1935 Talbot 105 Special

• Handsome special in 'Team Car' style
• Second oldest known Talbot 105 engine
• Present ownership since 2000
• Restored in 2004
• Little used since completion

The most successful division of the Anglo-French Sunbeam-Talbot-Darracq combine, Talbot might well have escaped takeover by Rootes in 1935 had it not been shackled to its weaker partners. The company's then healthy position had been achieved by a succession of well-engineered products penned by its designer, Swiss-born Georges Roesch, whose obsession with the pursuit of high performance through increased engine revolutions led to some of the most memorable cars of the 1930s. Talbot's Chief Engineer from 1916, Roesch rescued the company from the brink of failure with the launch of the seminal 14/45. Introduced in 1926 as the basis of a one-model policy, the 1.7-litre 14/45 offered roomy, comfortable transport at a competitive price and, like all Roesch's Talbot creations, was powered by a smooth and flexible six-cylinder overhead-valve engine endowed with a remarkably high output for its size.
Abandoning the one-model programme, Roesch developed the 14/45 to produce the 75 and 90 models, both powered by 2.3-litre versions of the overhead-valve 'six', the latter model setting Talbot on the path towards renewed sporting success. 1931 saw the arrival of the 3.0-litre 105 powered by a new 'six' featuring staggered valves, a Roesch stratagem allowing for improved breathing. There was more technical innovation for 1933 in the form of Luvax adjustable dampers and the Roesch-designed, Wilson pre-selector gearbox, the latter augmented for 1935 by Talbot's famous automatic 'traffic clutch' which permitted sequential upward gear changes. Also new for '35 were a dropped chassis frame and a 3.4-litre model: the 110. One of the great makes of the 1930s, Talbot was axed by new masters Rootes in 1937.

This 'Team Car'-style Talbot 105 special was previously owned by Messrs TJ Mackridge, M Kugper (in 1977) and Dr HJP Mills (in 1978). The next owner is not known but is believed to have been a timber merchant living in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. The exact date of purchase is unknown but his intention was to rebuild the Talbot in 'Team Car' style. It lay under timber and sawdust for many years and was abandoned after the owner did a 'moonlight flit' having not paid rent on the shed. The car was discovered by farmer who owned the shed, and in due course was purchased from him by the current owner.

In 1999 an article was published in Classic & Sports Car's 'Lost and Found' column entitled 'Abandoned Talbot went through mill': "A Talbot AV105 special covered with years of sawdust has been unearthed from a woodyard in Moray, Scotland. The team car lookalike has been standing for at least 10 years since it was reportedly driven into storage. The owner has left the country and storage is unpaid, so the right of ownership is unclear. The model is thought to be a modified 1935 long chassis (120ins dropped frame) which accounts for the wide scuttle and deep flat sides to the replica body. The details are well considered such as the AV instruments, the 19"wheels and correct lamp supports."

The current owner purchased the Talbot in March 2000 and rebuilt it over a four-year period. It was originally a saloon, the 'Brooklands' body having been fitted by a Dick Brockman, probably during Dr Mills' ownership. The original engine was number '189' but 'AV14' (dating from 1932) is fitted currently. Believed to be the second oldest Talbot 105 engine known of. The engine now has an 8.75:1 compression ratio and Phoenix con-rods, while the final drive ratio has been altered to suit modern-day driving conditions. An extensive photographic record of the rebuild is on file.

The owner's pleasure was very much in the rebuilding and restoration of the Talbot, and since the car's completion in 2004 it has seen very little use. The vendor advises us that the car both performs and handles very well, and with its 3.0-litre engine and pre-selector gearbox is very sporty and exciting to drive. Presented in beautiful condition, 'UMD 232' wants only for an enthusiastic new owner keen to enjoy it on rallies, tours, hill climbs, races, etc.