1950 Talbot-Lago T26 Grand Sport Barchetta

Ever since acquiring the Talbot company in 1934, Antonio 'Tony' Lago believed that motorsport was the best publicity, and his results were impressive with 21 first-place finishes achieved in international races between 1936 and 1951, including at Le Mans in 1950. In 1948, Talbot-Lago introduced their first road version of the T26, with the race-proven 4.5-liter engine on the short 8.5-foot chassis, and called it the Grand Sport. A total of 32 T26 GSs were built, most of which were bodied by Franay, Figoni, Chapron, and Saoutchik.

This example was first bodied by little-known French coachbuilder Perret. The car proved too heavy to be competitive in rallies, and the Perret body was damaged due to an electrical fire during the 1951 Rally de la Gentiane. Through an introduction by the famous racing driver Louis Rosier, the car was rebodied by Turin coachbuilder Rocco Motto, who designed this unique barchetta-style aluminum body in 1952. Over successive years the Motto Barchetta was owned by several other French sportsmen, including Le Mans driver Jean Estager and Antoine Raffaelli, winner of the 1957 Acropolis Rally. Between 1998 and 2017, the car was kept in a private Swiss collection, and its current owner showed it at the 2019 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, the first time it was shown in the United States.