Twice rebodied, a 1937 Talbot-Lago T150-C SS Goutte d’Eau tops RM Sotheby’s Villa Erba sale

1937 Talbot-Lago T150-C SS Goutte d’Eau. Photos by Fotohalle Unger, courtesy of RM Sotheby’s, unless otherwise noted.

Of the 14 Talbot-Lago 150-C models bodied as “Goutte d’Eau” (teardrop, or drop of water) coupes by coachbuilder Figoni et Falaschi, just two were reported to have fully enclosed front fenders. The first was delivered to Princess Stella of Karputhala, an Indian Royal, while chassis 90110 remained in Europe. Rebodied as a convertible in the postwar years (perhaps to address war time damage), chassis 90110 was returned to its Goutte d’Eau coupe style in 2000. On May 27, this 1937 Talbot-Lago T150-C SS crossed the auction stage in Cernobbio, Italy, where it sold for 3.36 million euros ($3.78 million) including auction fees, topping RM Sotheby’s Villa Erba sale.

Chassis 90110 inside the Talbot factory prior to World War II. Period photos courtesy of Laurent Friry and RM Sotheby’s.

Period photos show the coupe wearing a French vehicle registration plate, specifically from the Seine department of Paris. Though photographed in black and white, the coupe is finished in a solid color, most likely black, and its fully enclosed front fenders are clearly visible. Its prewar ownership history is unclear, but in 1946 the car surfaced in Wengen, Switzerland, in the ownership of an H. Frey.

In May of 1946, Frey contacted coachbuilder Carrosserie Hermann Graber in Wichtrach, Switzerland, requesting a convertible body for his 1937 Talbot-Lago T150-C SS. Drawings were submitted to and approved by Frey, and in June of 1946 chassis 90110 was delivered to Graber for conversion to a convertible body. The auction house speculates that this may have been prompted by damage received during World War II, though it’s equally likely the car’s new owner preferred to enjoy his Talbot-Lago al fresco.

Frey retained possession of the convertible until 1966, when ownership transferred to a G. Frey of Zurich, Switzerland. This Frey kept the car for another 21 years, until it was acquired by the consignor in 1987. For the next 13 years its new owner kept the car as a convertible, but in 2000 made the decision to return the Talbot-Lago to its original Goutte d’Eau shape and coupe bodywork.

The 140-horsepower, 4.0-liter inline-six, along with the rest of the driveline and the chassis, are said to be original.

Figoni et Falaschi had ceased operations in the 1950s, so returning to the original coachbuilder for a new body was not a possibility. Instead, the owner opted to employ the services of Auto Classique Touraine in Tours, France, a shop run by Patrick Delâge, grandson of auto manufacturer Louis Delâge. Auto Classique Touraine had experience crafting the Goutte d’Eau body, as one had been requested by the owner of another Talbot-Lago T150-C SS. Despite this familiarity, the work on chassis 90110 took three years to complete.

Though an original-body example may have commanded a higher price, the modern coachwork did not significantly impact the car’s value at auction. Though Talbot-Lago Goutte d’Eau coupe sales are rare, two other examples have sold in recent years, including chassis 90034, which sold for $4.62 million at Monterey in 2010, and chassis 90112, which sold for €3.14 million (then, $4.44 million) at Villa d’Este in 2011.

This 1993 Porsche 911 Carrera RSR 3.8 still wore its factory-applied protective Cosmoline, and showed just delivery mileage on the odometer; it sold for $2.27 million. Photo by Tim Scott, courtesy RM Sotheby’s

Other lots in the top-10 at Villa Erba included a 1937 Bugatti Type 57 Atalante prototype, which sold for €3.02 million ($3.4 million); a 1993 Porsche 911 Carrera RSR 3.8, which sold for €2.02 million ($2.27 million); a 1965 Ferrari 275 GTS by Pininfarina, which sold for €1.79 million ($2.02 million); a 2015 Porsche 918 ‘Weissach’ Spyder, which sold for €1.46 million ($1.64 million); a 1964 Ferrari 250 GT ‘Lusso,’ which sold for €1.43 million ($1.61 million); a 1948 Talbot-Lago T26 Grand Sport cabriolet, which sold for  €1.12 million ($1.26 million); a 1990 Ferrari F40, which sold for €1.06 million ($1.2 million); a 1961 Maserati 3500 GT Spyder, which sold for €840,000 ($945,000); and a 1975 Lamborghini Countach LP400 ‘Periscopio,’ which sold for €817,600 ($919,800).

For complete results from Villa Erba, visit RMSothebys.com.