1948 Talbot-Lago T26 Record Sport Coupé de Ville by Saoutchik
- Engine
- 4.5L twin-cam inline-six with aluminum head and three Zenith-Stromberg carburetors, ~190 bhp
Chassis 100238 is a Talbot-Lago T26 Record Sport, one of roughly 35 examples factory-fitted with the high-performance Grand Sport engine producing 190 horsepower. Bodied by the celebrated Parisian coachbuilder Saoutchik as a unique two-door coupé de ville, the car debuted at the October 1950 Paris Salon where it won Le Grand Prix du Salon and attracted the attention of French President Vincent Auriol. After decades in American hands, it passed to a European collector in 2013 and underwent a thorough concours-level restoration in 2014.
Ownership
- —Auction saleEstimate US$600,000 – US$700,000
- 1948-10-22 → 1951-11-02Factory deliveryCarrosserie de Luxe J. Saoutchikfull documentation
Chassis delivered to Saoutchik for bespoke coachwork construction. Completed car displayed at the 1950 Paris Salon before sale.
- 1951-11-02 →Private saleMadame Yvonne Bozdogan-Brawandfull documentation
Swiss-based owner who purchased the car directly from Saoutchik.
- → 1989Acquisition unknownJames Karupkapartial documentation
Listed in a 1976 Talbot-Lago registry as residing in Catonsville, Maryland; kept the car for roughly twelve years after that listing.
- 1989 → 1989Private saleStephen Cortinovispartial documentation
Missouri-based enthusiast who visited Karupka and purchased the car but decided against undertaking a restoration himself.
- 1989 →Private saleRichard Stramanpartial documentation
California-based Ferrari restorer who acquired the car mid-1989 from Cortinovis; sold it at some point during the 1990s without carrying out work on it.
- → 2013Private saleUnidentified owner from the 1990snone documentation
Acquired from Straman during the 1990s and left the car in its unrestored state until the 2013 sale.
- 2013 →Private saleEuropean collectorpartial documentation
Acquired discreetly via dealer Toby Ross of Ross Classics; commissioned a full concours-level restoration in 2014.
Competition
- 1950-10-051950 Paris SalonGrand Prix du Salon (Best of Show equivalent)
Car was the centerpiece of the Saoutchik display and attracted personal attention from French President Vincent Auriol on opening day.
- 1951Concours at the Grande Cascade, Bois de Boulogne
Period photographs record the car's appearance at this summer concours event.
Maintenance & restoration
- 2014Restoration
Full concours-level restoration covering disassembly of all mechanical components, engine and gearbox rebuilds, fabrication of replacement parts to exacting tolerances where originals were beyond saving, bare metal bodywork with selective retention of original timber framing and metal panels, and period-correct re-upholstery.
The project required thousands of hours of labour and the finished result has been consistently maintained at concours standard since completion.
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