- SWB Grand Sport Chassis (2650 mm) with factory-fitted chassis modifications Grand Prix Motor (260 bhp @ 5500 rpm) Most powerful road registered automobile in 1949 Chantilly Concours d'Elegance - Best of Show in 2024
One of only three Talbot-Lago T26 Grand Sports clothed by Antem, this exceptional car represents the pinnacle of post-war French high-performance engineering. These
4.5-liter straight-six-powered exotics were the ultimate high-performance Grand Routiers of their era – cars capable of serving a Grand Prix team and, at the same time, of winning at Le Mans.
This particular Grand Sport was commissioned by Michel-Paul Cavalier, the French steel magnate and a member of the Talbot-Lago board, who would later hold a similar position at Ferrari. Given its first owner’s deep involvement at the highest levels of international motorsport, it comes as no surprise that this Grand Sport was specified far beyond standard road-car configuration.
Just two Grand Sport road cars were built with a twin-spark, twelve-plug cylinder head and an all-aluminum engine block, directly derived from Talbot’s Grand Prix
cars – and this is one of them. The engine is capable of producing approximately 250 to 260 horsepower, some 60 to 70 horsepower more than a standard T26 Grand Sport, making it the most powerful of all Talbot-Lago road cars.
Further competition-derived equipment included a dry-sump lubrication system, high-compression pistons, a special exhaust, a large oil cooler, and a Grand Prix braking system, underlining the car’s close relationship to Talbot’s racing program.
The rolling chassis was clothed with an elegant coupé body by Antem, its refined design clearly inspired by the contemporary Italian berlinettas, resulting in a rare combination of French engineering excellence and Italianate elegance.
