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Delahaye VLR

Liaison & Reconnaissance Vehicle

Specifications

Country of Origin/Used by:	France
First Produced/Service Dates:	1951
Manufactured by:	La Société des Automobiles Delahaye
Crew:	1+3
Armament:	When Armed: (1) 7.5mm, 7.62mm or .30 cal Machine Gun. Also, some vehicles were fitted with the 75mm Recoilless Rifle or SS-10 Anti-Tank Missile System.
Engine:	4-Cylinder Gasoline
Miscellaneous Info:	The Delahaye Véhicule de Liaison et de Reconnaissance (Liaison & Reconnaissance Vehicle) was designed by the French to replace their surplus Willys MB/Ford GPW World War Two-era Jeeps. The Delahaye was also referred to as the Voiture Légère de Reconnaissance (Light Reconnaissance Car) or simply as the VLRD. By all accounts the Delahaye VLR was a very capable and robust vehicle which incorporated many advanced features including adjustable four-wheel independent torsion bar suspension and a four-speed synchromesh transmission.  However, as the vehicles were mechanically sophisticated, they were more complicated to maintain and operate when compared to earlier vehicles. Thusly the Delahaye suffered from performance and reliability issues, especially in rough field conditions. Despite the troubles, approximately 9,623 copies were built, in two (2) versions: the initial Model 1951 and the improved Model 1953. However, due to the aforementioned issues, the French reversed course and relatively quickly replaced them with the Hotchkiss M201 Véhicule Léger Tout Terrain (VLTT); or "Light All-Terrain Vehicle", in English. Ironically, the Hotchkiss M201 was a license-built copy of the U.S. Willys MB Jeep!
Data Sheet Available:	None Available

Photos

Reference	Source/Provider
Delahaye VLR Photos	French ECPAD (Établissement de communication et de production audiovisuelle de la Défense)
Delahaye VLR Photos	"Horn201" via Wikimedia Commons
Delahaye VLR Photos	Christophe Jacquemont

References Available

Online

Printed

Reference	Author
"The French Enigma" (November 2025 Issue of Classic Military Vehicle Magazine)	Barrimore England-Davis
Le VLR Delahaye: Le Vehicule leger de reconnaissance de l'Armee Francaise 1946-1980 (Histoire & Collections)	Patrick Wagner
M201: The Story of the Hotchkiss M201 & the French Jeep (Warehouse Publications)	Pat Ware

Hobby Modeling

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Model Photos