• Year of manufacture 
    1939
  • Car type 
    Other
  • Lot number 
    132
  • Condition 
    Used
  • Location
    France
  • Exterior colour 
    Other

Description

1939 TALBOT LAGO SPECIAL T150 C CABRIOLET USINE

Chassis n° 90063
Engine n° 85180

• Exceptional history, one owner since 1963
• Rare example fitted from new with competition engine
• Extremely meticulous restoration
• Superb period interior
• Rare model, streamlined and elegant

"When I saw this car for the first time in 1963, it was love at first sight! » wrote the current owner in a booklet dedicated to the car. «I was struck by its beauty. It was parked along a pavement, on a street in Puteaux, and was exactly what I had been searching for, for a very long time. I went straight to the garage opposite, where there were other cars parked. A man came out to meet me, tall and strong, about sixty. It was Georges Grignard, the famous racing driver. «Yes, it’s for sale», he replied to my question. I didn’t know then that this would be the beginning of a long adventure...»
In fact, the adventure had started three years earlier. In 1960, while on military service in Algeria, our collector was asked by friends who had just finished their service and were returning to France, to buy their car for the modest, token sum of one franc. This was a Talbot T120 limousine, an imposing machine equipped with fold-down seats and driver’s separation window. «I used this car for several months and was impressed by its power, comfort and handling as well as the Wilson gearbox that allowed you to change gears as swiftly as on a motorbike», he recalled. The day before returning to France, he passed the car on to another soldier, again for a token one franc. By then, however, he had developed a passion for the marque and once back home, he set about looking for an identical car. He discovered a magnificent T26 saloon that had been used by the president of the Republic, Vincent Auriol, but which had
a burnt piston. Not having the means to repair it, he regretfully turned it down, and it was a little while later, in Puteaux, that he came to a halt in front of the T150 C mentioned above. The car was on consignment with Georges Grignard, famous for his racing exploits in Amilcars, Delahayes and Talbots, that dated from the 1920s through to 1956, when he hung up his helmet. In 1959, when Simca took over Talbot and the marque was discontinued, he bought a stock of spare parts and sold these from his garage in Puteaux. It was here that our collector discovered the T150 C, a particularly interesting model as the «C» indicated the presence of a «competition» engine reserved for Lago Specials. Designed by Walter Becchia, this 6-cylinder, 4-litre pushrod engine had an alloy cylinder head with overhead valves and hemispherical combustion chambers, fed by three Zenith Stromberg carburettors.
It produced 150 bhp, a high figure for this period. The other special technical feature of this model was the four-speed Wilson preselector gearbox with epicyclic gears. Finally, the elegant 4-seater cabriolet coachwork was a factory model, as were most Talbots of this period. The car on view with Georges Grignard was therefore extremely appealing, but expensive: «The negotiation lasted several months as the price was more than I could afford. I finally obtained the agreement of the owner, in spite of an offer from a film producer who wanted to cut out a section of bodywork to fit a camera on the chassis.» We shudder at the thought today...
Delighted with his purchase, our collector decided to take the car to his parents in Charente, where it could be stored safely. Accompanied by his brother-in- law, he made the journey by road: «500 km in 8 hours; top speed, stopwatch in hand, 160 km/h. The handling is exceptional and in tight corners, it drives on all four wheels in controlled skids, with good weight distribution between the wheels (gearbox separated from the engine, and passengers in the centre of the chassis). But the clutch slips and the coachwork is very tired, not to say falling apart», he concluded, understanding that a restoration was necessary. Not having the means to call on a specialised business, he searched for someone local in the Paris area who could carry out the work. Having no luck, his discouragement sometimes led him to think about selling...Finally, however, in 1988, one of his friends told him about CAAPY (Collection de l'Aventure Automobile à Poissy), that had premises and a workshop at Carrières-sous-Poissy. The restoration that followed took several years, with the invaluable help of members of the association without whom none of this would have been possible. Extremely comprehensive, this restoration project covered every aspect of the car: chassis, wood trim, coachwork, engine, wiring, accessories, interior layout... For the body colour, our enthusiast was not satisfied with the tests of various blues: «Either the colour was too dark and looked black to me, or it was too light and reminded me of a plastic toy car.» He therefore opted for a dark red that suits the sporty bodywork perfectly.
The file with the car describes every stage of the work in minute detail, with a period of disruption in the early 2000s caused by the closure of the museum and relocation of the CAAPY premises. The attention to detail in this restoration is very impressive. The work was finally completed in 2007 and the car was displayed on the association’s stand at Retromobile 2008.
The history of this car is exceptional. Acquired through a former Talbot driver, it has been in the same hands since 1963 and has been the subject of a restoration carried out by a team of enthusiasts, with the help and advice of knowledgeable members of the marque association. Presented today in superb condition, equipped with its original engine and upholstery, this Talbot Lago Special T150C, the tapered rear wings accentuating its streamlined form, is ready to set off on a journey with its new owner, or to be displayed at the best historic events.

Photo © Xavier de Nombel

The auction of this lot will take place on Friday 18 March 2022.
https://www.artcurial.com/fr/lot-1939-talbot-lago-special-t150-c-cabriolet-usine-4134-132


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