A lifetime's passion for Talbot cars

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If you are in possession of a Talbot motorcar, you have most likely crossed paths with the Polson family. Established in 1978, I.S. Polson is the go-to company for Talbot cars. Many went through the more than capable hands of Ian Polson, and even more owners have received valuable advice from him. Since 2018, the next generation Polson stepped up, and son John joined the company. Besides this, John set up a new business called Polson Motor Company, specializing in the sale of sports, competition and touring cars. We spoke to John about how it all started and the passion that he shares with his family.

When Ian Polson was a young man in Australia, he fell in love with a Talbot that was local to him, and which was faster than the Bentleys around. He loved the performance and quality of the design. When he bought his first Talbot car in the sixties (a 1931 AV 105, which he still owns today) a hobby started which resulted later on in a business, after Ian and his wife Pam came to the UK in 1974, to work for Ford Europe. As they enjoyed the English Summers so much, they stayed and in 1978 started their company to restore classic cars. When they moved to the UK, they took three cars with them, being a competition Delahaye 135CS (chassis 47190, now in the Peter Mullin museum) and 2 Talbots, an Alpine Trial and a 1931 AV105.

It is not only Talbots, that get them up in the morning. When we asked them what they were most proud of, they said the restoration of the Delahaye 135CS and the 1916 Indianapolis Sunbeam (which you can see racing at Goodwood).

When Ian got into the business, there was no money in it. Cars were of little value, unlike today and the company was mostly based on passion. He likes to talk about them, work on them and put them to use. He just wants to see the cars running properly and being enjoyed. Nowadays the passion is still there, although the business and clients have changed.

John was indoctrinated in cars, as one can expect, and now works together with his father in the workshop, along with a team of 10 mechanics. At this moment, their garage is filled with a variety of cars, from various Talbots, of course, to a Delahaye 135 that just participated in the Mille Miglia and is now in for maintenance, as well as a 2 Litre Lagonda, and a 1910 Vauxhall. Their clients are from all over the world and the work is a mixture of maintenance and big restoration projects.

What they hope to do more of in the future, besides restoring original cars to as historically correct a condition as possible, is to recreate cars that no longer exist, rather than build a replica of a car that is still around.

They also do race or rally car preparation and support, and John was fortunate enough to recently race on the Goodwood track with a 1912 Talbot 12 hp that they have for sale at the moment. This is an exact replica of the car that Malcolm Campbell originally raced at Brooklands, and it was restored by them.

2020 has been a challenge for them as well, as John has also been a motor car specialist at Bonhams (for the last 15 years). Many Bonhams auctions are based around events and when these events are not taking place they have to find another way to hold auctions. They were lucky enough to stay open and keep sales up and the work going in their own companies, even having more sales than the year before. They are clearly up to a challenge!

See a selection of their current cars for sale here:

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