- 14,656
- The UK
- JASON_ROCKS1998
- JR98 GAMING
A Formula 1 Touring Car
Under the hood of Saoutchik’s elegant Grand Sport coach lies a chassis and engine honed by the sciences of the track—a perfect marriage of beauty and speed. In 1948 Talbot-Lago brought forth its first race-car for the new Formula 1 class: the single-seat Type 26-C. From then on, the touring version of the grand Prix car, the Grand Sport, was tooled with the latest speed and endurance technology used in Talbot-Lago’s Formula 1 cars—a formula known for speed. Talbot-Lago resumed production after World War II and continued building cars with its pre-war strategy of basing production cars on race-cars, a tactic that saved development money and allowed engineer and founder Tony Lago to focus on racing, his passion. The Talbot-Lago Grand Sport was born of this strategy, based on the Type 26 Record from 1946 and upgraded to more closely match the new Type 26-C Grand Prix race-car, which was lighter and had a shorter, 2.65-meter chassis. The 2.65-meter chassis was based on two successful pre–World War II racing HISTORIC PROFILE 3 models: the open Type 150-C-SS and the Figoni & Falaschi Tear-drop Coupé—two different bodies built on the same chassis model. This combination of racing technology gave the Type 26-GS a powerful engine capable of speeds greater than 124 miles per hour—a speed that grabbed the attention of spectators and media alike; in its October 1948 edition, AutoCar described the Type 26-GS as having “the fastest production chassis in the world.” The Type 26-GS was embraced by the leading coach-builders of the day, including Chassis 110101’s coach-builder Jacques Saoutchik, who used it to create stunning examples of his work. It is likely that this chassis was the one displayed at the 1948 Paris Auto Salon and the 1949 Brussels Auto Salon. Attendees at both events admired the Talbot-Lago on display, calling it flamboyant and original.
PROFILE
Coachbuilder: Saoutchik
Chassis Number: 110101
Profile Type: Touring
Body Type: Grand Tourer
Production: 36 Units
BODY & CHASSIS
Brakes: Lockheed Hydraulic
Front Suspension: Independent Transverse Leaf Spring with Upper Control Arms & Tubular Friction Shock Absorbers
Rear Suspension: Live Axle with Semielliptical Leaf Springs & Tubular Friction Shock Absorbers
Length: 15' 10''
Height: 4' 7''
Width: 5' 11''
ENGINE:
Engine Number: 96282
Type: Inline
Cylinders: 6
Construction: Aluminium
Distribution: Double-Overhead Camshaft
Power: 194HP @ 4000RPM
Gearbox: 4-Speed Wilson Pre-Selector
*From the Mullin Automotive MuseumCoachbuilder: Saoutchik
Chassis Number: 110101
Profile Type: Touring
Body Type: Grand Tourer
Production: 36 Units
BODY & CHASSIS
Brakes: Lockheed Hydraulic
Front Suspension: Independent Transverse Leaf Spring with Upper Control Arms & Tubular Friction Shock Absorbers
Rear Suspension: Live Axle with Semielliptical Leaf Springs & Tubular Friction Shock Absorbers
Length: 15' 10''
Height: 4' 7''
Width: 5' 11''
ENGINE:
Engine Number: 96282
Type: Inline
Cylinders: 6
Construction: Aluminium
Distribution: Double-Overhead Camshaft
Power: 194HP @ 4000RPM
Gearbox: 4-Speed Wilson Pre-Selector
