The Mullin Automotive Museum To Showcase Seven Iconic Examples Of Automotive Design And Motorsport History Throughout Monterey Car Week

Led by iconic auto builders Delage, Delahaye, Talbot and Voisin, the Mullin will be represented at the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion, The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering and Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance

The Mullin Automotive Museum announced today that it will showcase seven iconic vehicles from its collection throughout three of Monterey Car Week's premier events. Patrons in attendance at the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion, The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering and the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance will enjoy an up-close look at timeless French vehicles like the 1934 Voisin C27 Cabriolet, the 1938 Talbot-Lago Type 26-SS, the 1939 Delahaye 165 Cabriolet and the 1946 Delage D6-3L.

'Monterey Car Week is one of the world's largest and most esteemed gatherings of automotive enthusiasts, and it is an honor to participate in the week's festivities,' said Mullin Automotive Museum Founder and CEO Peter Mullin. 'We are excited to take these vehicles out of the museum and share them at these events so that attendees can see some of the most magnificent and enduring examples of French automotive design for themselves.'

The Mullin collection will be featured at the following events:

Three Mullin cars - the 1938 Talbot-Lago Type 26-SS, 1946 Delage D6-3L and 1950 Talbot T26 - will race around the historic WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca at the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion. The 1937 Talbot-Lago Type 26-SS is a particular Talbot-Lago race vehicle bodied by famous luxury coachbuilder Joseph Figoni. The car was built for the Talbot-Lago race team before Luigi Chinetti's race group bought it, where it would partake in the 1939 24 Hours of Le Mans before going into storage for World War II. Brian Mullin will drive the car.

The 1946 Delage D6-3L was purchased in 1947 by Henri Louveau, who drove the car to second place at the 1949 24 Hours of Le Mans and 1949 Grand Prix of Spa-Francorchamps. Capable of reaching more than 124 miles per hour, Peter Mullin restored the Delage to its original 1947 racing configuration when he purchased it in 1995, after which it returned to racing in 2002. Matt Cobb will drive the car.

Lastly, the 1950 Talbot T26 is from the marque's second series and was constructed for speed and endurance as it was entered in the inaugural Formula One category. Containing twin ignition plugs that create an additional 50 brake horsepower, a tapered rear end and bare exhaust pipes to maximize aerodynamic efficiency, it can reach a top speed of more than 166 miles per hour. Hans Hugenholtz will drive the car.

All three entries will compete in the 1927-1955 Grand Prix/Open Wheel group for single-seat racing cars.

One of the Mullin's non-French vehicles, a 1956 Porsche 356 Speedster, will be on-site at The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering. Constructed to be a performance-focused, rear-engine everyday sports car as opposed to a racecar, Erwin Komenda and Karl Rabe developed the body and chassis by using modified Volkswagen components with slight modifications. The lightweight 'Speedster' version was introduced in 1954, with a 356A Speedster upgrade featuring a higher-performance 1,582 cc engine produced from 1955-59.

Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance – Sunday, August 20

At the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, the 1934 Voisin C27 Cabriolet, the 1939 Delahaye 165 Cabriolet and the 1937 Talbot-Lago T150 C-SS 'Teardrop' from the Mullin collection will be on display. The Mullins have a long history of success at Pebble Beach, including a 2022 'Best in Class' win for the Talbot-Lago Grand Sport Line with the 1951 Talbot-Lago Type 26 Grand Sport and the 'J.B. & Dorothy Nethercutt Most Elegant Closed Car' distinction in 2021 for their 1936 Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic.

As Gabriel Voisin was resistant to the style of French coachbuilders, the 1934 Voisin C27 Cabriolet is only one of six Voisins to feature Joseph Figoni's craftsmanship. The vehicle was originally owned by Reza Shah Pahlavi of the Iranian Pahlavi dynasty prior to giving it to one of his attachés in Paris. After several acquisitions and sales, a dealer found the vehicle in a barn in the late 1970s before selling it to Jacques Buson, who had it restored to its original condition in 1984.

After the racing success of the Type 145, the yet-to-be-produced 1939 Delahaye 165 Cabriolet was selected to represent France at the 1939 New York World's Fair. The vehicle was to include the 145's retooled V-12 racing engine, complete with Figoni & Falaschi coachwork and a hood with a cutout to view the engine. Due to missed deadlines, it had to be shipped before the engine was installed. The Cabriolet wowed audiences despite its missing engine, but after the vehicle resurfaced in the late-1980s, its original V-12 engine was installed after all.

After the Talbot-Lago T150 C-SS's win at the 1937 French Grand Prix, Joseph Figoni worked with the Talbot-Lago company to produce a touring version for Concours de Elegance. In 1937, Figoni's goutte d'eau, or teardrop, resembled raindrops as they fell to earth and epitomized speed, aerodynamic efficiency and elegance. The Mullin's 'Teardrop' is equipped with an aluminum alloy body, a foldout windscreen, a sunroof and competition-style exhaust headers.

For more information about the Mullin Automotive Museum collection, please visit www.MullinAutomotiveMuseum.com.

Photo credit: Dan Vaughan / conceptcarz.com
posted on conceptcarz.com

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