1950 Talbot-Lago T26 Grand Sport Roadster

At four in the afternoon on the 25th of June in 1950, the Talbot-Lago of Louis Rosier and Jean-Louis Rosier would come powering its way across the finish line to take the victory in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. This would be a monumental moment in Le Man's history as it would be the first time (and only to date) in which a father and son combination would go on to take the overall victory in the classic enduro. The car that would carry them to victory and motor racing legend would be the Talbot-Lago T26GS.

By the mid-thirties, the consortium of Sunbeam-Talbot-Darracq was collapsing. Anthony Lago, an engineer from Venice, would end up purchasing Talbot and would set about restructuring the company. The company would become known as Talbot-Lago from then on and its reputation for producing powerful production and racing cars would also change right along with it.

In the years following World War II, Talbot-Lago's reputation would grow as a result of smartly sharing chassis and engine components that could be used in production, and or, racing cars. What that ultimately meant was the production cars were literally racing cars with more elegant and luxurious bodies. It also meant the production cars ultimately nearly shared the same level of performance.

In 1947, Carlo Marchetti developed a new engine. The 4.5-liter version would be based upon an older 6-cylinder engine used in the 1930s. Unfortunately, the engine's performance would not be able to match those of the 'blown' 1.5-liter machines used in grand prix racing. Marchetti and Lago would not give up. A change in the engine's design as well as the use of shorter pushrods would help to push engine power up to 240 bhp. By 1950, a further update of the engine utilizing twin plugs would push the power up to 260 bhp. That meant the engine was capable of competing with some of the supercharged engines of the period, but it was still a little short on power.

Still, Lago had his engine. He would then create a simple single-seater design to neatly envelop the new engine. Thus, the Talbot-Lago T26C would be born. The aluminum block and head straight-six engine would be mated to a Wilson preselector gearbox and would be housed inside a simple box-section steel chassis. Finished off with front wishbone suspension and a live rear axle, the T26C offered Lago an understated single-seater. But it would soon prove that in competition that glamorous and dramatic doesn't always end up victorious. In spite of the power deficiencies compared to the likes of Alfa-Romeo's 158 'Alfetta', the T26C would continue to present a challenge, mainly helped by its superior gas mileage. This fact offered it an advantage in another forum of motor racing.

It was clear the Talbot-Lago had the power to turn out speeds in excess of 160 mph, but it also had the gas mileage necessary to make it a potent challenger in longer distance races like the 24 Hours of Le Mans. What was more, only minor modifications needed to be made to the car to make it conform to the regulations for the 24 hour race.

Lago would do the bare minimum to make the T26C conform to the Le Mans regulations. He would set about widening the chassis to make it accommodate two drivers. He would add lights and would attach fenders to the car that were really nothing more than single pieces of curved metal. The T26 Grand Sport, as it would become known, would be literally nothing more than a grand prix car with lights and fenders. Still, it would prove to be right as the T26 GS would go on to take the victory with Louis and Jean-Louis Rosier at the wheel. They would end up beating a Talbot-Lago Decalee by a whole lap.

The Grand Sport had proven itself. It would prove itself so much that when Louis Rosier prepared to return to Le Mans to defend his title he would not only come with an impressive co-driver but there would be three other Talbot-Lago T26GSs entered in the field that would also boast of some very impressive drivers preparing to take to the wheel.

Although there would be four Ferrari 340 Americas and three Jaguar C-Types entered in the race, the likes of Pierre Meyrat, Guy Mairesse, Onofre Marimon and Jose Froilan Gonzalez would all be preparing to take part in the race driving T26GSs. But perhaps the most incredible co-driver would be preparing to take part in the race with Louis Rosier himself.

At the time, he hadn't earned his first Formula One World Championship, or the four others that would come along in his career. Still, Juan Manuel Fangio was already recognized as one of the best in motor racing at the time. This driver lineup, with the French patriot and the talented Argentinean mechanic, still posed a great threat to the perhaps more modern sportscars in the field.

In spite of the strong driver lineup, the 1951 edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans would not end up the same as the previous year. Fangio would be behind the wheel throughout the first 92 laps of the race. However, the Talbot-Lago would suffer from an oil tank failure that would bring about the end of the race for Rosier and Fangio. The end would be painful but most painful for Fangio since the hot oil splashed onto him and caused him excruciating pain. Rosier would be spared the pain of the hot oil but wouldn't be spared from the fact he wouldn't even have the opportunity to take to the wheel.

Chassis 110057, the very one that would suffer the oil tank failure that ended the 24 hour race for Fangio and Rosier, would be offered for auction at the 2012 RM Auctions held in Monaco.

110057 had originally been intended to enter the 1950 24 Hours of Le Mans. However, it would not be finished in time to make it into the race. As a result, Louis Rosier would come along and would purchase the car for use in the following year's edition of the race. And though it would suffer the early retirement at Le Mans it would not be the end for 110057.

1952 would see the car make its way to Italy's Carrozzeria Motto in order to have a closed-wheel sportscar body placed over the chassis. Once completed, Rosier would enter the car in the 1952 Monaco Grand Prix. Rosier and fellow Frenchman Maurice Trintignant would take part in the race but would have it also come to an early end. The car would then be entered in the Grand Prix de Reims and would be driven by Eugene Chaboud. Unfortunately, the car would again fail to finish the race.

