Automobiles Talbot Lago, after the war, the company faced the growth of the automobile industry with mass production. They developed several road models and competition cars, but despite all efforts Talbot-Lago could not make progress. In the early 1950s, with the disappearance of the French luxury brands Bugatti, Delage and Delahaye, Talbot Lago went bankrupt and was acquired by Simca in 1959. But not before, in 1937, it launched one of the most beautiful cars ever built. The 1937 Talbot-Lago 150-C-SS Teardrop Coupe, which will be showcased by Gooding & Company during its auction at the Omni Amelia Island Resort in Florida.
The 1937 Talbot-Lago 150-C-SS, where the “C” stands for Competition, with a Super Sport (or “SS”) chassis for short. This classic car was built with a 4.0-liter inline six-cylinder engine and 140 horsepower. This engine, by the way, has an aluminum hemispherical head, so it's a kind of Hemi. And it has a pre-selected four-speed manual transmission (which allows the driver to “pre-select” the next gear).
It is equipped with independent front suspension and dynamic rear axle with leaf springs, and the brakes are mechanical drums all around. Made with a light, short, low platform, which was just right for such a streamlined body.
From 1937 to 1939, it is thought that only between 10 and 12 units were built in two variations: the “Goutte d'Eau”, or “Teardrop”, and the Jencart, either of them being the most beautiful, by far, designed and manufactured by Figoni et Falaschi.
The Modèle New York bodywork, presented at the 1937 New York Auto Show, is the most elegant version of the Teardrop concept, elevating its beauty with fully enclosed, contoured front fenders. This particular one up for auction with chassis #90107 is the only original bodywork of this design. Its configuration exemplifies modern, streamlined styling and can be considered the defining expression of automotive art.
Competitions are nothing new for this car, in 1938 it won the Prix d'Excellence at the Concours d'Elegance Fémina in Paris. In 2005 he was awarded Best in Class at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, and his last award was in 2007 Best of Show at the Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance.
Shown for sale to the public for the first time since 1950, this beautiful car is currently up for auction with an estimated value of over $10 million.
