1948 Talbot-Lago T26 Grand Sport Saoutchik Fastback Coupé
Jacques Saoutchik’s Paris coachbuilding firm created only six bodies for the T26 Grand Sport chassis between 1948 and 1949, making these fastback coupés among the rarest expressions of postwar French coachbuilding artistry.
The first example debuted at the 1948 Paris Auto Show, featuring flowing lines with minimal ornamentation beyond the distinctive three-piece grille and perforated wheel discs. Saoutchik designed these voluptuous bodies, with clear American influences (particularly Buick) in the waterfall grille treatment.
Under the coachwork sat Anthony Lago’s sophisticated 4.5-liter inline-six with twin camshafts positioned high in the block, an aluminum cylinder head, and three Zenith-Stromberg carburetors delivering 190 bhp. The chassis derived directly from Talbot-Lago’s successful T26 Grand Prix racing car, offering buyers a genuine competition-bred platform capable of approximately 125 mph.
Offered exclusively as bare rolling chassis, these Grand Sports required customers to commission custom bodywork, with Saoutchik’s flamboyant creations representing some of French coachbuilding’s most distinctive work at a time when such extravagance seemed increasingly out of step with Europe’s rebuilding priorities.
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