1939 Talbot Lago T120

Only two T120 replicas of Talbot-Lago’s formidable T150 Tourist Trophy Sports have ever built. Tom Hardman Limited has had the privilege of brokering the sales of both the replicas during 2016. Registration # TL8749 is the original of these replicas and I’m delighted to be handling the sale of TL8749 once again, a car which in it own right is very important and unique history.  

 

During our clients tenure, he’s enjoyed a period of his own competition history, developing the car into a successful VSCC (ODM) championship winner. Helped along the way by Gareth Burnett’s team at Pace Products. 

 

During the down season of 2020 Gareth’s team were instructed to refresh and develop the engine performance and cooling system. On the road the performance is more than healthy 3 litre naturally aspirated 6 cylinder. As well as the race track TL8749 has been competing on the endurance rally scene, along with road tours: she really is a capable multi-disciplined car. TL8749 is now reluctantly offered for sale to make way for another equally important historic car, which still holds numerous hill climb records.

 

 

In 1939 Talbot-Lago was one of Europe’s leading luxury automobile brands. Like WO Bentley they believed in; ‘win Sunday sell Monday’, and to that end Antonio Lago fielded three Talbot Lago T26 for the 1939 season. Along with Two French drivers: René le Bègue and Philippe Étancelin (finishing 3rd & 4th respectfully Auto Unions were 1st,2nd & 6th), the third  T26 seat was given to Raymond Mays (this very T26 GX is currently offered by Fiskens.com) Raymond Mays was best known for his Borne biased racing car outfit ERA & BRM.

 

At his Reims-Gueux outing, Mays retired after only 10 laps.  His payment from Antonio Lago was a Talbot-Lago T120 Coupe, which on the return to England was registered in Lincolnshire as TL8749. 

 

Raymond kept TL8749 throughout the war presumably as everyday transport, eventually selling in 1950 to John Bland, eventually arriving in the hands of Bill Barrot. Bill had been enraptured by a 4 litre T150 Tourist Trophy Sports and so building himself a replica utilizing Raymond Mays coupe, was a dream come true, featuring the magnesium wheels Raymond had fitted during his time. TL8749 arrived in the hands of John Guyatt, who describes the car as one of the very best Talbot-Lago’s he has ever driven which I can concur with.