Talbot-Lago Classic Cars for Sale

The French automobile company Talbot-Lago was founded in 1935 but had its origins some years earlier. Talbot-Lago cars were built at Suresnes, to the west of central Paris. The company produced both road and racing cars during its lifetime, though never achieved great sales success.

The birth of Talbot-Lago

The Talbot brand in its modern form dates to 1922, but the collapse of its alliance with Sunbeam in 1935 resulted in Antonio Lago taking over the company and starting to use the Talbot-Lago brand in most markets. The first new Talbot-Lago models, including the Type T4 "Minor", followed in 1936 and 1937. Talbot-Lago sportscars were also produced, ranging from the relatively small and compact Baby to the triple-carburettor Lago-SS. Many buyers of the larger model opted for the strikingly aerodynamic Figoni et Falaschi bodywork. Lago's engineering skills allowed him to design a powerful six-cylinder, four-litre engine which was used in many successful Talbot-Lago cars.

Talbot-Lago's post-war struggles

Talbot-Lago's most impressive cars date from after World War Two, despite the company itself running into financial difficulties. The Talbot-Lago factory on the outskirts of Paris began production of a double-camshaft engine in 1946; variants of this were used in the Record and Grand Sport models, the latter of which claimed to be the most powerful road car in the world in its 195-horsepower guise. The decision was taken to market Talbot-Lagos as grand touring cars, with luxury considered equally as important as speed. This put the range up against the likes of Delage and Delahaye, although Talbot-Lago outlasted both. However, through the 1950s funds became increasingly hard to come by, and by 1959 production had ceased altogether.

Talbot-Lago in motorsport

As powerful and well-engineered cars, Talbot-Lagos were often raced, despite being built only in right-hand drive until the late 1950s. The brands most prestigious success was the 1-2 it achieved in the 1950 Le Mans 24 hours. The Talbot-Lago team competed in the 1950 Formula One World Championship, with Louis Rosier managing two third places. Several independents drove Talbot-Lagos in F1 in 1950 and 1951, although none of these achieved any great degree of success. A Grand Sport was entered by a rich owner in the 1953 Liège-Rome-Liège Rally, but retired.