1936 Talbot-Lago T120

When Sunbeam-Talbot-Darracq dissolved in 1934, automobile engineer Major Anthony F. 'Tony' Lago acquired the Darracq factory at Suresnes and continued production, selling his cars as Darracqs in the UK and Talbots in France. Only two years later, the company would achieve victories in the French Grand Prix and the Tourist Trophy.

Mr. Lago elected to use the existing X-braced (box section) chassis with robust independent front suspension with transverse leaf springs, a live rear axle with semi-elliptical springs, friction shock absorbers, and mechanical drum brakes. For the power, engineer Walter Becchia was tasked with building a new six-cylinder unit of 2.7-, 3.0-, and 4.0-liter displacement sizes. The latter had inclined overhead valves set in hemispherical combustion chambers and operated by crossed pushrods, while the 3.0-liter unit had traditional pushrod-actuated overhead valves. The French market received a 2.4-liter four-cylinder model, while other markets received Baby, Minor, Major, and Master models of varying wheelbase lengths up to 3,450mm. The Baby version rested on a short wheelbase chassis size of 116.1 inches (2950 mm), the Major version measured 126 inches (3,200mm), and the Master at 135.8 inches (3,450mm). Mr. Lago had been instrumental in the creation of the Wilson pre-selector gearbox in England, and this unit would be retained on the larger models.

Talbot-Lago introduced the T120 and T150 models at the Paris Auto Show, held near the close of 1934. The T120 employed the 3.0-liter engine while the T150 came equipped with the larger 4.0-liter unit.

by Dan Vaughan

Sports Cabriolet by Figoni
Chassis number: 85722
Engine number: 66148

Major Anthony 'Tony' Lago was an entrepreneur and an Italian engineer. After the Anglo-French STD (Sunbeam-Talbot-Darracq) collapsed during the worldwide depression in 1934, Talbot purchased the French brand of Automobiles Talbot and founded the marque Talbot-Lago.

The British interests of Talbot were taken over by the Rootes Group and were now badged as Darracqs. In France, the cars still wore the Talbot badge, which they had done since 1922.

Racing and competition had always been a part of the marque, and in 1937 achieved victories in the French Grand Prix and the Tourist Trophy. Some examples achieved notable successes in the immediate pre-war and post-war years, including three Grand Prix victories for French Champion Louis Rosier.

The existing X-braced, independently front-suspended chassis was retained for the first newly designed Talbot-Lago-built cars introduced in 1935. Power was from a trio of new six-cylinder engines designed by ex-FIAT engineer Walter Becchia. The listed included a 2.7-liter 15CV, a 3.0-liter 17CV, and a 4.0-liter 23CV. The 4.0-liter unit featured inclined overhead valves set in hemispherical combustion chambers and opened by crossed pushrods. All engines were mated to a Wilson Pre-Select 4-speed transmission.

At the 1935 Season Paris Auto Show (held at the end of 1934), Talbot-Lago introduced the T120 and T150 Sport Cabriolet models. They wore coachwork designed by Figoni, which won the Coupe d'Excelence award at the 1935 Concours d'Elegance de l'Auto. Under agreement, the Figoni coachwork would be used the following year on Talbot factory-produced models.

Approximately 40 examples of the Talbot-Lago T120 Sport Cabriolet were built with the Figoni design. Currently, just five examples are believed to have survived today.

This example was given a restoration in 2005 and made its debut at The Quail. It has resided with its current custodian family since 1962.

It is believed that this example was delivered new to Jacques Puget in the southern French coastal city of Marseille and first registered there on April 9, 1937. Within two years, it transitioned to Maurice Martignon in that same town on January 4, 1939. Mr. Martignon retained the car for over 22 years and protected it in storage during the war years.

The present owner's father acquired the car in Marseille, France in August 1962 and brought it home with him to Southern California.

The car has been restored and the finished product was painted with a deep green hue exterior, a tan leather interior, and a new cloth top. The restoration's goal was to preserve originality and maintain detailed features.

In the four years that followed its restoration, it was displayed at the Art Center School of Design Car Classic, as well as the Los Angeles, Huntingdon Beach, Newport Beach, Palos Verdes, and Dana Point Concours d'Elegances, garnering awards including 2 First Places, 2 Second Places, a Third place, a Special award, and the Holloway Memorial Trophy.

The car is powered by an overhead valve six-cylinder engine displacing 2,996cc and fitted with a single Zenith- Stromberg carburetor. There is a four-speed Wilson Pre-Select gearbox and four-wheel drum brakes.

by Dan Vaughan

French automakers, just like so many other marque's throughout the world, struggled through difficult economic conditions during the early 1930s with few surviving. One of the French survivors was Darracq/Talbot which was purchased by Italian Major Anthony F. 'Tony' Lago in 1934 from the Sunbeam-Talbot-Darracq (STD) Company. He already had an association with the STD Company as the owner of the gearbox manufacturer. The STD Company had a strong reputation for performance, superior engineering, and durability - a reputation that Lago would attempt to uphold. The sale included the facilities located in Suresnes, France, and the rights to use the Darracq and Talbot names. The cars sold in France were known as Talbots, while the UK products were dubbed Darracqs.

