1951 Talbot Lago T26 Project

• Rolling chassis, engine and gearbox
• Aluminium replica body
• Exciting and potentially most rewarding project

The French marque's ultimate pre-war road car - the 4.0-litre Lago Special - produced 165bhp and was good for more than 160km/h (100mph). This successful series of cars was later renamed 'Talbot-Lago', after proprietor Tony Lago, and engineer Walter Becchia's engine would be one of the few that saw service in Grand Prix cars both before and after WW2.

In 1946 the model was revived as the 'T26 Record', now sporting hydraulic brakes, a Wilson pre-selector gearbox and a 4½-litre, twin-cam version of the classic long-stroke overhead-valve engine producing 170bhp. Its 'T26' designation had been used before – for the 4½-litre GP racers in the late 1930s – and referred to the car's taxation rating of 26CV. For serious competition work there was the short-wheelbase 'Grand Sport' with a 190bhp version of the new '2AC' engine featuring an aluminium-alloy cylinder head and triple carburettor induction, and it was this model that formed the basis of the Rosiers' 1950 Le Mans winner as well as the monoposto Grand Prix car. Further development kept the Talbot-Lago competitive at Le Mans for a few more seasons.

However, by the early 1950s the company was in serious financial difficulty as a result of the French government's taxation policies which heavily penalised cars of over 3.0 litres; sales fell from 433 in 1950 to just 80 in 1951. Despite the fact that a Saoutchik-bodied Record had been chosen as the official car of French President Vincent Auriol to symbolise national automotive prestige, the country's socialist government introduced a vindictive regime of taxation, based on engine capacity, which destroyed the French luxury car industry overnight. The Record was available with factory bodywork or as a rolling chassis for bodying by independent coachbuilders. A proven chassis and running gear coupled to an under-stressed and long-legged engine made these very desirable cars in their day, and they still offer a very attractive package if one is looking for a car to enjoy on rallies and Grand Tours.

This Lot consists of what is understood to be an original 1951 Talbot Lago T26 rolling chassis, engine, gearbox, and replica body in aluminium by Steve McFarlane's Coachbuilders. The gearbox is stamped '3111A', "Boite de Vitesses Pre-Selective Talbot", and the rear axle is stamped '3605 12043'. The engine number appears to have been ground off but the unit is a Talbot Lago six. The aluminium replica body is in the style of a T150 SS, it is bare but complete and done to a very high standard. A detached camshaft is included in the sale. There are no documents with this lot.