A 1936 Talbot Lago T150 with a race heritage as long as your arm is estimated to make €1.2-1.6million at Artcurial’s 8 February sale in Paris.
The T150 was the brainchild of Anthony Lago, who bought the company in 1934.
Lago was keen to enter Grand Prix racing both for the publicity it would bring and to test the durability of his products. He also planned to take advantage of new Automobile Club de France rules that were introduced in 1935.
The regulations set out numerous requirements aimed at reining in the state-sponsored German teams, including the dimensions of a car’s wheelbase, exterior, chassis and engine.
Lago’s designer, Walter Becchia, was set the task of building a racer to fit these exacting requirements perfectly, the T150 was the result and four examples were produced by 1936.
Funding was tight and the decision was made to sell a pair, one of which was acquired by Pierre Louis-Dreyfus while the other, this example, was bought by Francique Cadot and entered into the 1936 ACF Grand Prix. Although Cadot soon gave up his racing ambitions and sold his Talbot, this opening race would mark the start of its competitive career.
Highlights included several appearances on the Mille Miglia and at Le Mans, while its most successful year came in 1945 when the car took second place at the Belgian and Nantes GPs, plus the Grand Prix des Trois Villes du Nord. The machine would retire from competition in 1950.
