Considered by many to be one of the most enduringly beautiful automobiles of all time, the creation of the
Talbot-Lago T150-C-SS Goutte d’Eau, or Teardrop, was born out of a collaboration between Anthony Lago
and Joseph Figoni, two Italian-born visionaries who became fixtures in the vibrant Parisian automotive scene
throughout the late 1930s. The T150-C-SS was sold as a bare chassis and priced in the same realm as the
Alfa Romeo 8C 2900 and Bugatti Type 57S. Between 1937 and 1939, Talbot-Lago produced an extremely
limited number of these chassis, which were bodied by a variety of coachbuilders.
Without question, the most spectacular T150-C-SS examples were those bodied by Figoni et Falaschi. Of
all of Joseph Figoni’s splendid designs throughout the span of his influential career, his undisputed
masterpiece was his aerodynamic coupe for Talbot-Lago, which is now universally known as the Teardrop.
Figoni et Falaschi built only about 10 Style 9220 Teardrop Coupes on Talbot-Lago’s ultimate T150-C-SS
chassis.
The Talbot-Lago T150-C-SS presented here, chassis 90107, is widely regarded as the most beautiful and
unique of the Figoni-bodied Teardrops, based on the most extreme variation of the design featuring
all-aluminum coachwork with fully enveloping, skirted front fenders. Only two bodies with this unique feature
were produced, and today, 90107 is the sole surviving example with its original body intact. Immediately
revered for its awe-inspiring elegance and exceptional beauty, the car was exhibited at the 1938 Concours
d’Elegance Fémina in Paris, where it was presented by Princess Stella de Kapurtha and awarded the Prix
d’Excellence. Since then, the T150-C-SS has maintained a well-documented history under the care of some
of the world’s greatest estates. This provenance includes ownership by the young visionary collector
Tommy Lee, 50 years of careful storage and conservation by Lindley Locke, and more recently, time with
the famed Nethercutt Collection. During its time with the Nethercutt Collection, the Talbot-Lago was treated
to a complete ground-up restoration in its original colors, carried out to the collection’s famously exacting
standards. Following the work, 90107 debuted at the 2005 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance®, where it
earned a well-deserved First in Class trophy. This was followed by a string of Best of Show awards,
including its outing at the 2007 Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance.
Since their creation 85 years ago, the Talbot-Lago T150-C-SS Teardrops have been regarded as some of
the finest, most desirable French automobiles ever built. Of the precious few Figoni et Falaschi Teardrops
constructed, 90107 is utterly unique, the only original-bodied example of the design with fully enveloping
front fenders. Gooding & Company is honored to present this historic car for public sale for the first time
since 1950, offering a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to acquire a timeless automotive icon which has been
owned and appreciated by connoisseurs from new.
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