Heller Delahaye Type 103 Pompiers

The carriage-building company Delahaye, one of the oldest French automobile brands, was founded in 1845 by Emile Delahaye. In 1894, the company released its first vehicle. Its versatile production included a rich selection of agricultural machinery, private cars, racing cars, and fire trucks. The success of Delahaye automobiles was attributed to the chosen technical possibilities and high quality, but also to the fact that the technical director Charles Weffeinbach was one of the first to streamline methods for mass production. This "great ladder" is a Delahaye Type 103, model 1937, equipped with a 26-meter-long steel Magirus ladder. This unique piece, commissioned by the Principality of Monaco, was delivered to the Monaco fire department in 1939. It remained in service until 1968/69 and was then purchased by the municipality of Bonneville (Haute-Savoie - France). Today, the Haute-Savoie Fire Museum preserves it like a treasure.