1952 Talbot-Lago GSL

● Engineering – Directly developed from Talbot-Lago T26C Grand Prix car; powerful and fast, capable of over 120mph; this is the only example fitted with 4-speed manual gearbox.

+ Design – Modern French post-war elemental, lightly ornamented, well detailed interior fittings.

= Passion – Sport meets luxury with style. 

Generously lent by Jay Leno’s Garage, Burbank CA

Talbot Lago was an automobile company that built premier cars during the French Coach building era. Its founder, Antonio Lago, took over the company in the mid-1930s. When the Great Depression had hit, Lago went broke by the time his prewar type cars were being built. In 1951, the Talbot-Lago company was in financial difficulties. Antony Lago had developed the Grand Sport in the post WW2 years from the T26C Grand Prix car whose costly design and production contributed to bankrupting the company. The car seen here is one of the last GSL’s built, and one of the last coach-built cars to come out of France. 

After the WW2, the French government banned further production of cars that had 2.7 liter+ engines, and the consequence of infringement was a heavy tax. This, along with an expensive gasoline price, resulted in consumer interest in powerful luxury cars to decline.

Nick Begovich had been looking in vain for an iconic pre-war French “tear-drop” bodied car, when in 1964 he found this Grand Sport near Paris and bought it. Though having a simpler modern body designed by Carlos de Less, its state preservation and rarity appealed to him. A design exemplifying sport meets luxury with style. Begovich had the car flown from France to LA. Once it arrived, he received a one trip permit from the DMV, so that he could drive it his own warehouse in Orange County where it was parked and stored away for 55 years! 

Peter Larsen, with Ben Erickson, researched and wrote the definitive book Talbot-Lago Grand Sport: The Car from Paris, published in 2012. He was surprised when Jay Leno contacted him to learn more about this car that he had acquired from Begovich. It was unaccounted for! Not much else is known about the history of this car before Begovich owned it. It was used by French magazines for road tests, and that is about all of what is currently known.

Anthony Lago intended to appeal to well-healed clientele by producing a coach-built sports car with the layout and mechanical prowess of the T26C Grand Prix version. The Grand Sport was built on a true sports car chassis, creating an elegant fast road-worthy car capable of rally and racing. In the book, Larsen likens it to the Bugatti 57S rather than a more luxurious grand touring car such as the Delahaye Type 135. 

Jay Leno stated, “We are still learning about the car”. Being very well preserved, with its original paint, engine, interior, curved acyrlic window panels, bumpers, and 18” wire wheels. He chose to carefully recommission the car, but not restore it. Unlike the less than forty other GSL’s produced with Wilson pre-select transmissions and Solex carburetors, this car appears to survive with a factory upgraded 4-speed manual transmission, triple Weber carburetors, and Competition badging. Possibly originally built with the intent to race and rally.

Jay’s driving impressions of this 1952 Talbot-Lago GSL can be seen and heard on a segment of Jay Leno’s Garage on YouTube through this link:  

T26 Grand Sport Specifications:

Chassis: #207, short wheelbase
Engine: 4.5 liter 6-cylinder, aluminum hemi-head central plug, triple Weber carburetors 
Horsepower: 195 - 220
Transmission: 4-Speed Manual (the only one known)
Front Suspension: independent with coil springs
Brakes: massive drums
Top Speed: 120+ MPH