Automobiles Talbot France

Clegg's 16 horsepower type V14

During 1916 the Suresnes assets, the whole French business, were transferred to Société Anonyme Automobiles Darracq, a new company incorporated in France for the purpose. British assets were transferred to a British company named Darracq Motor Engineering Company Limited. A Darracq and Company (1905) Limited was now no more than a holder of shares in these two businesses.[2]

After the War automobile production resumed as soon as the Suresnes factory had ceased making munitions, arms and planes.[3] By the time of the Paris Motor Show in October 1919 the prewar 16HP "Type V14" had returned to production, featuring a four-cylinder 2,940cc engine.[3] But the manufacturer's big news at the Paris show was the 24HP "Type A", powered by a V8 4,584cc unit.[3] This model had also been initiated by Managing Director Owen Clegg back in 1913, but production had been delayed by intervening events till 1919.[3] The "Type A" featured four forward speeds and, from 1920, four-wheel brakes.[4] Despite these innovative features, it did not sell well.[4]

The French franc had suffered a sustained crisis of its own during the war years, and in May 1920 the "Type V" was listed at 35,000 francs in bare chassis form: a torpedo bodied car was priced at 40,000 francs.[3] Even the "Type V", with its 3,150 mm (124 in) wheelbase, was substantial car, but for customers wanting more, a "Type A" appeared on the same list at 39,500 francs in bare chassis form, and 44,500 francs for a torpedo bodied car.[3]

The prewar 16HP also reappeared after the war and was the manufacturer's top-selling car in Britain.[4]

Logo of the "Talbot-Darracq" car brand

Following the inclusion of Clément-Talbot in the S.T.D. group, Suresnes products were branded "Talbot-Darracq" but the word Darracq was dropped in 1922. Cars made by Automobiles Talbot imported from France to England were renamed Darracq to avoid confusion with the English Clément-Talbot products.[5]

• 
  1920 Talbot Darracq Type A 4.6 litre V8
• 
  1927 DUS torpédo
• 
  c. 1930 M67 berline
• 
  1931 M75 cabriolet
• 
  1934 L67 berline

The 4.5-litre, six-cylinder Talbot-Lago T26 was eligible for F1 competition post-war, and many examples, both factory and private, appeared in the first two years of the F1 World Championship, 1950 and 1951. Talbots came fourth and fifth in the inaugural World Championship race, the 1950 British Grand Prix, piloted by Yves Giraud-Cabantous and Louis Rosier respectively. The move to two-litre F2 regulations for 1952 effectively ended Talbot's F1 spell as a manufacturer.

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  1938 Talbot T150C open two-seater by Figoni & Falaschi
• 
  1947 Talbot T26 Record cabriolet
• 
  Talbot Lago T26 record cabriolet (rear detail)
• 
  1927 Talbot-Darracq Grand Prix car
• 
  1949 Talbot-Lago T-26C Racing Monoplace

• Northey, Tom, "Land-speed record: The Fastest Men on Earth", in Northey, Tom, ed. World of Automobiles (London: Orbis, 1974), Volume 10, pp. 1161–1166. London: Orbis, 1974.
• Setright, L.J.K. "Opel: Simple Engineering and Commercial Courage", in Northey, Tom, ed. World of Automobiles, Volume 14, pp. 1583–1592. London: Orbis, 1974.
• Wise, David Burgess."Darracq: A Motor Enthusiast who Hated Driving", in Northey, Tom, ed. World of Automobiles, Volume 5, pp. 493–494. London: Orbis, 1974.
• Wise, David Burgess."Vanderbilt Cup: The American Marathon", in Northey, Tom, ed. World of Automobiles, Volume 21, pp. 2458–60-4. London: Orbis, 1974.