1939 Talbot-Lago T150 C SS news, pictures, and information

Talbot-Lago was a company formed by the collapse of Sunbeam-Talbot-Darracq in 1935. Anthony Lago, founder of the company, set-out to produce a line of exclusive and expensive sports cars. The cars initially used six-cylinder engines, but later models featured eight-cylinder engines, and the occasional cheaper engines to help increase sales.

In 1936 the T150-C entered the scene. Lago was able to persued the famous driver Rene Dreyfus to leave the Ferrari organization, and race for the Talbot-Lago driving team at the French Grand Prix at Montlhery.

The Talbots featured metallic paints and dual-tone finishes. This was the influence of Figoni. Chrome was decorated along the edgework of many of his vehicles.

There were fourteen Talbot-Lago T150C SS Series created by Figoni between 1937 and 1939. Many still exist today. A true testament to the beauty and craftsmanship of these vehicles.

In 1959 the company was taken over by Simca.

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Coupe
Coachwork: Pourtout
Designer: Georges Paulin
Chassis Num: 90120
Engine Num: 17318-C

This Talbot-Lago T150 C SSs with Pourtout Aerocoupé body is one of four examples created of this type. This car, along with two others, are believed to still remain. The fourth car is rumored to still exist in the form of pieces. However, this remains a rumor as evidence, including pictures, have not yet been shown. The other two cars are in private collections. In 2008, this example - chassis number 90120 - was offered for sale at the 'Quail Lodge, A Sale of Exceptional Motorcars and Automobilia' presented by Bonhams Auction.

Antonio Franco Lago was born in Venice in 1893. At an early age, the family moved to Bergamo, where Lago's father worked as manager of the municipal theater. Tony grew up in a household full of actors and musicians, and government officials. This allowed Tony to meet a wide range of important people, and to foster relationships with people who would one day achieve prominence, such as Pope John IV and Mussolini.

Understanding the current government and the conditions that existed at the time, Tony always carried a hand grenade with him. One day, three individuals from the fascist youth came into a trattoria after him, but shot the owners first. Tony pulled the pin on his grenade, threw it, and ran out the back door. The explosion killed one of the assailants, and Tony knew immediately he had to flee. In 1919, he fled to Paris.

He earned engineering degrees and worked for Pratt and Whitney, before settling in England in the 1920s. During the war, his resourcefulness and ambition earned him the rank of Major in the French Army.

By the early 1930s, Lago had negotiated the rights to market the Wilson pre-selector gearbox. This technology allowed the selection of a gear with a lever in advance of its need. The gear would be engaged when the clutch was operated.

During the 1920s, the Talbot factory in Paris acquired a large amount of debut due to overspending on Grand Prix racing. It was an antiquated plant with a slow selling product. Lago made a deal with the British parent of Sunbeam-Talbot-Darracq where he would be paid a salary, and in turn, would turn the French side of the company around. The profits from the sale would be shared. In 1933, he moved to France.

In 1934, working with his engineer Walter Brecchia, the existing Talbot T120 model was upgraded to the T150. This was done with the help of a new hemispherical combustion chamber cylinder head for the three-liter engine. To promote the cars, Tony employed several ingenious and creative methods. He prepared three cars and had them painted in the French tri-color of Red, White and blue. The cars were entered in Concours d'Elegance in the Bois de Boulogne in June 1934. They were powered by the old T-120 engine as the new head was not yet ready. Behind the wheel of each car were well-known female racing drivers. All were clothed in elegantly tailored outfits with colors that matched their cars. Topping off the ensemble were berets. The following weekend, Tony had the same three cars, and the same three ladies, present the cars to the French motoring industry at an affair at the Prince of Wales hotel. After the event, the three ladies and the cars were sent to another concours sponsored by a Paris newspaper.

Once the revised cylinder heads were ready, he attempted to promote his cars through racing. In 1935, a T-150 sedan was entered at LeMans and ran as high as 11th before it was forced to retire. Rule changes for the following year put class displacement limits for sports car racing with breaks at 2 and 4 liters. Lago created a 4-liter version of the T-150, but still had no success in racing. Sales remained slow as well, partly due to the recession in France.

Still trying to prove his vehicles performance potential, Lago attempted to travel 100 miles in an hour on the banked portion of the Montlhèry course. The goal was ascertained and the Talbot-Lago's stature continued to evolve in the sporting community.

By 1937, the lightweight version of the T-150C was introduced. The older 4-liter version and the new lightweight examples began winning at a plethora of arenas, including at Marseilles, where they finished 1-2-3-5, Tunisia, Montlhèry (top three spots) and the British Tourist Trophy.

In August, Lago introduced a touring version of the open T-150 Cs that were often seen racing and winning. At the Paris-Nice Criterium de Tourisme, the new 'T150 C SS' was introduced and under the bonnet was a four-liter, six-cylinder overhead valve engine breathing through triple Zenith-Stromberg carburetors, similar to the racing version. It was fitted with a Wilson pre-selector gearbox which sent the 140 horsepower to the rear wheels. The body was by Paris coachbuilder, Figoni and Falaschi. The result was an elegant, impressive, and awe-inspiring coupe coupled with a racing legacy that was tried-and-true.

There were fewer than 30 examples of the T-150 C SS models created. Most were given coachwork by Figoni and Falaschi. Only four Pourtout Aerocoupés were created.

Marcel Pourtout
Marcel Pourtout, based in Paris, began his craft in the mid-twenties with his wife managing the books. His clientele were the rich and famous and his platform were among the elite of the era, including Delahaye, Bentley, Delage, Peugeot, Lancia, and eventually, Talbot.

