1950 Talbot Lago T15

We are offering for sale this 1950 Talbot-Lago Baby 15 T15 LB, bodied as a four-door CI 333 Saloon, with right-hand drive. This is a particularly elegant French classic motor car, which today benefits from a very carefully presented condition following a thorough and documented restoration.

It is equipped with the Talbot T15 LB engine, a four-cylinder inline unit of 2, 690 cc developing 120 bhp at 4, 300 rpm, paired with the famous Wilson preselector gearbox with four forward speeds and reverse. The vehicle also features Bendix hydraulic braking with four 305 mm drums. Its fiscal horsepower rating is 15 CV.

The car is presented in an elegant Blue T. 26 finish, which corresponds to the colour mentioned on its 1950 Talbot-Darracq invoice. The interior is now trimmed with light-coloured leather upholstery with topstitching, combined with a restored dashboard and wood trim. The combination of the blue exterior, light leather and wood gives it a particularly elegant presentation faithful to the standing of a Talbot-Lago.

The vehicle has undergone a particularly extensive restoration, which was not limited to cosmetic refurbishment. The body was notably separated from the chassis to allow thorough work. The bodywork was renovated and repainted after metalwork treatment, whilst the underside and wheel arches were restored and protected against corrosion.

Particular attention was also paid to the car's structure. The complete wooden framework of the body was rebuilt and protected with varnish, and the wooden floors were remade. We consider this to be a particularly important element in assessing the restoration of a motor car of this era.

The engine and transmission also underwent extensive work. The engine was overhauled, including the replacement of seals. The carburettors were renovated by B2H, the ignition was renewed, the radiator refurbished and the water pump checked. The Wilson preselector gearbox and rear axle were inspected before reassembly, the clutch was replaced and the transmission shaft checked with replacement of the universal joints.

The running gear was also restored: it was repainted in epoxy, ball joints and bushes were replaced, the front axle lubrication system was renovated and the braking system was rebuilt, with replacement of pipes and hoses. The wiring loom was also overhauled. The fuel tank was internally treated with epoxy resin and the complete exhaust system was renovated.

The interior received the same level of attention. The dashboard was restored, the wood trim and door panels were renovated, the seat bases were remade and the seats are now trimmed in light-coloured topstitched leather. The headlining was replaced, as were the front, rear and boot carpets during the restoration. The instrumentation was noted as functional in the expert's report carried out after the work.

The quality and extent of this restoration were the subject of an automotive expert's report drawn up on 18 November 2019. This describes in detail the condition of the bodywork, chassis, underside, wooden structure, engine, running gear and interior. The restoration and presentation of the vehicle were described as "exemplary".

This Talbot-Lago is a second-hand example and all the historical documents kept with the vehicle were passed to us by its previous owner. It thus has a particularly comprehensive file, the details of which are presented in the section devoted to its history and documentation.

The odometer currently reads 72, 065 km.

We particularly appreciate this car for the combination of its elegant specification, the quality of its current presentation and the extent of the restoration work carried out. The presence of a substantial documentary file is also a real asset and allows the car to be accompanied by elements tracing its history and the work it has undergone.

This is today a very fine example of the Talbot-Lago Baby 15, which in our view deserves the attention of an enthusiast of French classic motor cars seeking a carefully restored vehicle with particularly comprehensive documentation.

This Talbot-Lago Baby 15 T15 LB, bodied as a CI 333 Saloon, was born in 1950, at a time when Talbot-Lago still counted among the great names of French motoring. More than 75 years later, this example retains a particularly interesting history thanks to the substantial collection of documents that still accompany it today.

The car bears chassis number 120268. This number appears in the register devoted to Baby 15s bodied as CI 333 Saloons, where it is associated with engine number 15296 and a delivery date of 1 August 1950. Its first registration took place just two days later, on 3 August 1950. The maker's plate still present on the car itself bears the inscription T15 LB no. 120268, allowing the current motor car to be linked to the information in the archives.

Among the most interesting documents kept with the car is a Talbot-Darracq invoice dated 11 July 1950 and directly related to chassis no. 120268. This document still allows us to find several elements of its specification: a four-door saloon, a Wilson preselector gearbox, Blue T. 26 paint and grey cloth 926 interior trim.

The presence of this historical documentation adds considerable interest to the car. It not only allows us to know its characteristics: it allows us to connect the example we see today to its history from 1950.

During its life, the Talbot benefited from a particularly thorough restoration. It was not simply a repaint. The body was separated from the chassis to allow complete intervention. The underside and wheel arches were treated against corrosion and the complete wooden framework of the body was rebuilt, then protected with varnish. The wooden floors were also remade.

The engine received similar attention. The engine was overhauled, the carburettors renovated by B2H, the ignition renewed and the radiator refurbished. The transmission was also inspected, notably the Wilson preselector gearbox, a particularly interesting feature of this Baby 15. The clutch, transmission universal joints, various running gear components and the braking system were also renewed or restored.

The interior also evolved during this restoration. The grey cloth trim mentioned in the original documents gave way to light-coloured topstitched leather upholstery. The seat bases were renovated, the wood trim and door panels restored and the headlining replaced. Combined with the dark blue bodywork and wooden dashboard, this interior is today one of the aspects we particularly appreciate on the car.

The result of this restoration was examined in November 2019 by Gabriel Hemar, an automotive expert. His report no. ALEthe details below covers numerous elements of the car: bodywork, chrome, glazing, chassis, underside, wooden framework, engine, running gear and interior. At that time, the expert described the restoration and presentation as "exemplary" and assessed an expert valuation of €55, 000.

But one of the elements that seems most interesting to us in the history of this Talbot is what accompanies it. The previous owner has preserved and passed on with the car a substantial collection of archives: a 1950 Talbot-Darracq invoice, old administrative documents, motor tax discs, Talbot technical documentation, lubrication chart, Wilson gearbox documentation and the expert's report.

These documents have been kept with the car and today form an integral part of its history. For a motor car built in 1950, to be able to bring together the car, its identification numbers, documents dating back to its origins and elements relating to its restoration represents a genuine point of interest in our view.

Today, this Talbot-Lago Baby 15 chassis no. 120268 thus presents itself as the result of two complementary histories: that of a French motor car born in 1950 and that of an example which, several decades later, benefited from an extensive restoration designed to restore it to its current presentation.