Description
For sale in our forthcoming auction 'Retromobile the Official Sale', on 2 February 2024 :
Belgian title
Chassis n° 111010
Engine no. 211
- Rare and exclusive model
- Very fine original condition, original engine
- In the same hands for almost 50 years
- Delivered new in Belgium by Marcel Oblin coachbuilders
According to the factory production sheet, this Talbot Lago Grand Sport was ordered new by Brussels-based coachbuilder Marcel Oblin, to whom it was delivered on August 6, 1954. The sheet also specifies that it was equipped with a heating-defrost system and aluminum Syntoflor wheels. It was black with "beige 64" leather interior.
Later, in the 1960s, it was owned by a major Antwerp collector, Mr. Jan Verswyver, who also owned a Talbot Grand Sport Saoutchik, a Bentley 4. 25-liter and a Minerva 40 CV. It was then light blue, as period photos testify, and in the 1980s underwent a restoration during which it received an elegant red paint job, the original interior fortunately being preserved as it was in fine condition. This Talbot GSL later took part in various concours d'élégance, most notably the Bagatelle Concours sponsored by Louis Vuitton. According to its former owner, the car had covered some 85, 000 km since new, which is consistent with the 94, 932 the odometer reads today.
In 2019, this rare Talbot was purchased by an Antwerp coachbuilder with a passion for pre-war cars, who worked on Mr. Verswyver's cars and had therefore noticed the attractive coupe. Once the purchase was made, he entrusted the car to the great Flemish specialist LMB, where the following work was carried out: rebuilding the Wilson gearbox, cleaning and rebuilding the carburetors, overhauling the brakes and rebuilding the chromes, for a total of over €20, 000. The number 211 engine is the original one.
These interventions have made the car usable again, and it has since covered several hundred kilometers. The accompanying file contains letters, photos, documentation and invoices for recent work.
With its well-preserved exterior paintwork and original interior that testifies to the luxury of this car's craftsmanship, with its fine leather seats, full dashboard and large four-spoke steel steering wheel, this noble machine is one of the rare survivors of one of the last representatives of the Talbot marque, a magnificent swan song from a manufacturer whose sporting record is rich with victories in the greatest races of the era, including the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Designed by Carlo Delaisse and unveiled at the 1953 Paris Motor Show, the Lago Grand Sport was equipped with the T26's 4. 5-liter 6-cylinder engine, but here with three carburetors, whose 210 hp made it one of the most powerful engines on the market. Equipped with aluminum doors and hoods, it was still produced in a very artisanal way, which had repercussions on its price: it was sold for 2, 775, 000 francs, while a 4CV Renault cost 479, 000 francs. This exclusivity explains its rarity, with total production estimated at 22 examples.
The car we're presenting therefore represents a rare opportunity to acquire this superb, classic and rare model, emblematic of the era of the great French marques.
