 Scuderia’s epiphany. 

“It’s very hard to explain but the Scuderia is a car that is alive. You make one lap with it and you end up with a smile on your face; you feel like the car and yourself are one body together,” he gushes. “I’ve never felt that in any other car, and that’s what I want from the D12.”

As only the third driver (after legends Mario Andretti and Emerson Fittipaldi) in all motorsports history to win a Formula One World Championship, the Indianapolis 500 and the CART/IndyCar Championship, Villeneuve is the one man Tapie believes can get the job done.

“Jacques has a very great knowledge and feeling of the cars,” he muses. “One of the reasons he was World Champion and was able to beat Michael Schumacher was because he has this strategy: he knows how to get the best from his car, and how to make the setup so him and the car can be one together. 

“So that’s what I want him to do with the Delage. I will be happy once he gets out of the D12 and he says, Now, it feels like a Formula One car.”

This past August the D12 finally made its American debut at the Monterey Car Week, and as expected the otherworldly hypercar left many a potential customer slack-jawed.

“We received many more people than we expected, with an incredible enthusiasm on the design—many visitors told us the D12 was the most beautiful car shown this year,” Tapie shares happily. “I was thrilled to hear some visitors saying ‘I did not know Delage but a friend saw your car and told me I had to come by your stand.’” 

The fully functional D12 prototype will be shown early this year, with clients in Europe testing the car first followed by America. As orders are confirmed, D12s will be configured in spring with first deliveries scheduled for Q1 of 2023. “Perhaps most importantly than the reception in Monterey was we pre-sold several cars—which of course was the primary objective.” 

On a recent trip to investigate Sonoma wine country–more on that coming soon—we found ourselves with the inevitable, unenviable task of making travel arrangements to facilitate our visit. This involved, initially, flying into San Francisco for one night, and rather than choosing the easiest option, we decided to make it a memorable one.

Hence we booked into The Clift, one of San Francisco’s most storied hotels, now in its latest incarnation known as The Clift Royal Sonesta, originally built to house visitors to the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition. And for their artfully-executed redesign under new ownership, the designers have included many a nod to the Exposition, which was world renowned at the time.

Interiors have been made lighter and brighter overall, as the previous hotel had gotten dark and dated. Oak panels in the soaring lobby are are meant to evoke “being on a sturdy ship out in the Bay,” as oak is typically used in shipbuilding, and there’s a towering fireplace that perfectly suits the large-scale space and adds an instant welcoming note when you walk in.

The terrazzo on the floor throughout the lobby is a nod to the 1920s and 30s, while the lobby lounge features plush upholstered banquettes and custom wood pieces made for whiling away an afternoon. There’s a hint of Art Deco without overdoing it, and the feel is still airy and contemporary.

Nothing compares to the Redwood Room bar and event space, one of the most iconic interior in all of San Francisco. While the original redwood paneling—said to have been carved a century ago from a single, massive tree—and school-of-Gustav Klimt paintings have been restored, upholstery and carpeting have been redone in tones of grey, black and cream, with patterns inspired by the original light fixtures. The bar itself was custom made from an 800-year-old redwood tree.

The Redwood Room is well worth a sip-and-see even if you’re not staying at the hotel. It originally opened on December 6, 1933, the day after Prohibition was repealed. These days some of the artisanal cocktails feature honey from the hotel’s rooftop beehives.

In similar fashion to the public areas, the palette of the guest rooms and suites is meant to be more residential in feel. Setting off incredible views are plush furnishings, art referencing the Pan Pacific Expo, and black-and-white tiled baths. The newly-renovated, 1,175-sq.-ft. Private Apartment is the hotel’s most spacious suite, with wood paneling, a living room and full dining room.

Another new feature of the iconic hotel harking back to its past is the restaurant Fredericks, inspired by the Art Deco period. Featuring cuisine by chef Dan Corey, formerly of Michelin-starred LUCE at the InterContinental, it offers brasserie-style fare and elevated comfort food along with wine, beer and cocktails on tap.

Around the corner in Chinatown are even more earthy delights worth seeking out. Most notably Empress by Boon, which the San Francisco Chronicle called “S.F.’s toughest reservation.” Michelin-starred Chef Ho Chee Boon serves up an elegant seasonal menu of modern Cantonese fare in the former Empress of China space.

The interior is a mix of modern elements alongside restored features and architectural elements from the landmark Empress. The bar and lounge are particularly beautiful, and Boon’s team has proven they are just as dedicated to the arts of distillation and fermentation as the master chef is to the culinary arts.

Once we had left the Bay Area and traveled up to the town of Sonoma, and were on our own time, we switched gears completely and checked in to The Cottage Inn & Spa.

Sonoma is well-known for, of course, for world-class wine; but also farm-to-table cuisine as well as the various farms, cheesemongers and the like who supply the ingredients. And the town itself is a charming mélange of historic buildings, great bars, bakeries, restaurants, shops, and a perfectly-preserved 1930s theater, where we of course had to take in a showing of The French Dispatch.

Located a block away from historic Sonoma plaza, the Mediterranean-meets-Mission-style Cottage Inn & Spa is a tranquil place to establish your wine country HQ, with nine suites as well as a small but excellent spa. Some of the suites have gas fireplaces, and a bottle of local pinot noir and an amazing cheese and charcuterie plate greeted our arrival. Olive trees shade the property and its interior courtyard with a fountain and firepit was inspired by Santorini..

Architect Robert Behrans built and designed it in the 1990s, but it feels like timeless, thanks to the materials and decor. The North Suite is the property’s largest at 820 square feet, and features a cathedral ceiling with a skylight, a gourmet kitchen, wine fridge, gas fireplace, private patio, and a California King bed.

The Alta Suite on the second floor, the most luxurious offering, is 750 square feet and boasts picture-perfect views of the mountains, a double jacuzzi, soaring ceilings, and a gas fireplace.  Wood, leather and natural stone set the tone for this elegant retreat.

And the Inn’s Calm Spa, also open to non-hotel guests, is not to be missed. The day spa offers seven different by-appointment massage treatments, including Swedish aromatherapy, deep tissue (our pick), and reflexology. As the Inn’s Insta puts it, Lead Therapist Stephanie Smith “combines years of practice [and] equal parts art and science” to cure what ails you with an hour on the massage table. She also has excellent restaurant recommendations.

And anyone who knows the area will direct you to Folktable at Cornerstone Sonoma. Last year the Michelin Guide added Folktable to its California list of Bib Gourmand picks. Quite a feat considering the casual eatery opened during the pandemic. Of course it has something to do with the fact that Top Chef star Casey Thompson is at the helm; her seasonal menu “represents some of the most modern, innovative wine country cuisine in the San Francisco Bay Area,” as the experts have it.

Pictured above is Thompson’s take on the classic lobster roll.  “Housed within a charming outdoor marketplace is a kitchen brimming with ideas,” as the Michelin men put it. “To wit—beef tartare is ground to order and served on hash browns; while broccoli is grilled, then showered with puffed rice, Thai basil and maple tahini.”

Also at Cornerstone is the Obsidian Wine Co.’s boutique wine tasting room. It’s something of a cult favorite, as “through decades of growing, coopering and winemaking,” they have “sought farther, rockier and higher places to grow grapes and build wines,” with results that are “complex, nuanced and delicious.” In other words, Sonoma in a glass.