Limited serie of 110 pieces only

Talbot-Lago T26 Grand Sport Cabriolet by Saoutchik — 1950

Talbot-Lago T26 Grand Sport — Saoutchik's final flourish

After the Second World War, France's great coachbuilders attempted to revive the refinement and extravagance that had made them famous before the war. The Talbot-Lago T26 Grand Sport was one of the last automobiles to provide these coachbuilders with a chassis worthy of their ambitions.

Developed during the war by Anthony Lago, the T26 Grand Sport was directly descended from Talbot's racing cars. Its short chassis and 4.5-litre twin-cam six-cylinder engine produced approximately 190 hp. Combined with the Wilson pre-selector gearbox, these features made it a genuine sports car while providing an exceptional foundation for the great coachbuilders.

Among them, Jacques Saoutchik and his son Pierre created some of the most spectacular coachwork of the post-war period.

Chassis 110120 received a particularly flamboyant Grand Sport Cabriolet body. The volumes are generous, the fenders heavily sculpted and the use of brightwork particularly abundant. Saoutchik emphasised the curves of the body with broad chrome ornaments that further accentuate its width and sense of movement.

Yet the design remains remarkably coherent. The long bonnet, set-back passenger compartment and sweeping fenders give the car a character that is both sporting and exceptionally elegant.

The car was displayed at the Brussels Motor Show in January 1951, where it shared the spotlight with another Saoutchik-bodied Talbot-Lago Grand Sport, coupé 110109. It also appeared at several European events during the early 1950s.

Unlike many coachbuilt automobiles of the period, 110120 survived with its original bodywork. It is now regarded as the only known Saoutchik T26 Grand Sport Cabriolet to have retained its original coachwork.

This gives the car exceptional historical importance. The other Saoutchik Grand Sport cabriolets have either disappeared or lost their original bodies during their subsequent lives. Chassis 110120 therefore provides a direct record of Saoutchik's work in the years immediately following the war.

The car has also retained many of its original characteristics, allowing its proportions and details to be appreciated much as Saoutchik intended them.

It has since appeared at several concours events and gatherings devoted to the great French coachbuilders. Its spectacular silhouette and remarkable originality make it one of the most desirable Talbot-Lagos of this period.

The Chromes 1:43 scale model

The Chro63 and Chro65 models reproduce chassis 110120 and its Grand Sport Cabriolet coachwork by Saoutchik.

Particular attention has been paid to the generous proportions of the body, sculpted fenders, abundant chrome details and the characteristic Grand Sport silhouette.

Through this model, Chromes pays tribute to one of the final great creations by Jacques and Pierre Saoutchik, and to an era when French coachbuilding could still transform a competition-bred automobile into a true work of art.