1954 Talbot-Lago T26 GSL.

Also called the Series III or Grand Sport Luxe, the GSL featured a new body by Facel-Métallon. Even though each car was different in detail, this was the first standardized Grand Sport from Talbot.

Ranging from chassis numbers 111001 to 111019 the cars shared its body style with the T14 LS and T14 LA.

In Detail

submitted by	Richard Owen
type	Series Production Car
built at	France
coachbuilder	Facel-Métallon
production	19
engine	Inline-6
position	Front Longitudinal
valvetrain	DOHC
fuel feed	Triple Carburetors
displacement	4482 cc / 273.5 in³
power	141.7 kw / 190 bhp @ 4200 rpm
specific output	42.39 bhp per litre
driven wheels	RWD
front brakes	Hydrualic Drums
rear brakes	Hydrualic Drums
f suspension	Wishbones w/Transverse Leaf Spring
r suspension	Live Axle w/Semi Elliptic Leaf Spring
transmission	Wilson 4-Speed Pre-selector

Auction Sales History

1954 Talbot-Lago T26 GSL 111012 – sold for $385,000
First registered in France on December 12, 1954. Today, chassis number 110112 presents in lovely condition. The engine bay is tidy and neat, as is the underside, which is painted in flat black. The exterior paint is in excellent condition, with only minor swirl marks, and the panel gaps are even throughout. The chrome is very presentable although uneven in some areas. The interior is lightly worn, predominantly on the driver’s seat, and two hairline cracks are visible in the lightweight Perspex of the rear window. In preparation for its offering, 110112 has been professionally detailed and mechanically serviced, though further attention to the front suspension is advised should the new owner choose to tour the car.
Auction Source: RM Sotheby’s Monterey 2015

1954 Talbot-Lago T26 Grand Sport Coupe 111006 – sold for $154,000

Today, it shows well, given the 25-year-old age of the restoration. While the photographs are flattering to the car, it does display a solid body with older paint that shows its age yet presents well on a summer’s day. The interior is original and looks good, but the leather is in need of dressing to soften it. Similarly, the chrome shows its age but is respectable, in keeping with the rest of the car.

Underhood, the engine bay is clean and polished, and the engine, which was fully restored upon acquisition, starts and runs well and sounds as one would expect for a powerplant with Grand Prix pedigree. It is also fitted with the delightful Wilson pre-selector gearbox, a system which allows the driver to shift manually or use the pre-selector function to simplify operations in traffic. The chrome wire wheels and the braking system were also fully rebuilt at the time the balance of the restoration was carried out. More recently, new tires and a new exhaust system have been installed. At the same time, the car has benefited from a servicing, including replacement of fluids, installation of a new battery and fitment of new carpeting of the original type.

Auction Source: 2011 Amelia Island Auction by RM Auctions

1955 Talbot-Lago T26 Grand Sport Coupe 111019 – sold for €168,000
The ultimate road going expression of Lago’s vision was the T26 Grand Sport, essentially the Grand Prix chassis with a detuned engine in two-seat form. Today, it remains one of the greatest post-war grand touring cars from France, with only eight known survivors. An older restoration, this example from the O’Quinn Collection received a number of awards at Pebble Beach, Meadow Brook and Amelia Island. Today, it shows some 50,000 miles, with a straight body, good paint and chrome, and a remarkably original interior. The tan hides were carefully rejuvenated and re-dyed during restoration. Underhood, the engine bay is clean, attractive and proper in presentation. With its wonderful styling and performance-oriented specifications from Talbot-Lago’s winning competition cars, this T26 Grand Sport Coupé would make for a superb entry in most any historic driving event.
Auction Source: 2010 RM Auctions Sporting Classics of Monaco

1954 Talbot-Lago T26 Grand Sport 111003 – sold for $205,000

Representing the last glorious flowering of a great French marque, this Talbot-Lago Grand Sport, fitted with factory body number ‘5302’, left the Suresnes works on 4th February 1954 for delivery to its first recorded owner, a Mr Counil, while accompanying documentation lists a further five owners up to 2007.

Over the course of the past 20-25 years the car has undergone extensive restoration. The engine was completely rebuilt in the 1980s while more recently all its ancillaries were renewed including the starter motor, dynamo, carburetors, fuel pump, ignition system and air filters. The chassis, suspension and braking system were overhauled in the 1990s, and the coachwork stripped back to bare metal, repaired and repainted in Navy Blue. Interior refurbishment, carried out in 2000, included a full re-trim in beige leather, re-plating of all fittings, renewing the heat/sound insulation, and re-carpeting in wool. The electrics have been rewired and the headlights and other lamps replaced with period-correct items. In 2007 the valve guides and water pump were replaced and the Wilson pre-selector gearbox overhauled.