French automotive manufacturer Talbot-Lago planned to reveal the T26 Record at the Paris Salon in October 1946. The capital city was selected as a launch location to catch the eye of bourgeois Parisian clientele, the intended target market for the sumptuously appointed car. The new model was available in numerous body styles including a handsome coupé, stylish cabriolet, or as a more practical four-door saloon. Also offered as a rolling chassis, those seeking something even more special could have their new car bodied outside the factory.
Beneath the T26’s chosen coachwork lay an all-new chassis and drivetrain. Fully independent coil-sprung front suspension ensured superior handling, while the trademark pre-selector Wilson gearbox was easier to use than the long-throw and slow-shifting ‘boxes that characterised other cars of the era. A 4.5-litre six-cylinder twin-cam engine developed by Anthony Lago and Carlo Marchetti gave 170 horsepower, making the T26 Record one of the most powerful cars in the world when new. It was a grande routière in the classic sense.
Story by RM Sotheby’s
