Talbot Lago T26 Grand Sport Coupe Chapron

This coupe based on a Talbot Lago T26 Grand Sport was designed by the Parisian coachbuilder Henri Chapron, who would later gain fame with his convertible versions of the Citroen DS.

He was well-known for using chrome to accentuate a car's shapeliness, as was the fashion at the time. Chapron gave this car a sense of speed by opting for very rounded forms and an extremely long and low rear. The car was launched in 1949 at the Salon de l'Automobile in Paris. The Talbot Lago Grand Sport was based on a Grand Prix model and was therefore one of the fastest cars of its time. It was fitted with a 190 hp, 4.5-litre six-cylinder engine and could reach a top speed of 200 km/h. No more than about thirty cars of this type were produced between 1948 and 1953, and nearly all of them had specially designed bodywork.