Lot 615: 1937 Talbot 105 Tourer
Coachwork by Clement Talbot Ltd, Acton

‘The international reputation achieved by Talbot products has gained an added lustre through racing successes, but is fundamentally based upon the good repute which these cars enjoy amongst Talbot owners in all countries. The make is definitely numbered in that select group of cars of distinction, which endear themselves to the heart of the true enthusiast.’ The Motor, May 1935.
The most successful division of the Anglo-French Sunbeam-Talbot-Darracq combine, Talbot might well have escaped takeover by Rootes in 1935 had it not been shackled to its weaker partners. The company’s then healthy position had been achieved by a succession of well-engineered products penned by its designer, Swiss-born Charles Roesch, whose obsession with the pursuit of high performance through increased engine revolutions led to some of the most memorable cars of the 1930s. Talbot’s Chief Engineer from 1916, Roesch rescued the company from the brink of failure with the launch of the seminal 14/45. Introduced in 1926 as the basis of a one-model policy, the 1.7-litre 14/45 offered roomy, comfortable transport at a competitive price and, like all Roesch’s Talbot creations, was powered by a smooth and flexible six-cylinder overhead-valve engine endowed with a remarkably high output for its size.
Abandoning the one-model programme, Roesch developed the 14/45 to produce the 75 and 90 models, both powered by 2.3-litre versions of the overhead-valve ‘six’, the latter model setting Talbot on the path towards renewed sporting success. 1931 saw the arrival of the 3.0-litre 105 powered by a new ‘six’ featuring staggered valves, a Roesch stratagem allowing for improved breathing. There was more technical innovation for 1933 in the form of Luvax adjustable dampers and the Roesch-designed, Wilson pre-selector gearbox, the latter augmented for 1935 by Talbot’s famous automatic ‘traffic clutch’ which permitted sequential upward gearchanges. Also new for ’35 were a dropped chassis frame and a 3.4-litre model - the 110. One of the great makes of the 1930s, Talbot was axed by new masters Rootes in 1937.
Dating from the final year of production, this right-hand drive Talbot 105 Tourer was exported to Sweden where it remained in storage for over 40 years. The vendor advises us that the car benefits from partial re-commissioning and that the engine runs, registering good oil pressure. Regrettably, there is no accompanying history and the vehicle is offered without documents.