<< Prev Page 2 of 3 Next >> Complementing the exceptionally low chassis was a remarkably tight aluminium body. The completed machine's most striking feature was the raked radiator, which again was a reflection of Becchia's and Bertarione's desire to keep the height to an absolute minimum. Compared to what had come before, the Talbot Darracq was miles ahead. Amazingly fellow French manufacturer Delage had developed a machine much among the same lines and had a head start as the Talbot Darracq Grand Prix cars were only ready in time for the Brooklands Grand Prix in August of 1926.
Painted in British Racing Green (it was Sunbeam's home race), no fewer than three Talbot Darracq Grand Prix cars lined up for the race. The main opposition consisted of three Delages, which had been raced before, but had not taken a victory yet. The exquisite Talbots were quick straight out of the box and shortly after the start Talbot drivers Albert Divo and Henri Seagrave led the race from Robert Benoist in a Delage. The close battle for the lead was ended prematurely when both Talbots lost time and eventually retired with mechanical problems.
It had been a promising start for the brand new Grand Prix cars, although some bugs still needed ironing out. The team returned to Brooklands a month later for the highly coveted 200 Miles race. Although not a Grand Prix, it was one of the biggest events on the English racing calendar. Sadly the Delage team opted not to go to Brooklands again, so no real revenge could be had. Still facing strong competition, the Talbots scored a 1-2 victory, beating the closest opposition by 16 minutes. The Talbot team's final event of the season was the Coupe du Salon at Montlhery in France. Only eight vehicles started the race and the Talbots romped home to a 1-2-3 win.
For the 1927 season the minimum dry-weight was raised from 600 kg to 700 kg. This enabled Talbot's engineers to strengthen the chassis, which had been prone to crack under pressure. Financial problems limited the number of outings in the 1927 season. The team of course did take part in the French Grand Prix at Montlhery. They were again beaten by the Delages, who finished first, second and third ahead of the fastest Talbot. A day earlier Divo had managed to win the 'Formula Libre' race, but it was only a small consolation. Unfortunately, the promising Talbots were not raced again (with the exception of some record runs at Arpajon), which allowed the Delages to rack up victory after victory. << Prev Page 2 of 3 Next >>
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Complementing the exceptionally low chassis was a remarkably tight aluminium body. The completed machine's most striking feature was the raked radiator, which again was a reflection of Becchia's and Bertarione's desire to keep the height to an absolute minimum. Compared to what had come before, the Talbot Darracq was miles ahead. Amazingly fellow French manufacturer Delage had developed a machine much among the same lines and had a head start as the Talbot Darracq Grand Prix cars were only ready in time for the Brooklands Grand Prix in August of 1926.