Page 19 - 1948 Talbot-Lago T26 Grand Sport -- Chassis 110101

most spectacular car built in postwar France—as if you were merely renovating your house! Born on January 3, 1908, in the 1st Arrondissement of Paris, Jean-Louis Bogey was 40 years old when he indulged himself with one of the most expensive cars money could buy, and while little further information has survived, it stands to reason that he must have been a man of means. On March 12, 1957, he filed an obscure patent no. 2,823,532 with the US Patent Office based on a patent he had previously filed in France on July 26, 1956 for Sinker Heads of Rectilinear Knitting Machines—whatever that may have been. But whether this meant that Bogey was an inventor, a manufacturer of knitting machines or merely in the textile business is not known. He died on August 20, 1990 in Neuilly-sur-Seine.
Details of the dealings between Bogey and the Carrosserie Saoutchik are also not known. As with any client, it can be assumed that Saoutchik presented several designs for approval, but whether or not Bogey received a favorable price by allowing Saoutchik to display the finished car at the Paris Salon in October 1948 and later at the Brussels Motor Show in January 1950 or whether he was merely content with his new plaything being the center of attention will likely never be cleared up.
In addition, two compelling questions about which there is no information concern how Anthony Lago and the Carrosserie Saoutchik managed to circumvent the export requirement which was still in place on such an expensive car and how Monsieur Bogey managed to get a purchase permit for it. Irrespective of whether he was an inventor, manufacturer or just a businessman, Bogey must have been a player of some importance in his field. In any event, as described in the previous chapters, Pierre Saoutchik created a fastback coupé with astonishing proportions, a masterpiece, a tour de force in the art of coachbuilding.
Who's on first, What's on second, I-don't-know's on third
Grand Sport chassis were not built and delivered in numerical sequence, and while 110101 is commonly regarded as being the first complete (chassis + body) Grand Sport ensemble produced, a number of other GS were completed within a few months of 110101. In particular, the chassis shown in Paris in October 1947 and Lyon in March 1948 could possibly have been chassis 110108 which was delivered by the factory to the Talbot stand in the Grand Palais on October 7, 1948, the opening day of the Salon—in other words, it premiered on the same day as 110101. Chassis 110108 had by then been fitted with a coupé body by Dubos, but was badged as a Carrosserie Talbot. See Chapter 1 for images of the T26 Grand Sport chassis that were displayed in 1947 – 1948.
Whereas the engine, gearbox, and rear axle on chassis 110101 were all numbered 102 when the chassis was built, thereby making these assemblies the second sets of these parts that were manufactured, they were all numbered 101 on chassis 110108. Since 110108 therefore received the first set of parts, this indicates that 110108 and not 110101 was the first chassis built. This is however contra- indicated by the “CHASSIS No. 1” notation at the top of the build sheet for 110101.
Since the Salon closed on October 17 and 110108 was not delivered until October 23 to Talbot’s client M. Valéro, the Talbot concessionary in Algeria, 110108 was one of several Grand Sports which can be documented to have existed as a complete car some time before the chassis delivery date on the production card. There is a unique notation Coach Grand Sport Salon 1948 on the back of the card which substantiates that 110108 was a factory commission which is unlikely to have had a client when it was built. 110108 is presumed lost.
CHAPTER 4
Fenced in and ready for the public. 110101 was one of the swoopiest cars in the Grand Palais. (© Archives Club Talbot) 173
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