1949 Talbot-Lago T26 Grand Sport Cabriolet

This one-off Talbot-Lago Grand Sport is one of just four existing open Grand Sports, and it is the only one that remains unrestored - although it was repainted in 1977. The Cabriolet body, which exhibits a simple harmony of lines, was penned by Carlo Delaisse and built by Debos Freres. Little is known about the car's first owner, Mr. Gerbe, or its early days in France. In the early 1960s, the car was found in a Parisian wrecking yard by American Frank Werstein, and thereafter it passed through the hands of famed Lutece restaurateur and airline caterer Andre Surmain, Sir Anthony Bamford, Jackson Brooks, Peter Giddings, and Lidley Locke, the latter of whom carefully cared for the car for 37 years. The current caretaker acquired the car in 2015, and in 2019, he undertook a comprehensive but very sympathetic preservation effort, seeking to protect all of the car's patina and characteristics.

Five of the twenty-nine T26 Grand Sport chassis that left the Talbot-Lago works were delivered with open coachwork. This example, ordered new by Paul Gerbe, selected Dubos Frères to cloth his sporting Talbot, building the shapely cabriolet to a design believed to be penned by Carlo Delaisse. It is a modern and flowing design with the body dipping ahead of the rear wheels, both lateral and longitudinal curves in the door, teardrop style fenders, and delicate use of chrome trim.

This Talbot remained with Mr. Gerbe until 1957, selling to Pierre du Chabanet. On June 21, 1958, the car passed to Henri Lievremont who retained it for three years. Robert Dumoulin became its caretaker on November 30, 1961. Shortly thereafter, the car was discovered by an American and soon sold to André Surmain, the famous restaurateur living in New York City. When he returned back to Europe in the 1970s, he brought the car with him and placed it on display for some time at the Musee de la Carrosserie Francaise, on the island of Puerto de Andratx off Mallorca.

When Surmain sold the car, it was purchased by Anthony Bamford, the British Industrialist and owner of JCB in the UK. It was later sold to Jackson Brooks of Colorado, who treated the car to a light refurbishment, repainting it in a violet hue from the Mercedes color palate and re-chroming its bumpers and wheels. In 1976, it was sold to Lindley Locke, who showed it at local California concours events during the 1970s. When Lindley passed away, his wife Betty became its guardian. A while later, it was sold into the present ownership who had the car sensitively worked through, including repainting to lightly refurbish and revive it without tearing it down for restoration.

In 2022, it was shown at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance where it was shown but not judged.

This Talbot-Lago is powered by a 4,482cc overhead valve inline six-cylinder engine fitted with three Zenith Stromberg carburetors and produces 190 horsepower at 4,200 RPM. There is a four-speed PreSelector transmission, four-wheel drum brakes, a live rear axle, and an independent front suspension.

By Daniel Vaughan | Nov 2023