1936 Talbot-Lago T150C

Offered by Artcurial | Paris, France | February 8, 2013

This Grand Prix car was built by Talbot-Lago to compete in the ACF Grand Prix and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Only four were built for 1936 (and two in 1937). This car was first used by a privateer for a single race before being sold back to Talbot-Lago, who sold it to a more well-known driver: Luigi Chinetti.

It competed regularly until 1950 (14 years!) under the ownership if Chinetti, Pierre Levegh, and Louis Rosier. It was rebodied in 1947 .It was sold a few more times and restored in the U.K. in 1983, when the current “replica” Grand Prix body was rebuilt. It was restored again around 2000. It was active in historic motorsports in the 1980s and early-1990s.

The sporting history of this car is long, varied and complete. Here is a very brief version of this car’s competition history (including its first and last race and every appearance at Le Mans):

• 1936 ACF Grand Prix (Montlhéry) – 31st, DNF (with Francique Cadot & Henry Stoffel)
• 1937 24 Hours of Le Mans – 48th/last, DNF (with Luigi Chinetti & Louis Chiron)
• 1938 24 Hours of Le Mans – 18th, DNF (with Pierre Levegh & Jean Trévoux)
• 1938 24 Hours of Spa – 18th, DNF (with Levegh & Trévoux)
• 1939 Grand Prix d’Anvers – 4th (with Levegh)
• 1939 Grand Prix of Luxembourg – 3rd (with Levegh)
• 1939 24 Hours of Le Mans – 28th, DNF (with Levegh & René Le Begue)
• 1946 Nantes Grand Prix – 2nd (with Levegh)
• 1947 Grand Prix de la Marne (Reims) – 5th (with Jose Scaron & Edmund Mouche)
• 1948 Grand Prix di Pescara – 3rd (with Louis Rosier)
• 1949 24 Hours of Le Mans – 44th, DNF (with Louis & Jean-Louis Rosier)
• 1949 Grand Prix du Salon (Montlhéry) – 2nd (with Jean Estager)
• 1950 Grand Prix de Rouen – 8th (with Estager)

The engine is a 4.0-liter straight-six making 170 horsepower. Top speed is about 130 mph.   It’s a Grand Prix car, so the performance is there. It should be eligible for just about every kind of historic racing event. Only six T150C GP cars were built and this one has a complete history. It should sell for between $1,600,000-$2,100,000. Click here for the complete racing history, historical photographs and more. And here for the rest of Artcurial’s auction lineup at Rètromobile.

Update: Sold $1,861,738.