1950 Talbot-Lago T-26 Record news, pictures, and information

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Coupe
Coachwork: Henri Chapron
Chassis Num: 102018
Engine Num: 6893

Anthony Lago, often called 'Tony', was bon in Italy and received his engineering trailing in France. He worked as an army officer during the first World War and later spent some time in England before returning to France.

The early Talbot Lago became well known for their accomplishments at racing. At the 1938 LeMans, a Talbot Lago achieved a third-place finish. In 1937 at the French Grand Prix, the Talbot-Lagos finished in the top three spots.

In the post-World War II era, Lago issues a single-model policy powered by a 4482-cc six-cylinder engine derived from a competition engine used prior to World War II. The engine had twin high camshafts and could produce 170 horsepower. With further modifications, such as adapting a third carburetor, the horsepower rating rose to nearly 200. A Wilson pre-selector gearbox sent the power to the rear wheels.

The name for the single-model series was the T-26 and most left the factory as complete vehicles. Some were sent custom coachbuilders to receive their bodies to accommodate the unique demands of exclusive customers. Notable coachbuilders were Saoutchik, Pinin Farina, Graber, and Chapron.

Talbot continued their racing pedigree after the War and did rather well. In 1950 a single-seat Talbot Lago won the 24 Hours of LeMans.

This 1950 Talbot Lago T-26 Record Coupe is a two-door coupe body with coachwork provided by Henri Chapron. It is powered by a 4482-cc OHV engine that produces 170 horsepower. It is a right-hand drive vehicle with a sliding sunroof. The odometer reads 35,000 miles since new and its interior is finished in Red Ostrich. The car has been treated to a restoration since new and is now in concours condition. The exterior is finished in light-dark maroon combination.

This T-26 was offered for sale at the 2006 Gooding & Company Auction held in Pebble Beach, CA where it was estimated to sell for $120,000-$150,000. At the conclusion of the auction, the car had been left unsold.

Almost all of the T26 Grand Sport automobiles received custom coachwork from various coachbuilders. Many were used to display their artistic creations at Motor Shows while others sat atop shortened chassis and used for sporting events.

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.

Marchetti and Lago created a 4.5-liter version of the six-cylinder engine, and used it in the T26 Record and T26 Grand Sport cars. The 4.5-liter displacement size was selected because it meant requirements for Grand Prix competition. A 1.5-liter displacement size limit was placed on vehicles that were aided by superchargers.

The 4.5-liter engine produced 165 horsepower, which made it inadequate in comparison to the competition, which was producing over 300 horsepower from their engines. The engine would require more tuning if it were to compete in Grand Prix Competition. Marchetti and Lago began work on a revised head for the engine. The new design had two lateral camshafts partway up the block, and shortened pushrods to operate the twelve valves. The modifications improved the engines output to 240 horsepower. Further improvements pushed that figure to around 260 and in range of its competition.

In 1948, the Talbot Lago T26C made its racing debut at the Monaco Grand Prix. The car was fitted with large drum brakes, a Wilson Pre-Selector four-speed gearbox, and a conventional box-section chassis. Shortly after the race began, it became clear that the Talbot Lago was no-match for the Maserati's and their two-stage supercharged 4CLTs. The main advantage that the T26C employed was their ability to run the entire race without refueling or changing tires. The Maserati cars pitted half-way through the race, which gave the Talbot-Lago T26Cs a chance to regain some ground. As the checkered flag fell, Nino Farina and his Maserati were in the lead followed closely by a T26C driven by Louis Chiron.

The Talbot-Lago T26C competition career continued during the 1949 season. Their superior fuel mileage and reliability gained them two major Grand Prix victories. In 1950, the T26C's did well in non-championship competition.

For the 1950 running of the 24 Hours of LeMans, Anthony Lago entered a T26C for competition. The LeMans race is a grueling race that tests driver, car, and team for 24 hours of competition. Just finishing the race is a victory, itself. Anthony was convinced that the T26C's proven reliability would reward them with a strong finish. The car was slightly modified for the race to comply with regulations; it was given lights, fenders, and a wider body to allow for a driver and co-driver.

At the 1950 24 Hours of LeMans, the T26C was driven by Louis Rosier and his son Jean-Louis Rosier. At the end of the race, the T26C had captured its most important victory of its career.

The T26 road-going cars were powered by a six-cylinder, DOHC Cam engine with triple carburetors that produced nearly 200 horsepower. There was a four-speed Wilson Preselector gearbox, four-wheel drum brakes and a live-axle with semi-elliptic leaf springs rear suspension. This setup provided the necessary power, performance, and comfort required by cars of this caliber.

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. In total there were around 750 examples of the T26 constructed, with only 23 being the T26C version. There were about 30 examples of the T26 GS (Grand Sport) constructed with eight built atop the short chassis of 2.65M. This was the same chassis used for the Grand Prix cars.

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