1949 Talbot-Lago T26 Grand Sport pictures and wallpaper

1949 Talbot-Lago T26 Grand Sport news, pictures, and information

Four-Seat Cabriolet
Coachwork: Figoni & Falaschi
Chassis Num: 100047

The 1949 Talbot-Lago T26 Grand Sport (GS) had a 4482cc engine with triple carburetors that was capable of producing 190 horsepower and carrying the car to a top speed around 125 mph. This made the T26 GS the world's fastest production chassis, a title it had taken away from its sibling, the Lago-Record. The vehicle was not without its growing pains; the engine produced a large amount of heat. The engine had been derived from its racing counterpart and was intended for high speed competition. Mounting the engine in road going cars meant the engine was often driven at slower speeds, where there was less air being circulated through the engine. Overheating was not uncommon. The coachbuilders, Figoni & Falaschi, tried to rectify this problem by given the cars adequately sized frontal grilles. The shape of the grill was copied for the interior dashboard vent grille.

The Figoni & Falaschi desings of the post-war era were, at times, criticized for being out-of-date. The designs had been used with much success during the 1930s, but by the 1940s many people were demanding more. The demand for custom coachbuilt cars was still alive in the post-war era, as there were at least 16 coachbuilders who exhibited at the 1948 Paris Salon. The designs by Figoni & Falaschi were still bold, daring, and some brought new styling cues, such fins and rear wings, which was used on their first post-war body, built atop a Lancia Belna chassis. Within a few years, GM would later do the same on their vehicles.

The post-war years were successful for the Figoni & Falaschi company. The company was now under the direction of Joseph Figoni's son, Claude. It was a miracle that Figoni could still produce automobiles after the war as their Paris factory had been taken over by the Germans and converted to making aircraft components. After the war, Figoni and Falaschi were able to recover their factory, and resume work.

This vehicle came equipped with hydraulic power top, air-conditioning, and a concealed remote control modern radio. These options make it clear that the cars purpose was for touring. To cope with the extra electrical demands of these modern devices, an alternator had been outfitted in the car.

It has been a museum exhibit for many years and has been driven very sparingly during that time. This car was offered for sale at the 2006 Bonhams & Butterfields auction held at the Quail Lodge in Carmel, California where it was estimated to sell between $300,000 - $400,000. The car did find a buyer, one that was willing to pay with a high bid of $375,500.

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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