What do you see here?

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While most sane people will see a pile of scrap in lot number 18 on Brightwells’ timed auction list - bound to sell on December 10th – we here at PreWarCar can see something slightly more romantic in it. A Talbot-Lago rolling chassis with boxes of assorted parts is, after all, always something distinct. Even if it may look like a hulk of rust.

A Talbot-Lago rolling chassis

This one is a T23 of 1938 in bits on which somebody started work, but didn’t find the time / ambition / expertise / drive / money to finish it. Remarkably, perhaps, it is offered as a Talbot-Lago T150C SS Replica. From the seller’s words: “Given that your average Talbot-Lago T150C retails for around £1.5m these days, this exciting project looks like a very worthwhile venture for someone with ambition and imagination.” 

Right so. So what makes this one a T150C SS replica rather than a T23? Well, the chassis has been modified to the right wheelbase of the racer, the right engine mounting brackets are there as well as new aluminium backplates, while an original body frame was copied and placed on the chassis. An ENV Pre-selector is included also, which certainly is a big plus. The engine is the original T23’s 3-litre with the head is off for inspection and looks rather corroded. There’s no mention of the ultra-rare hemispherical cylinder head, though, which the real T150C SS used.

One more thing which we believe needs mentioning here is that this project car comes with the remains of its former French documentation – a ‘carte grise’ from 1988 and a registration document from 1955 showing its (a?) previous registration number ‘5565 AQ 13’. That’s a Provence number. Are we the only one who now really become eager to see what it looked like at that time..?

Words by Jeroen Booij. Pictures courtesy of Brightwells.

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