The chassis would continue to take part in numerous races throughout '51 and '52. Then, in 1953, the Talbot-Lago would be sold to fellow driver Georges Grignard. Grignard would take part in the Coupe du Salon held at Montlhery and would use the car to great effect, qualifying 2nd. Unfortunately, the great starting position would not translate into a great result. Instead, the Talbot-Lago would suffer yet another early retirement.

One of the more interesting racing stories the car would be involved in would come in December of 1953 when it was entered in the 12 Hours de Casablanca. Grignard would partner with an inexperienced driver by the name of Lino Fayen. Unfortunately, while Fayen was at the wheel, he would be a little too overcome with the race and would totally ignore signals to come into the pits for fuel. He would even ignore a crew member standing right in the track waving.

While the event with Fayen would be tragic, it would not even come close to the tragedy that would befall at the Coupe de Paris at Montlhery in April of the following year. Guy was at the wheel of the Talbot-Lago when he would suddenly come upon another car that had come to a stop out on the circuit. Unfortunately, the car had come to a stop right on the racing line. Mairesse would do everything he could to avoid hitting the car, but when he did that he would lose control and would strike a retaining wall killing him almost instantly. Overcome by the grief of the incident and truly tragic way in which Mairesse would meet his end, Grignard would do nothing with the car. Instead, it would be hidden away in its wrecked state in Grignard's garage.

Nothing would be seen of 110057 for four years until its present owner came along and found it still on its transporter in the locked garage. The present owner had actually been looking for a single-seater T26C. However, upon visiting the Talbot-Lago facility, Lago himself would suggest approaching Georges Grignard. Meeting with Grignard about one of his T26Cs, the Grand Sport would be noticed. Grignard, however, was obviously not willing to part with the damaged memorial. Nonetheless, a deal would be struck and the car would make its way to England.

Upon purchasing the car, the present owner set about having it restored and would even race it for a number seasons. Eventually, the owner would decide to have the car returned to its initial look with the motorcycle-like fenders. Once completed, the car would take part in many more historic grand prix and sportscar races.

In 1968, Robert Peel would be commissioned to take the closed-wheel Talbot-Lago and return it to its original state. Thankfully, this process wouldn't be incredibly difficult as the 'envelope' body that was applied by Motto was simply attached to the car's chassis and could be easily removed. Over the next couple of decades, work to return the Talbot-Lago T26GS to its period-correct state would progress. By 1988, period-correct mudguard mountings would be installed. The following year would see the car go through a nearly entire dismantling in order to reconfigure the front of the car exactly to original.

When the reconstruction of the car was completed, it would be finished in the same livery as had adorned the car for the 1951 24 Hours of Le Mans when it was driven by Rosier and Fangio. Throughout its entire history of undergoing its rebirth to its original design, the car would take part in numerous historic races and would become quite well known at these events. What's more, it would continue to show its pedigree as a racing sports car as it would take class victories as recent as 2011 when it scored a victory at Spa-Francorchamps. The car has also participated in the Goodwood Revival Meeting in the tribute to Juan Manuel Fangio. And amongst other Talbot-Lagos, it remains undefeated, even against single-seater Talbot-Lagos.

Only a very few race cars can compete with 110057 when it comes to those who have sat behind its wheel. From Rosier and Trintignant to Mairesse, Grignard and, of course, El Maestro himself, very few existing cars have such a pedigree of racing talent playing such an integral part in their history like 110057. And when combined with the fact that the car has only had three owners since it was produced in the latter part of 1950, this particular Talbot-Lago Grand Sport belongs in a very special and select company of automobiles. Offered with its original engine as a spare, this particular Talbot-Lago T26GS is filled with motor racing history from the very tip of its elegant headlight-adorned nose to the very tip of its tanks at the rear.

Like all motor racing itself, 110057's history is filled with drama, excitement and tragedy and is a true piece of motor racing history all by itself. Perhaps no other sportscar in the world could match the sheer volume of motor racing history and intriguing stories that this T26GS could tell, and for that, this is a truly remarkable offering at this year's RM Auctions in Monaco. As a result, it would be little wonder why it would be estimated to garner between 1,150,000 and 1,500,000 EUR.

Sources:
'Lot No. 335: 1950 Talbot-Lago T26 Grand Sport', (http://www.rmauctions.com/FeatureCars.cfm?SaleCode=MC12&CarID=r324&fc=0). RM Auctions. http://www.rmauctions.com/FeatureCars.cfm?SaleCode=MC12&CarID=r324&fc=0. Retrieved 8 May 2012.

'Le Mans 24 Hours 1951', (http://www.racingsportscars.com/photo/Le_Mans-1951-06-23.html). Racing Sports Cars. http://www.racingsportscars.com/photo/Le_Mans-1951-06-23.html. Retrieved 8 May 2012.

'Le Mans 24 Hours 1950', (http://www.racingsportscars.com/photo/Le_Mans-1950-06-25.html?sort=Results). Racing Sports Cars. http://www.racingsportscars.com/photo/Le_Mans-1950-06-25.html?sort=Results. Retrieved 8 May 2012.

By Jeremy McMullen