Talbot Lago T26 GS Barquette

Chassis 110152 was originally delivered as a Talbot-Lago T26 Grand Sport rolling chassis to French enthusiasts Michel Collange and Robert Huguet, close friends of Talbot works driver Louis Rosier. Intended for use in road rallies, the chassis was initially fitted with a unique fixed-head coupé body by the French coachbuilder Perret. During the 1951 Rallye de la Gentiane, the Perret body was severely damaged by a fire, making its repair impractical. Following the incident, Louis Rosier introduced Collange and Huguet to the Turin-based coachbuilder Carrozzeria Motto, which was commissioned to create a completely new body for the chassis. Motto designed and built an elegant barchetta body in lightweight aluminium, giving the Talbot-Lago a distinctly Italian character while preserving its French mechanical components. The low, flowing lines, integrated front wings and clean rear treatment reflected Motto’s competition-oriented design philosophy of the early 1950s. With its new bodywork, chassis 110152 continued to compete in French road rallies and sporting events. Unlike many contemporary competition cars, it remained in French ownership for several decades before passing to Switzerland in 1998. Since then, the car has had only two Swiss owners. Today, chassis 110152 is recognised as one of the most significant surviving Talbot-Lago specials. Its unusual history—combining French engineering, a lost Perret coupé and a one-off Italian body by Motto—makes it unique within the T26 Grand Sport series. In 2022, following a meticulous restoration, the car was presented at the Chantilly Arts & Élégance Richard Mille, where it received the prestigious Best of Show award, confirming its importance as one of the finest examples of post-war European coachbuilding.