1938 Talbot-Lago Teardrop Coupe with Le Mans History Heads to Auction
On August 15, during Monterey Car Week, RM Sotheby's will auction a unique 1938 Talbot-Lago T150-C SS Teardrop Coupe, one of only 11 featuring Figoni & Falaschi coachwork. This car participated in the 1939 24 Hours of Le Mans, finishing ninth before it had to retire. Commissioned in 1937 by Duke Phillippe Régnier de Massa, it boasts a modified aluminum body and a 4.0-liter six-cylinder engine that generates 140 hp. After World War II, it was seized and reappeared in 1942 without its engine. Owned by multiple collectors, it underwent restoration by Georg Lingenbrink in 1996 and earned accolades, including Best in Show at Villa d'Este in 2011. In 2022, it fetched $7.265 million, with a current estimate of $7 million to $8 million.
Key facts
- 1938 Talbot-Lago T150-C SS Teardrop Coupe with Figoni & Falaschi coachwork
- One of 11 examples built, this one raced at 1939 24 Hours of Le Mans
- Commissioned by Duke Phillippe Régnier de Massa in 1937
- Engine: 4.0-liter six-cylinder with hemispherical combustion chambers and three Zenith-Stromberg carburetors, 140 hp
- Retired from Le Mans on lap 88; racing career ended with WWII outbreak
- Confiscated by German forces, later stored in East Berlin, disappeared during Cold War
- Restored by Georg Lingenbrink, first public exhibition at 2002 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance
- Sold at RM Sotheby's Monterey auction in 2022 for $7.265 million
- Estimated value: $7 million to $8 million
- Auction date: August 15 during Monterey Car Week
Entities
Artists
- Harvey Stanley
- Duke Phillippe Régnier de Massa
- Norbert-Jean Mahé
- Herr Becker
- Peter Schmitz
- Jan Bruijn
- Georg Lingenbrink
- Oscar Davis
Institutions
- RM Sotheby's
- Figoni & Falaschi
- Talbot-Lago
- Gooding & Company
- Classic and Sport Auto Refinishing
- Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance
- Villa d'Este
- Louis Vuitton Concours d'Elegance
- Le Mans Classic
- Mille Miglia Storica
- Goodwood Revival
Locations
- Monterey
- United States
- Le Mans
- France
- Berlin
- Germany
- Rangsdorf
- East Berlin
- San Diego
- California
- United Kingdom
- New Jersey
- Edinburg
- Virginia
- Italy
- New York City