1954 Talbot-Lago T26 - $165,000 - Newport Beach, CA - Est. 190 bhp, 4,482 cc inline six-cylinder engine with dual camshafts and three carburetors, Wilson four-speed pre-selector gearbox, independent front suspension, rigid rear axle with semi-elliptic leaf springs, four-wheel hydraulic drum brakes. Wheelbase: 104.3"
- Lovely older restoration
- Superb event entry
- Rebuilt and freshly tuned engine with Wilson pre-selector gearbox
When Antonio Lago arrived at Talbot’s Suresnes plant in 1934 with orders to restore it to health, he immediately injected a renewed focus on performance to generate sales. A pair of new six-cylinder engines and entries at Le Mans in 1937 were followed by a focus on grand-prix racing, with the four-liter Talbot-Lago’s reliability and fuel economy often providing the winning edge over the far more powerful Alfa Romeo, Maserati, Auto Union and Mercedes entries.
The GP cars and sports racers of Talbot-Lago were closely based on the marque’s production cars, and this philosophy continued after World War II, when Talbot-Lago incorporated the updated competition engine into its production cars. A pair of Talbot-Lagos captured first and second at Le Mans in 1950, followed by second- and fourth-place finishes in 1951.
The ultimate road-going expression of Lago’s vision was the Grand Sport, essentially the Grand Prix chassis with a detuned engine. Today, it remains one of the greatest postwar grand touring cars from France, with only eight known survivors. An older restoration, this example has remained in the long term hands of the present keeper for more than 25 years.
Today, it shows well, given the 25-year-old age of the restoration. While the photographs are flattering to the car, it does display a solid body with older paint that shows its age yet presents well on a summer’s day. The interior is original and looks good, but the leather is in need of dressing to soften it. Similarly, the chrome shows its age but is respectable, in keeping with the rest of the car.
Underhood, the engine bay is clean and polished, and the engine, which was fully restored upon acquisition, starts and runs well and sounds as one would expect for a powerplant with Grand Prix pedigree. It is also fitted with the delightful Wilson pre-selector gearbox, a system which allows the driver to shift manually or use the pre-selector function to simplify operations in traffic. The chrome wire wheels and the braking system were also fully rebuilt at the time the balance of the restoration was carried out. More recently, new tires and a new exhaust system have been installed. At the same time, the car has benefited from a servicing, including replacement of fluids, installation of a new battery and fitment of new carpeting of the original type.
With its wonderful styling and performance-oriented specifications from Talbot-Lago’s winning competition cars, this T26 Grand Sport Coupe would make for a superb entry in most any historic driving event.