When STD, Sunbeam-Talbot-Darracq, went bust in 1934, it was the Italian engineer Antonio Lago who took over Talbot’s trademark rights. Lago continues with the production of luxury cars and is active in racing. The brand even managed to win a Grand Prix victory and despite the heavy opposition from Italy and Germany, the brand even managed to win Le Mans. The brand’s ultimate pre-war car is the 4.0-litre Lago Special. With 165 hp and a top speed of more than 160 kilometers per hour, a car that was unparalleled. In 1946 the model was revised and henceforth called T26 Record. With hydraulic brakes, Wilson pre-selector gearbox and a 4½-litre twin-cam version of the classic long-stroke overhead valve engine. The designation ‘T26’ had been used before, for the GP racers in the late 1930s and referred to the tax rate of the car (26CV). Like many car manufacturers that operated in this segment and competed against ‘the big boys’, difficult times were ahead for Talbot-Lago. In the early 1950s, Talbot-Lago was in dire straits due to the tax policy of the French government. Cars with a cylinder capacity of more than 3 liters were heavily penalized and where 433 Talbot-Lagos found an owner in 1950, there were only 80 a year later. And then, with a detour, we finally arrive at the unique car that you see here in the photos. A very special Talbot-Lago T26 Record from 1950 with a unique coach by Veth & Zoon. At that time it was possible to choose a factory body, but also a rolling chassis that could then be delivered to an independent coachbuilder. With this approach, Talbot-Lago rallied itself between greats such as Delage and Delahaye. The car you see here was handed over to the Dutch bodywork company Veth & Son, which was founded in 1840 in Arnhem. Initially, the company grew by manufacturing horse-drawn carriages, but at the end of the 19th century it also started producing bodies for motorized transport. To indicate that we are not dealing here with a small, hobby company: the fast-growing company was appointed in 1914 as the official coachbuilder of the Dutch Royal House. Before the Second World War, the company was busy with bodies based on the most exclusive brands, such as Bugatti, Hotchkiss, Bentley and Packard. The company still exists but has not built any cars since the 1960s. In 1950 the company from Arnhem delivered this unique car. Based on a T26 Record and equipped with a special, so-called ‘Three Position’ convertible top. In addition to open and closed, this car can also be driven in a kind of targa position. In the 1990s, the car was found by a collector who found the car as a Faux Cabriolet, or a car with a fixed roof, resembling a convertible top. As a seasoned collector and restorer, the car aroused his curiosity and he decided to buy it. His suspicion that it was a real convertible was confirmed after some research. The entire hood construction was hidden under the ‘fake roof’ and discovering this ensured that the restorer did not hesitate for a minute and decided to restore the car to its full glory. In the years that followed, the car was completely restored. Not just a little bit, but completely body-off and with the utmost care and quality, the car was restored exactly as it left the factory in 1950. The wooden frame received a thorough restoration, carried out by a top-class specialist. The same happened for the engine, which was completely rebuilt by a top overhauler. An extremely thorough renovation, which was completed in 1993. As icing on the cake, the car was shown at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. Even today the car is still in a beautiful condition and there is no sign that the restoration was done almost thirty years ago. The car is in mint condition and that applies to both the exterior and the very stylish interior. The 4,482cc 6-cylinder engine with 2 Zenith-Stromberg carburetors delivers 172 hp at 4,200 rpm and feels good. The Talbot-Lago has an independent front suspension with four drum brakes. The magical name Talbot-Lago in combination with the almost certainly unique bodywork will always be a combination that will attract attention at competitions and events.