1954 Talbot-Lago T-26 Grand Sport Coupe

Antonio Lago joined Tablot's Suresnes plant in 1934, and he immediately began an aggressive plan to restore the company to financial stability. Focus was placed on vehicle performance as a means to stimulate sales, beginning with a pair of new six-cylinder engines and entering the grueling 24 Hours of LeMans race in 1937. This was followed by an additional focus on grand-prix racing, with the four-liter Talbot-Lago's reliability and fuel economy often providing the winning edge over the far more powerful Alfa Romeo, Maserati, Auto Union, and Mercedes entries.

Racing has always been expensive. One strategy employed to keep costs lower was to have the GP cars and sports racers of Talbot-Lago closely based on the company's production cars. This philosophy continued after World War II when Talbot-Lago incorporated the updated competition engine into its production cars. In 1950, Talbot-Lagos claimed first and second at LeMans, followed by a second- and fourth-place finishes in 1951.

The road-going Grand Sport model was essentially the Grand Prix chassis with a detuned engine in a two-seat configuration. In modern times, there are only eight known survivors of these great postwar grand touring cars from France. This example wears an older restoration (completed in the mid-1980s) and is currently in long-term care, having been with its present owner for a quarter-of-a-century.

Powering the car is a 4482cc inline six-cylinder engine with dual camshafts and three carburetors. The 190 horsepower produced is sent to the rear wheels via a Wilson four-speed pre-selector gearbox. There are four-wheel hydraulic drum brakes and an independent front suspension.

In 2011, this vehicle was offered for sale at the Amelia Island auction presented by RM Auctions. The car was estimated to sell for $125,000 - $175,000. As bidding came to a close, the car had been sold for $154,000, including the buyer's premium.

By Daniel Vaughan | Apr 2011