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1937 Talbot-Lago BI 105

Georges Roesch was born in Switzerland in 1891 and came to England in 1914, where he apprenticed under Barbaroux, to work for Daimler. He was hired by the London firm of Clément-Talbot as Chief Engineer in 1916. Talbot was acquired by Darracq and Company London in 1919, and a year later, Sunbeam was brought into the mix to form S T D Motors. The Rootes Group took over Talbot in 1935. In 1939, Roesch left Sunbeam-Talbot and went for David Brown, leaving soon after to join Frank Whittle's Power Jets. For the remainder of his career, he worked on gas turbines.

Roesch was a talented engineer who favored performance and a compact, lightweight chassis. This combination helped Talbots of the 1930s excelled in Alpine Trials and long-distance rallies such as the such as the Flying Scotsman and 1000 Mile Trial.

The one-model 14/45 gave way to the 75 and 90 models of the early 1930s. The 3.0-liter Model 105 arrived in 1931 and was equipped with a new six-cylinder engine featuring staggered valves which improved breathing. Displacing 2,969cc, the engine produced approximately 119 horsepower at 4,800 RPM. Higher compression versions (10:1) in 'Brooklands trim' produced upwards of 125 horsepower. Luvax adjustable dampers and the Roesch-designed, Wilson pre-selector gearbox were added to the model in 1933. Refinements followed in 1935, with a dropped cruciform chassis frame and Talbot's 'traffic clutch.'

The BI 105 variant was unveiled at the October 1935 London Motor Show. It had a rigid and low-slung chassis reinforced with a tubular cruciform brace and perforated channel sections to the inner portion of its main side members. Large-diameter drum brakes provided the stopping power and the suspension was semi-elliptic leaf springs all around with Luvax adjustable dampers.

Approximately 97 examples of the BI 105s were produced.

by Dan Vaughan

Airline Saloon
Chassis number: 4065

This Talbot explores the aviation-inspired vision of engineer Georges Roesch, of Darracq and Company London. The BI 105 was unveiled at the 1933 London Motor Show and is considered by aficionadoes to be the pinnacle of the 105 Series, with its lowered chassis, high-revving straight-6 engine, and aerodynamic profile. It is believed Roesch actually drove this car to the Alpine Trials in Vienna, almost 1,000 miles from London. As one of the last of its line, the BI 105 road car benefitted from several tried and track-tested innovations.

This example was delivered new in gunmetal grey to a Graham Enock of London, and shortly thereafter sold to a resident of Wales, eventually returning to England in 1957.