1948 Talbot-Lago T-26C Grand Prix Monoposto

The Talbot-Lago T26C first appeared at the 1948 Monaco Grand Prix, where it retired after 16 laps with engine trouble. Later, in the Coupe du Salon at Montlhery, the Talbot-Lago team finished 1-2-3, driven by Rosier, Levegh, and Cabantous, and another T26C won the 1949 Belgian Grand Prix.

This T26C Grand Prix car has an un-supercharged 4.5-liter straight-six engine with a four-speed Wilson pre-selector gearbox. It was raced for four seasons by the great French driver Pierre Levegh. The car continued to race until 1954. In 1957, it was bought by Otto Zipper, who brought it to America and entered it in several California races. The car was later acquired by Briggs Cunningham for his museum in Costa Mesa and was carefully preserved by him. This Talbot retains all of its original components, including its original paint, and it is a time capsule from a heroic era of Grand Prix racing.