Talbot-Lago Wins Best Of The Best Award

• Stephen Fogel

• August 22, 2016

This 1937 Talbot-Lago T150-C SS Coupé aérodynamique, with custom coachwork by Figoni & Falaschi, was named winner of the first The Peninsula Classics Best of the Best Award during Monterey Car Week. The Talbot-Lago is owned by Peter and Merle Mullin and The Peter Mullin Automotive Museum Foundation. It won out over five elite best-of-show winners from other recent Concours events.

The Talbot-Lago can officially be considered to be the most prestigious car in the world. It is not only breathtakingly beautiful to behold, it has also has won top-level races as part of its history.

A panel of 24 judges selected the winner. They included:

• Chris Bangle, former Chief of Design for the BMW Group
• Peter Brock, designer of the Shelby Daytona Cobra Coupe
• Ian Callum, Director of Design for Jaguar Cars
• Fabio Filippini, Design Director of Pininfarina
• Henry Ford III, great-great grandson of Ford Motor founder Henry Ford
• The Earl of March, Founder of the Goodwood Festival of Speed
• Ralph Lauren, global fashion tycoon and car collector
• Jay Leno, comedian and renowned car collector
• Nick Mason, former Pink Floyd drummer and classic car enthusiast
• Gordon Murray, designer of F1 race cars and the McLaren F1 road car
• Ken Okuyama, Pininfarina designer who supervised the Enzo Ferrari project
• Frank Stephenson, McLaren’s Automotive Design Director
• Jean Todt, former Ferrari CEO, now President of the FIA
• Gorden Wagener, Chief Designer of Mercedes-Benz
• Ed Welburn, former Vice President of Global Design at GM

This Talbot-Lago Is Beautiful AND Original

What was so special about this car? In the words of judge Jay Leno, “The judges were all in agreement that the Talbot deserved the award not only for its incredible look, but because Peter’s cars are always restored as originally intended to a precise level of historic time and detail, and that’s what makes the Talbot so special.”

In other words, it looks the way it did when it rolled out of the coachbuilder’s facility. It has not been restored to current standards of perfection that were unattainable at the time it was built. It is authentic and historically correct, qualities that have come to be greatly valued in the collector car world.

What other cars were competing for this award?

• 1903 Mercedes 60HP Simplex
• 1924 Isotta Fraschini Tipo 8A F. Ramseier & Cie Worblaufen Cabriolet
• 1930 Cord L29 Brooks Stevens Speedster
• 1965 Ferrari 166 P / 206 SP Dino 0834
• 1968 Alfa Romeo Tipo 33 Stradale

Good News: You Can See It!

If you would like to see this award winner up close, you can! It is listed as part of the collection at the Mullin Automotive Museum in Oxnard, California, which is located on the coast between Los Angeles and Santa Barbara. The Mullin Automotive Museum is a private museum that opens to the public one or two days per month. Its spectacular collection focuses on coachbuilt French cars from before World War II. You will find many Concours winners there. Get tickets in advance and check it out!