Talbot-Lago

Automobiles Talbot S.A. was a French automobile manufacturer based in Suresnes, Hauts de Seine, outside Paris.

The Suresnes factory had been built by Alexandre Darracq for his pioneering car manufacturing business begun in 1896 which he named A. Darracq & Cie. It was very profitable. Alexandre Darracq built racing as well as “pleasure” cars and Darracq rapidly became famous for its motor racing successes. Darracq sold his remaining portion of his business in 1912.

In 1922 new owners renamed his Darracq business Automobiles Talbot. However though its ordinary production cars were named Talbot the new owners continued in competition incorporating the famous racing Darracq name in Talbot-Darracq for their competition cars.

Because there was also a British Talbot car when French products were sold in Britain they were badged Darracq-Talbot and Talbot Darracq or even simply Darracq.

In 1932 after the onset of the Great Depression an Italo-British businessman, Antonio Lago, was appointed managing director in the hope that he might revive Automobiles Talbot’s business. Lago began this process but the owners were unable to stave off receivership beyond the end of 1934. Fortunately the receiver did not immediately close Automobiles Talbot and in 1936 Antonio Lago managed to complete a management buy-out from the receiver.

For 1935, the existing range continued in production but from 1936 these were steadily replaced with cars designed by Walter Becchia, featuring transverse leaf sprung independent suspension. These included the 4-cylinder 2323 cc (13CV) Talbot Type T4 "Minor", a surprise introduction at the 1937 Paris Motor Show, and the 6-cylinder 2,696 cc (15CV) Talbot "Cadette-15", along with and the 6-cylinder 2,996 cc or 3,996 cc (17 or 23CV) Talbot "Major" and its long-wheelbase version, the Talbot "Master": these were classified as Touring cars (voitures de tourisme).

There was also in the second half of the 1930s a range of Sporting cars (voitures de sport) which started with the Talbot "Baby-15", mechanically the same as the "Cadette-15" but using a shorter slightly lighter chassis. The Sporting Cars range centred on the 6-cylinder 2,996 cc or 3,996 cc (17 or 23CV) Talbot "Baby" and also included the 3,996 cc (23CV) 23 and sporting Lago-Spéciale and Lago-SS models, respectively with two and three carburettors, and corresponding increases in power and performance. The most frequently specified body for the Lago-SS was built by Figoni et Falaschi and featured a particularly eye-catching aerodynamic form.

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