Famed for his reversed cap, Philippe Etancelin is shown here driving his self-entered Talbot during the 1951 International Trophy meeting at Silverstone. “Phi Phi” would make 12 Grand Prix starts in this car, a machine he acquired in 1948, with his best F1 World Championship finishes being two 5ths at Reims in France and Monza in Italy during the 1950 season.
Photo: Pete Austin
Cars don’t come much better than this. Born in a golden era of sportscar racing, this French beauty has the most amazing pedigree. Raced at Le Mans by Juan Manuel Fangio and Louis Rosier, driven in the Monaco Grand Prix by Maurice Trintignant and currently in ownership that dates back to 1958, this car is the real deal. This car is French royalty, it has blue blood, it is…true blue.
One thing is certain, success in motor sport sells cars. In the late 1940s, success on the world’s race circuits was seen as a must for Talbot-Lago, so alongside the construction of its road car projects, the marque embarked on the production of an out and out racing car. This machine was designed to be capable of winning Grand Prix races and, in its sportscar form, Le Mans.
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