1936 Talbot BI 105 Sports Saloon

1936 Talbot BI 105 Sports Saloon
Registration no. CXB 162
Chassis no. 4021
• Very attractive high-performance 1930s touring car
• Present ownership since 2011
• An older restoration by Arthur Archer
• Offered from a private collection of pre-war cars
• Good restoration file of bills

The most successful division of the Anglo-French Sunbeam-Talbot-Darracq (STD) combine, Talbot might well have escaped takeover by Rootes in 1935 had it not been shackled to its weaker partners. The company's healthy position had been achieved by a succession of well-engineered products penned by its designer, Swiss-born Georges Roesch, whose obsession with the pursuit of high performance through increased engine revolutions led to some of the most memorable cars of the 1930s.

1931 saw the arrival of the 3.0-litre 105 powered by a new 'six' featuring staggered valves, a Roesch stratagem facilitating improved breathing. There was more technical innovation for 1933 in the form of Luvax adjustable dampers and the Roesch-designed, Wilson pre-selector gearbox, the latter augmented for 1935 by Talbot's famous automatic 'traffic clutch' which permitted sequential upward gear changes. Also new for '35 were a dropped chassis frame and a 3.4-litre model - the 110 - that would turn out to be the ultimate Roesch Talbot. One of the great makes of the 1930s, Talbot was axed by new masters Rootes in 1937.

No ownership records of 'CXB 162' exist prior to 1955 when the then owner, John Bland, began keeping a detailed logbook of its usage. Mr Bland's logbook was last updated in 1962, the mileage at that time being recorded as 89,104. In 2011 the Talbot was offered for sale at a UK auction by the widow of the deceased owner. It had been purchased by her husband in 1994 at 96,037 miles, and had been temporarily dismantled while undergoing a major overhaul by well-known Talbot specialist Arthur Archer. Over the following years the finishing touches of painting, upholstering, and re-plating the brightwork were completed and in April 2011 the restored car finally returned to the road. Our vendor was the purchaser at the aforementioned 2011 auction. Since acquisition the Talbot has formed part of his collection of pre-war cars.

The accompanying history file contains the following: original wiring diagrams, brochure and handbook; an old MoT; a copy of Profile Publications' The Talbots; a copy of George Roesch and the Invincible Talbot; the aforementioned mileage logbooks; and a V5C document. There is also a good restoration file containing bills from Messrs Archer, Polson, and Wall.

Boasting a working sunroof, 'CXB 162' is finished in dark blue over light blue with matching interior, and rolls on period-correct wire wheels. A very attractive high-performance 1930s touring car, well capable of keeping up with modern traffic, this elegant Talbot 105 wants only for an enthusiastic new owner.