Engineer and ex-Fiat employee Walter Becchia was tasked with continuing the legacy and creating a new line of six-cylinder engines. After nearly a year of development, the new Talbot Lago models were introduced in 1935 at the 1934 Paris Auto Salon. The introductions consisted of both old and new products; the old products were made new by receiving minor updates and a name change. There were three chassis lengths available and a trio of new six-cylinder engines. The range of engines consisted of a 2.7-liter 15CV, 3.0-liter 17CV, and 4.0-liter 23CV. The T-120 featured a 3-liter unit and the T150 had a 4-liter engine. The 3-liter engine used pushrod actuated overhead valves of traditional design. The 4-liter unit was more advanced, with hemispheric combustion chambers, inclined overhead valves, and three-Zenith carburetors resulting in over 100 horsepower. The larger models were fitted with the Wilson pre-selector gearbox.

In keeping with the racing heritage, competition models would soon follow. Built on shorter chassis and often given cycle fender bodies, the T150C was raced successfully during the 1936 and 1937 seasons. These were later replaced by the T26, which featured a larger, 4.5-liter engine.

The cars that were shown at the Paris Auto Show featured Figoni-designed and patented coachwork. Under the agreement, the designs could be used the following year on factory production models. What left the factory would vary slightly from the Figoni-bodied examples; the factory-bodied cars were void of running boards that connected the wings in the front and rear together. The two-tone colors and metallic paints, however, were a Figoni design and used by the factory. Other changes were made along the way to coincide with modern styles, such as the use of chrome and brightwork.

The Talbot T-120 was produced through 1939. Many were specifically tailored to clients' requests by some of the finest coachbuilders of the era. The six-cylinder engine displaced 3-liters and produced about 90 horsepower. The top speed was achieved at around 80 mph.

by Dan Vaughan

In 1902, the Earl of Shrewsbury-and-Talbot established a company that had strong financial backing but was without an automobile. Their Ladbroke, England facility would not reach production until 1905, so the eager Earl went seeking an established automaker to provide products to establish his new brand.

His search led him to Adolphe Clement of France, who had been building automobiles bearing his own name since 1897. An agreement was reached where Clement would provide cars to Talbot, with production continuing in France even after the British car factory came on-line. These early cars were called Clement-Talbots. This brand name would continue for only a short period, for it was dropped when Shrewsbury's operation began producing cars of its own, and Clement was dropped from the badging.

Shrewsbury realized the importance of motor sports as a marketing tool for his British Talbots. During this time, French versions continued to be produced from the Clement factory, but as time continued, they had less and less commonality with their British siblings.

After several successful racing accomplishments with the Talbot cars, Shrewsbury promoted a new advertising slogan, 'The Invincible Talbot.' This was truly a bold statement, as racing is a continually evolving sport, and new competition is bred on a daily basis. Achieving a high level of success on a continuous basis is nearly impossible. Being 'Invincible' at every outing is unthinkable.

Even though the Talbots were not always Invincible, the company's fortunes were positive up to the start of the First World War in 1914, when domestic production came to a stop. A short time later, Lord Shrewsbury elected to leave the company, selling out to Darracq, another French Company. Darracq soon added Sunbeam, another British company, and the new conglomerate became known as STD.

The individual responsible for much of the company's motorsports success and many of its engine developments well into the mid-1930s was George Henri Roesch. He spent a few years working with Renault before emigrating to England and becoming chief engineer at Clement Talbot, Ltd.

The motor-sports and production car program was considerably successful throughout the mid-twenties. Even with the confusion of origins and product names, when Lord Shrewsbury and Talbot allied with Clement. The British cars continued to sell well in France, while the French cars enjoyed strong sales in Britain. The British Talbots were known as Talbots and the French Talbots wore Talbot-Darracq badges.

During the Great Depression, sales declined for STD, and cash reserves soon dwindled. There was a mass resignation by the board of directors following an independent audit, which revealed poor management practices and plenty of other problems. The new leadership was unable to reverse the fortunes of the STD company, and in 1934 the company went into receivership.

Antony Lago

After leaving the Italian Army, Lago (a graduate of the Milan Polytechnic Institute) emigrated to England and found employment with a variety of automotive concerns, including Isotta-Fraschini, the Wilson Self-Changing Gear Co., and briefly with STD, serving with Sunbeam operation in Wolverhampton. He joined Sunbeam shortly before STD's financial demise and saw an opportunity to rescue the brand. He secured adequate financing and took command of the old factory in Suresnes, France. Talbot became Talbot Lago.

T120

One of the early cars to bear the Talbot Lago name was the T120, which was produced from 1935 until the outbreak of World War II in 1939. It had a stylish design with equally impressive performance characteristics. It had a box section frame and a 3-liter overhead valve inline six-cylinder engine developed by Walter Becchia from a design patented in 1934, prior to STD's collapse. It was an advanced design and would become the predecessor to the famous T150C engine. The powerplant produced 90 horsepower and could carry a roadster to a top speed of over 90 mph.

The six-cylinder unit was mated to a four-speed Wilson Pre-Selector gearbox.

by Dan Vaughan