A star is reborn
Octane|January 2025
This recently revived coachbuilt beauty made the final four at the Pebble Beach concours in August
Peter M Larsen
A star is reborn

The 35th Salon de l'Automobile opened its doors in the centre of Paris on 7 October 1948. The location was the Grand Palais, close to the Place de la Concorde and sandwiched between the Champs-Élysées and the river Seine. With its grandiose illumination, the venue was a beacon of light in a world of post-war austerity. Yet despite the widespread hardship, the great coachbuilders were out in force: Figoni et Falaschi, Pourtout, Franay, Chapron and others showed exquisite machinery that all wanted, but hardly any could afford.

Prominently displayed on the stand of the Carrosserie de Luxe Jacques Saoutchik was the undisputed star of the Salon: Talbot-Lago T26 Grand Sport no. 110101, the first GS chassis made. The voluptuous Saoutchik body it wore was a first showing, a world premiere of its design. It was a dazzling fastback coupé that would become the 'signature' body style for the Grand Sport chassis. A total of six of these coupés were built, no two completely alike.

The story begins in late 1942. Paris was occupied by the Wehrmacht, and the Talbot-Lago factory had been commandeered to manufacture for the Nazi war machine. With German defeat a small but growing hope on the horizon, Anthony Lago and his chief engineer Carlo Marchetti surreptitiously set about developing a new powerful six-cylinder engine for the post-war market. Reliability and power were assured by a seven-main-bearing crank, wet sump, an iron block and a capacity of 4482cc. This equated to 26CV, or fiscal horsepower, hence the T26 model designation.

This story is from the January 2025 edition of Octane.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the January 2025 edition of Octane.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM OCTANEView All
The Pro route to faster lap times
Octane

The Pro route to faster lap times

Mercedes-AMG GT 63 Pro 4Matic+

time-read
2 mins  |
January 2025
The power to corrupt
Octane

The power to corrupt

2024 Aston Martin Vanquish

time-read
2 mins  |
January 2025
Hyperactivate!
Octane

Hyperactivate!

1967 Austin-Cooper MkII 998 by Crafted Classics Tuning Glen Waddington

time-read
2 mins  |
January 2025
De Tomaso Racing Blue Blood
Octane

De Tomaso Racing Blue Blood

IF THE MARQUE De Tomaso is mainly familiar to you through cars such as the Mangusta, the Pantera, maybe the Longchamps and, if you're next-level classic car geek, racers such as the P70, then the sheer variety to be found in this mammoth tome is going to come as something of a shock. There are literally dozens profiled here, and one or two will probably be news to even the most seasoned enthusiast.

time-read
4 mins  |
January 2025
The best watch in the world
Octane

The best watch in the world

We've been here, but it bears repeating these gems will soon be cheaper than a 1st class stamp

time-read
2 mins  |
January 2025
A star is reborn
Octane

A star is reborn

This recently revived coachbuilt beauty made the final four at the Pebble Beach concours in August

time-read
8 mins  |
January 2025
REINVENTING THE WHEEL
Octane

REINVENTING THE WHEEL

The gyroscopically stabilised Gyro-X blurred the line between reality and science fiction. Sam Glover takes the prototype for a spin

time-read
10+ mins  |
January 2025
SAYONARA GT-R
Octane

SAYONARA GT-R

After a remarkable 17-year career, the supercar-humbling Nissan GT-R bows out on a high

time-read
2 mins  |
January 2025
Shiro Nakamura
Octane

Shiro Nakamura

Nissan’s long-standing Chief Creative Officer became architect of the marque’s style-led revival… and is also known as ‘Mr GT-R’

time-read
7 mins  |
January 2025
LIGHT SPARKS
Octane

LIGHT SPARKS

How does the electric Tesla Roadster compare today?

time-read
7 mins  |
January 2025