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19th November 2015 5:00pm EST
Rare Coachbuilt European Sports Cabriolet
With its 4,482cc six-cylinder twin-cam engine putting out 170 hp, the Talbot-Lago T26 Record was one of the most powerful passenger car chassis in the world in the early postwar period. Conceived by the legendary Anthony Lago, the T26 Record was intended as a sporting luxury car for the discerning few who were able to appreciate the dual-purpose nature of its beautifully engineered chassis, while being able to pay the extravagant price that was required. Impeccable road manners, a great engine, powerful drum brakes, independent front suspension and the precise Wilson pre-selector gearbox all added up to a car for the true connoisseur. Only a few chassis out of the limited production went to outside coachbuilders. With its elegant and understated lines, this lovely Graber cabriolet is one of these very rare and desirable cars.
- 1948August 5: Chassis delivered by Talbot-Lago
- 1948First owner, Etablissements Schlottenberg, Switzerland
- 1949Believed to have been shown on the Graber stand at the 1949 Geneva Salon
- 1953Ernst Buchert, Basel Switzerland
- 1997Daniel Chourre, Montaigut, Haut Garonne, France
- 2008Purchased at auction by previous undisclosed owner
- 2013Brokered by French classic car dealer Bruno Vendiesse at Retromobile in Paris
- 2013Purchased by current owner.
Chassis number 100351 was delivered new to the Etablissements Schlottenberg, the Talbot-Lago concessionary for Switzerland. Schlottenberg commissioned Hermann Graber to body the chassis with a two-door four-passenger cabriolet body, typical of the elegant and svelte pontoon style with integrated fenders that he had developed after the war. Upon completion, the car was photographed in front of the Graber family villa and is believed to have been subsequently shown on the Graber stand at the 1949 Geneva Salon. It was first registered to a Mr. Ernst Buchert of Basel, Switzerland, who took delivery in 1953 and kept 100351 for an astonishing 44 years until 1997. That year it passed to its second owner, a Mr. Daniel Chourre in the Haut-Garonne of France. The current owner purchased the car at the Retromobile show in Paris in 2013.
From 1942 and during the remaining war years, Anthony Lago and his chief engineer Carlo Marchetti secretly completed the final development of the pre-war Talbot-Lago big six – both as a racing engine and an engine, which would power some of the last French sporting road cars known as grand routiéres. Presented in June 1946 as the powerplant for the coming T26 Lago Record, it would remain essentially unchanged until the end of six-cylinder production in 1954. The new engine featured twin cams in the block, hemispherical combustion chambers and large valves for good breathing and an abundance of torque and power.
This magnificent engine was put into the newly developed Record chassis, derived from the pre-war T23 Lago Spécial, extended from 2.95 meters to 3.12 and fitted with a new coil sprung independent front suspension. In October 1946, the completed T26 Record was shown at the Paris Salon and made available in four factory bodystyles. It was a grand routiére in the classic manner and looked the part with its conservative, elegantly proportioned bodies and long, long hood in the 1939 style. In the pre-war idiom, the Record chassis was made available to the trade, but most chassis were delivered with factory bodies.
Hermann Graber was the best known of all the Swiss coachbuilders, and in the 1930s, he became world famous for his beautiful convertible and coupé body designs as well as for his near-perfect craftsmanship. In true Swiss fashion, he developed an exquisite and unique style, which while sober and chic, was never as flamboyant as some of his French contemporaries. In Graber designs, stylistic influences from elsewhere were always seamlessly integrated, blended with his own style and reworked to create a new, unique and tasteful expression. By the mid-1930s, very high-class chassis were routinely being custom-bodied: Bugatti, Alfa 8C, Delage, Packard, Cadillac and the like. No less than three Duesenbergs passed through the Graber shops.
After the War, the Carrosserie Graber was one of the more prolific builders on Talbot chassis. About six T26 Records were bodied by him as cabriolets, of which 100351 is one. Hermann Graber was a personal friend of Anthony Lago and this may account for the number of Talbot chassis he received. As always, Graber’s forte was his exquisite sense of proportion, and for his Record cabriolet design he balanced the volumes on the T26 Record chassis to create a harmonious and exquisite whole which is remarkable for such a large car. At the 1949 Geneva Salon, Graber presented a pontoon-bodied Rover 75 on his stand, flanked by a Delahaye 135 and a T26 Lago Record, which is believed to be 100351. The tasteful beauty of this mating of Swiss artistry with a bespoke French chassis was well received, and Graber would stick to variations of this iconic style to the end.
100351 is described as being in generally good condition and comes with a copy of the Talbot chassis card confirming that it is to completely original specification. Importantly, chassis 100351 also retains its original body, engine and mechanicals, including axles and gearbox, so that a high level of originality and authenticity is assured. During the 2000s, an engine rebuild was performed. At the same time, the Wilson pre-selector gearbox was recommissioned and the brakes were attended to.
It is believed that the paint on the dashboard is original, while the paint on the body has been renewed in the original matching color. The upholstery is the original leather, where the color has been refreshed. The dash is fitted with original O.S. instruments, where the dials were color coded in green to match the interior. The convertible top is thought to retain its original fabric.
- Engine rebuild performed during the 2000s
- Gearbox recommissioned
- Brakes recommissioned
- Resprayed in original color
- Original instruments and original interior with refreshed color
- Top believed to be original
A mere 459 T26 Record chassis were constructed by Talbot Lago from 1948 to 1954, making the big six-cylinder Talbot a rare automobile, irrespective of bodystyle. The T26 chassis was available for the trade, but since Talbot-Lago, unlike Delahaye, maintained its own in-house coachbuilding facility, the vast majority of the chassis were fitted with open or closed factory bodystyles. The few chassis that went to outside coachbuilders were bodied by the very best carrossiers of the day such as Saoutchik and Figoni et Falaschi in France, and Worblaufen and Graber in Switzerland.
Due to its great rarity, the T26 Record Graber cabriolet does not come to market often. There is a bourgeoning interest in the great French marques. At the same time, there is an increasing focus on cars which are seldom seen. Astute collectors are seeking unique and special automobiles with which to enhance their collections, as these cars will be less affected by the vagaries of the market which may affect common models. Even more, there is now extreme focus on originality and authenticity: that a car is unquestionably genuine and that it retains is original body, chassis, mechanical components and interior.
Talbot-Lago T26 Record chassis 100351 fulfills all of the above and will be welcomed at a number of the most prestigious concours and historic competition events around the world.