 French car maker
Talbot-Lago produced some of the finest sports cars in the late 1930s.
The most notable of which was the T150C SS, whose name denotes
Competition and Super Sport. Its light aluminum bodywork by
coachbuilder Figoni & Falaschi reflected the peak of the Art Deco
design era. A teardrop shape and graceful curves resembled an aircraft,
while grilles, lights and bumper beams were designed to appear both
elegant and aerodynamic. In terms of aesthetic, it was even more
desirable than Bugatti Type
57SC Atlantic and Delahaye
135. If we had to name the most beautiful pre-war design, this one
could be the favourite.
 Underneath the sheet aluminum clothes was a ladder frame suspended by double-wishbones up front and live axle at the rear. It employed a 4-liter ohv straight-six with hemispherical combustion chambers to produce a respectable 140 horsepower – although no match with Bugatti's supercharged straight-eight – and allowed 115 mph flat out on highway. The 4-speed gearbox had an unusual mechanism to allow the driver to pre-select the next gear before pushing the clutch. Just like most Talbot-Lago sports cars, it was available in racing form to satisfy the demand of gentleman racers. However, compared with its beauty, neither its performance nor its racing history was so outstanding. As only 17 cars were built, each costs at least multi-million dollars today. |