A stunning Talbot-Lago was crowned Best of Show at this year’s Salon Privé concours – though it had to fight for the limelight with a bevy of beautiful Bentleys.
The four-day event on 5-8 September in the grounds of Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire, featured a multitude of superb vehicles both in its main concours and across the various dealer and marque displays.
The concours itself showcased 55 cars across 16 classes, while other highlights included a dedicated Bentley concours and the unveiling of several new supercars and concepts.
Robert Kudela’s 1948 Talbot-Lago T26 Grand Sport was certainly a worthy winner of the top honour.
The Figoni-bodied fastback coupé was originally built for Monsieur Fayolle, better known as the ‘Zipper King’, who ordered its unique bonnet detail of horizontal chrome strips to highlight his success in the fastener business.
The car was shown at the 1948 Paris Salon, but Fayolle only kept his unique Talbot for a year and in the late ’50s it ended up in America, where it was crashed by a mechanic and a lamp-post wrecked its distinctive nose.
