The 1954 Talbot-Lago T26 Grand Sport was one of the greatest post-war grand touring cars of the world, and the vehicle is extremely rare, making it almost forgotten.
The T26 Grand Sports version of the Talbot-Lago was the on-road model of the company's T6 series and was the successor of the T16 model. The T26 Grand Sports is a rare beauty because in its first production year, 1948, only 12 T26 were produced, and till 1955, the total production count reached only 20 before the company went bankrupt. The Grand Sport, essentially a Grand Prix chassis with a detuned engine, was the ultimate road-going incarnation of Lago's vision. With just eight confirmed survivors of the 20 made, it remains one of France's best post-war automobiles.
Debuted in 1948, the T26 Grand Sports received a design overhaul in 1953 and was displayed in public at the Paris Salon with the name T26 Grand Sports Lounge (GSL). The T26 GSL was an exquisite automobile but could not be marketed, and the model was rather short-lived. Of the original 19 to 21 T26s made, only 11 to 13 remain to date. The surviving T26 GSLs were the last cars packing the original big T26 engine. In the French luxury vehicle production, the exit of Talbot signified the end of an era.
The T26 Grand Sports was available in two trims - the Lounge and Coupe. This French beauty was admired for its stunningly stylish look, incredible power, and speed, and here's a glance at this almost-forgotten ride.
The T26's Amazing Design And Customizing Options
The design of the T26 Grand Sports was one of its specialties because the company offered complete liberty to its customers to customize and build it as per their taste. However, Talbot created its bodies with rare exceptions. The company's regulations too were changed when it came to the Grand Sport. The T26 was also exclusively available as chassis, and clients could choose to get their unique bodywork done from workshops of their choice. Needless to say that due to the customized build, each T26 grand sport was different from the other.
The vehicle was smaller than the regular Talbot-Lago models of that time. Initially, the chassis for T26 Grand Sport was inherited from the then-current T16 model, but the director Anthony Lago wanted a smaller body design. Hence, Talbot engineers trimmed the 123 inches chassis length of T16 to 104 inches chassis for the coupe. Dubbed as the 'Extra Small Chassis', the car's chassis received an increment of 110 cms when the T26 Lounge was launched in 1953.
Inspired from the Talbot-Lago T26C racing car, the T26 road-legal Grand Sports sported an excellent mix of body and engine that made it a graceful sports car of the post-war era. All T26s were built with a body-on-frame design. However, the upgraded Lounge version of the car was way ahead of its coupe sibling. Unlike the coupe, the Lounge version was fitted with a fully independent coil spring front suspension and the leaf-spring live axle damping on the rear.
The Powerful Talbot-Lago Engine
Known for its speed, the T26 Grand Sports was equipped with a remarkable 4.5-liter Record inline-six engine that produced 190 or 195 HP. The engine could produce such enormous power owing to a few exceptional features like the triple carburetors and a hole-out camshaft. The top speed of this beauty was about 77 mph, which could be altered depending on the body that the owner installed. The T26 was one of the most powerful production vehicles of its time and was well-suited for racing as well as luxury touring.
The successive T26s were driven by a DOHC Cam six-cylinder engine that generated over 200 HP with three carburetors. A Wilson Preselector four-speed gearbox, four-wheel drum brakes, and a live axle with the rear suspension of semi-elliptical leaf springs became standard. These arrangements enhanced the performance and comfort of the T26 Grand Sport even further.
The Car's Classy And Stylish Interior
Since the buyers could also opt to buy just the chassis from the company, each T26 Grand Sports' body was unique. Although some features were standard on the dashboard, like the drivers' console was featured with a four-spoke rack and pinion steering wheel, and the gear shifter was mounted on the steering column.
The clean dashboard was featured with large dials and a generously spacious glove box on the left. Though the leather upholstery and chrome finishing came as standard, various other fitting options could also be used in customization, as is evident from the cars that still remain today.
What made the T26 special were its extreme customizability, incredible speed, and smart design on a lightweight frame. Despite having some incredible specifications, the car struggled to find its market due to France's dwindling economic situation after the war. In addition, the post-war taxation policy of the French Government drastically dejected the sale of personal vehicles. As a result, the French automaker had to file bankruptcy, and Talbot-Lago was sold to Simca in 1959, which marked the end of the T26 Grand Sports' glorious stint in the industry. However, the car still astonishes gearheads as a rare French classic and was auctioned at a price of $3.685 million in 2005.