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VINTAGE: Unique Talbot Lago T26
One of the last of the French automaker’s coachbuilt Grand Sports, this 1951 cabriolet is a one-of-a-kind example from Stabilimenti Farina of Turin, Italy.
The 1951 Talbot Lago T26 GS Stabilimenti Farina Cabriolet was one of the stars of the Concorso Villa d’Este in Italy. (Photo: Wouter Melissen)
With so many talented designers and builders of custom coachwork in the direct vicinity, very few of the great French luxury cars were clothed by foreigners. One of the rare exceptions is this Talbot Lago T26 GS Stabilimenti Farina Cabriolet that was designed in Italy.
That it is so exceptional is the reason for its continued existence as a unique original; the Portuguese owner was so adamant that the car remain a one-off that he requested and personally witnessed the bucks of the body being destroyed by its coachbuilder, Stabilimenti Farina of Turin, Italy.
The chassis also stands out as one of the very last T26 Grand Sports built and as such, one of the last French coach-built cars. A favorite of the surviving French coach-builders, each of these T26s is unique and they are now beautifully documented in Peter Larsen's new, two-volume tome on the subject. Available direct from publisher Dalton Watson, it is a fantastic read.
Our slightly more modest article is illustrated by an 18-shot gallery of the striking one-off at the Pebble Beach and Villa d'Este concours events.
Of the major French manufacturers that thrived in the second half of the 1930s, only Talbot Lago offered a completely new car after World War II. Bugatti did not return at all, and Delage and Delahaye relied heavily on their pre-War lineup. Especially, the Talbot Lago T26 Grand Sport has earned its place in history as the last and possibly finest of the great French coachbuilt cars.
Shortly after the war, Talbot Lago was firmly back in business. Unlike its the competitors, the French manufacturer's range was distinctly different from the cars offered before the hostilities engulfed the continent.
There were certain similarities between the T150 offered up to 1939 and the new T26, which was available in both road and racing car trim. The moniker T26 was first used in the late 1930s for the 4.5-liter racing cars. The type name refers to the fiscal horsepower of the “26 CV” engine.
Before the six-cylinder racing engine was offered to the public it was extensively developed from 1942 onwards, which enabled Talbot Lago to offer its new range so quickly after the peace was signed.
Other than the dimensions of cylinders and the overall displacement, little was retained of the first T26 engine. The most obvious change was the addition of a second lateral mounted camshaft. This made opening the valves in the hemispheric head a lot less complex than with the original single-camshaft layout.
The production version of the “2 AC,” or twin-cam, engine was available with a cast-iron head in the T26 Record model and a lighter aluminum alloy head for the T26 Grand Sport. This second engine was also used in the new competition cars with twin-spark ignition. The two production engines produced 170 and 190 horsepower, respectively.
That it is so exceptional is the reason for its continued existence as a unique original; the Portuguese owner was so adamant that the car remain a one-off that he requested and personally witnessed the bucks of the body being destroyed by its coachbuilder, Stabilimenti Farina of Turin, Italy.
The chassis also stands out as one of the very last T26 Grand Sports built and as such, one of the last French coach-built cars. A favorite of the surviving French coach-builders, each of these T26s is unique and they are now beautifully documented in Peter Larsen's new, two-volume tome on the subject. Available direct from publisher Dalton Watson, it is a fantastic read.
Our slightly more modest article is illustrated by an 18-shot gallery of the striking one-off at the Pebble Beach and Villa d'Este concours events.
Of the major French manufacturers that thrived in the second half of the 1930s, only Talbot Lago offered a completely new car after World War II. Bugatti did not return at all, and Delage and Delahaye relied heavily on their pre-War lineup. Especially, the Talbot Lago T26 Grand Sport has earned its place in history as the last and possibly finest of the great French coachbuilt cars.
Shortly after the war, Talbot Lago was firmly back in business. Unlike its the competitors, the French manufacturer's range was distinctly different from the cars offered before the hostilities engulfed the continent.
There were certain similarities between the T150 offered up to 1939 and the new T26, which was available in both road and racing car trim. The moniker T26 was first used in the late 1930s for the 4.5-liter racing cars. The type name refers to the fiscal horsepower of the “26 CV” engine.
Before the six-cylinder racing engine was offered to the public it was extensively developed from 1942 onwards, which enabled Talbot Lago to offer its new range so quickly after the peace was signed.
Other than the dimensions of cylinders and the overall displacement, little was retained of the first T26 engine. The most obvious change was the addition of a second lateral mounted camshaft. This made opening the valves in the hemispheric head a lot less complex than with the original single-camshaft layout.
The production version of the “2 AC,” or twin-cam, engine was available with a cast-iron head in the T26 Record model and a lighter aluminum alloy head for the T26 Grand Sport. This second engine was also used in the new competition cars with twin-spark ignition. The two production engines produced 170 and 190 horsepower, respectively.
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