1949 Talbot

This 1949 Talbot-Lago T26 Record is a two-door cabriolet featuring coachwork by Dubos Frères based on a Talbot factory design and was first sold on August 31, 1949 in Switzerland, where it stayed with its next four owners. Subsequent time was spent in the Netherlands and Germany before the car was brought to France in 2010, where it was acquired by its current owner in January 2015. The coach-built body is finished in pale green over a brown leather interior with a brown soft top, and power is provided by a numbers-matching 4.5-liter inline-six paired with a four-speed Wilson pre-selector gearbox. A cylinder head overhaul was performed in March 2017. This T26 Record is offered on dealer consignment with a Club Talbot Factory Information Sheet, ownership history, and French collector car registration. The Record was launched in 1946 as Talbot’s first post-war offering, with the T26 designation referring to its fiscal horsepower of 26 CV. The model was available with a choice of factory-built body styles or coachwork from a selection of France’s top carrosseries. Example number 100433 was ordered with coachwork from Dubos Frères of Puteaux, France, based on the Talbot factory two-door cabriolet design, and the body is believed to have undergone a color change from Crème Albatros to its current pale green in the late 1950s. Close-up photos of the finish, brightwork, and lenses are provided in the gallery below. The brown convertible top is shown in both its raised and lowered positions. Chrome 18” wire wheels are equipped with two-eared knock-offs and wear Lester wide whitewall tires. Featuring a 123” wheelbase, the chassis rides on coil-sprung independent front suspension with a live axle and leaf springs out back. Monroe telescopic shock absorbers are listed on the Factory Information Sheet, and hydraulic drum brakes are featured all around. The interior is upholstered in brown leather as listed on the original specifications, with additional trim including tan carpeting with leather bindings, a brown leather top boot, and a wooden dash and door caps. An older four-band radio and equalizer are concealed behind the glovebox door, which houses an OS clock. Jaeger instrumentation includes a 200-km/h speedometer and a tachometer along with gauges for fuel level, amperage, oil pressure, and coolant temperature. The five-digit odometer shows 36k kilometers (~22k miles), approximately 3k of which have been added by the current owner. The four-spoke steering wheel is situated on the right-hand side, and a lever on the column allows pre-selection of gears which are engaged using a floor-mounted pedal. The twin-carbureted 4.5-liter 2AC inline-six features hemispherical combustion chambers with separate block-mounted camshafts actuating overhead intake and exhaust valves. The engine was rated at 170 horsepower when new, giving the car a claimed top speed of 105 mph in period. Engine number 26433 is shown stamped in the block, matching that listed on the Factory Information Sheet. The cylinder head was refurbished in March 2017, and other maintenance has reportedly been handled by the current owner over the last five years. Power is sent to the rear wheels through a four-speed Wilson pre-selector gearbox. Additional underside photos are provided in the gallery. The Club Talbot Fiche de Renseignements Usine lists the original colors, component numbers, and equipment as well as the initial sales date. The car is said to have had a total of nine owners from new, and three photos from early in the car’s life are provided in the gallery below. Videos below feature driving and ride-along footage as well as views of the exterior and interior.