In the early 1930s, Pourtout met Georges Paulin. Paulin, with urging from his father, had become a dentist. His father served in World War I and his mother was killed in a Paris street by a 200 pound shell fired by a Germany artillery device. Though he worked as a dentist, his real interest was in aerodynamics and the automobile. He later returned to Paris where he designed and patented a retractable steel top, which would later be used on several Pourtout bodies. Pourtout also worked with Paris Peugeot dealer, Emile Darl'mat. This connection would ultimately bring all three men together; Paulin became Pourtout's designer.

During the mid-1930s, Paulin design some of the most memorable designs ever created, which were then created by Pourtout. Three such examples include the Delage D-8 120, the Peugeot Darl'mat, and the Embiricos Bentley. Near the end of the run was the Talbot T-150 C SS. It had an Aerocoupe body similar to the Figoni and Falaschi design, but more aerodynamic.

The war would bring Talbot production to an end. Paulin would become an agent of the British Secret Service, who was later captured and executed by the Nazis in 1942.

After the war, the Talbot Company continued with automobile production and with racing. They were always on the verge of bankruptcy, and much of time fully immersed in racing, occasionally winning a Grand Prix in the 1940s and 1950s. In 1950, they finally were victorious at Le Mans with the T-26 powered by an updated version of the T-150 engine. By 1958, after having been in receivership four times, the company was merged into Simca and was out of business a year later.

Chassis 90120
This T-150 C SS was owned by a wealthy amateur sportsman after the Second World War. It was raced in 1950 and 1951, and won overall or in his class in many events, including Orléans, the Circuit de Bressuire, Agen and the Mount Ventoux Hillclimb. In 1953, the owner, Pierre Boncompagni, died in a race in Hyeres while driving a Ferrari.

Years later, the car was in the United States in the ownership of James R. Stannard Jr. in Long Beach. In the early 1960s, it was purchased by Lindsey Locke of Southern California. It has not changed hands since Locke's purchase. The Bonhams Auction was one of the rare opportunities to purchase this magnificent and very rare automobile. This rare vehicle was purchased for the sum of $4,847,000 inclusive of buyer's premium.

Anthony Lago had taken over control of the Talbot factory in Suresnes after the merger with Sunbeam and Darracq had collapsed in 1936. By 1937 he had introduced a new line of vehicles, two of which were entered in the grueling 24 Hours of Le Mans. He continued his racing endeavors by moving to single-seat racers and by 1939 a purpose-built Grand Prix car had been completed. The onset of World War II slowed the racing endeavors but after the war and with the assistance of Carlo Marchetti an overall win at Le Mans was achieved.

The T26 was powered by a six-cylinder, DOHC cam engine that produced nearly 200 horsepower. The drum brakes on all four corners provided ample stopping power while the live-axle with semi-elliptic leaf springs rear suspension provided the necessary support needed in the corners at speed.

The Talbot-Lago T26 models were exquisite creations outfitted with coach work provided by some of the world's greatest coachbuilders. Never produced in large numbers, these T26 models are extremely rare and exclusive by today's standards.

Giuseppe Figoni was a brilliant artist who worked with metal to produce some of the most unique and flowing coach-bodies of all time. His designs amplified his hatred of the wind; the force that caused drag and crippled the cars power. His creations often centered around this hatred, evident by the streamlined designs, flush door handles, steeply raked windshield, sloping fastback, and enclosures for wheels and tires. The elegance of the Figoni et Falaschi designed vehicles are sensual and their curvy creations are regarded as art. Ovidio Falaschi provided the working capital and business expertise while Joseph Figoni created the sophisticated three dimensional design concepts.

In 1936 the T150-C entered the scene. Lago was able to persuade the famous driver Rene Dreyfus to leave the Ferrari organization, and race for the Talbot-Lago driving team at the French Grand Prix at Montlhery.

The Talbots featured metallic paints and dual-tone finishes. This was the influence of Figoni. Chrome was decorated along the edgework of many of his vehicles. Nearly all of the T150Cs were bodied by Figoni & Falaschi in a two-seater roadster design with the intent of using them for competition. A coupe version was created and offered to their wealthiest of clients.

The T150Cs had very curveacous body that were inspired by aerodynamic principles and aided the six-cylinder powerplant in doing its job of carrying the cars past their competition. The very elegant yet dramatic and bold design of the T150C was able remain stable at high speeds, a luxury it enjoyed on the long straight stretched of the LeMans raceway.

The first car was on display at the 1937 Paris Motorshow where it was given the nickname 'Goutte d'Eau' meaning water drop. The English translated the word to 'teardrop', in either case, the terms were appropriate, as its cycle fenders and body designed mimicked the form and gave the vehicles the illusion of motion even at stand-still.

There were two design of the Teardrop, the first being the notchback coupe dubbed the 'Jeancart'. This name was given to the car after the individual who commissioned the design. The second version was the 'New York' style which made its unveiling in the city of New York. There were eleven New York styles created and only five of the Jeancart. Again, since these were custom built, hand formed automobiles, each possesses their own unique qualities.

At the 1938 24 Hours of LeMans, a Talbot T-150C finished in third place behind two very fast Delahayes. In other types of competition, such as concours events and other 'beauty' contests, the Talbot-Lago's are regular winners. Though the duo of Figoni & Falashi only produced vehicles for a short part of history, they are among the most celebrated and memorable ever created.

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