Mention the name Talbot-Lago in certain circles and
you’re bound to elicit rather impassioned reactions. The French marque, after
all, made some of the most beautiful wheeled creations of the Art Deco era –
right up there with Bugatti. But this one promises to stand above the rest,
even in such rarified company.
It’s a 1948 Talbot-Lago T26 Record Sport with
coachwork by Saoutchik, one of the most celebrated coachbuilders of the era. Though
not as iconic as the teardrop coupes bodied by Figoni & Falasch in the
pre-war era, the T26 was a legend in its own right. It had a 4.5-liter straight
six, and was mostly made in saloon guise – with either two doors or four. The
Sport model that followed featured a shortened chassis and more power: as much
as 195 hp.
This particular example starred at the 1950 Paris
Motor Show, where it won the prestigious Grand Prix du Salon award. And it
subsequently featured in a photoshoot with model/actress Capucine. But sometime
thereafter, it went missing for the better part of a quarter-century. Nevada
collector Bob Lee discovered it in neglected barn-find condition. And its
current owner had it fully restored to its former glory, with no expense
spared.
It’s now been consigned to Bonhams, which will
auction it off at its Quail Lodge sale during Monterey car week this August.
There it will be joined by a 1931 Bentley 8-Litre Saloon by Vanden Plas, and an
early 1911 Mercedes 28/60 Tourer. But the Talbot will surely be the star of the
show.
