10 septembre 2022

The Talbot-Lago T150-C SS: Now the Most Expensive French Car Ever Sold at Auction

Coco Rico is a Frenchwoman. A Talbot-Lago from 1939, the T150-C-SS, chassis No. 90107, which was sold by the auction house, GOODING & COMPANY for $13,425,000. It is, by the way, the most expensive Talbot-Lago in the world.

Over 13 million euros!

She was the main attraction of the GOODING & COMPANY auction on March 4, 2022, a work of art dressed by the Boulogne coachbuilder Figoni & Falaschi, which was produced between 1937 and 1939. When the auctioneer's hammer falls with a high price, it was not a surprise. It must be recognized that this sublime car has the status of a work of art, worthy of the Louvre Museum. This Talbot-Lago T150-C SS deserves to be exhibited alongside the Mona Lisa. A sublime coupe nicknamed "Goutte d'eau" because of its aerodynamic shape belonging to the golden age of coachbuilding. At a time when, to buy a car, it took the meeting of two interveners: the engine manufacturer and the coachbuilder. This Talbot-Lago is the epitome of what was done at the time.

TALBOT LAGO T150-CT150-C SS

Equipped with an elongated, aerodynamic, teardrop-shaped line, it marries in a rarely seen elegance.

Why did thisthis Talbot-Lago T150-C SS sell for this price?

Besides the law of supply and demand, this car represents what the French manufacturer knew how to do best. Associated with an exceptional coachbuilder: Figoni & Falaschi. Only 25 copies of the Talbot-Lago Super Sport "SS" saw the light of day, most of which were bodied by Figoni & Falaschi. Thus, in 2017, RM Sotheby's estimated the value of one of these works between 3.2 and 3.8 million euros. On May 21, 2011, RM Sotheby's sold at auction a Talbot-Lago T150-C SS Teardrop Coupe from 1938 for 3,136,000 €. Very few Talbot-Lago T150-C SS are therefore on the market. These berlinettes are jealously guarded by their passionate owners and therefore rarely for sale. So when a collector wants to part with one, the market goes crazy, and it becomes a very rare event. To top it all off, this Gallic beauty has undergone painstaking restoration work in the early 2000s and has regained its original specifications (silver blue paint).

Finally, know that in 2011, there were around 140,000 UHNWI (Ultra High-Net-Worth Individuals), i.e. people with at least 30 million dollars in net assets. Today, in 2022, there would be more than 500,000 UHNWI. Which therefore means that more and more UHNWI are potentially candidates for acquisition. And the icing on the cake, now, this Talbot-Lago T150-C SS becomes an investment product, such as a master painting. This Talbot-Lago T150-C SS is a real star of the auto show.

Under the hood of the Talbot-Lago T150-C SS is a 4.0-liter inline six-cylinder engine with three carburetors capable of producing 140 horsepower at 4,100 rpm. Moreover, the coupe is equipped with a Wilson preselector gearbox, which allows the driver to preselect the next gear, as well as mechanical brakes on all four wheels.