1927 Talbot Darracq Grand Prix

Chassis 2 car retained by Platé the longest and raced in the 1949 Swiss Grand Prix, not surprisingly with little success. Nearly a quarter of a century it looked nothing like it did in 1926, but under the Alfetta style body panels, the original straight eight could still be found. After retiring from racing, it became part of an Italian collection and was not seen until the 1990s when the car was bought by a South African enthusiast.

The new owner brought the car to French racing expert Sean Danaher to have it returned to its 1926/1927 Grand Prix specification. This required the construction of a new chassis and body panels, from pictures as the original drawings were not available. Some of its Italian racing heritage was retained, including the revised front suspension, the Enrico Platé stamped cam covers and the red livery. The result was quite startling and the restored Talbot Darracq was shown and driven at various events in the mid 1990s. Since then it has rarely been seen, until it made a high profile return during the 2008 Goodwood Festival of Speed with Austrian restorer Egon Zweimuller Jr behind the wheel.

Descriptions & pictures by ultimatecarpage & autoconcept