Talbot 105 team car for sale

There can be no doubt that GO54 is a very famous motor car. Now, after being in the same family ownership for four decades, the Talbot 105 that finished third at Le Mans in 1932 is being offered for sale.

The Talbot 105 chassis number 31054, registration G054 was one of the four team cars entered by the Fox and Nicholls team in a series of major international events in 1931 and 1932. It was raced at Brooklands by John Cobb, finishing third in the 1931 Brooklands 500, and was used as a practice car for Le Mans and the Tourist Trophy that year. However, one of its most significant results during 1931 was in the Alpine Trial.

Entered by Humphrey Symons of Motor Magazine, GO54 won a coveted Glacier Award in the world’s most demanding test of man and machine. GO54 completed the trial without the loss of a single mark, winning the highest award possible on this famous event.

With more development on the engine and chassis, the Fox and Nicholls team entered the 1932 season with the same four cars, GO51, GO52, GO53 and GO54. For the team’s challenge on the Mille Miglia, GO54 was used as a practice car, but it was at Le Mans that the car recorded another remarkable result.

Driven by Brian Lewis and Tim Rose-Richards, GO54 was the sole Talbot entry as the team focused on scoring the best possible result. Despite being hindered by poor grade fuel, GO54 performed magnificently and finished third overall, only beaten by a pair of supercharged Alfa Romeos. For the third year in a row, a Talbot had finished third and the ACO presented team boss Arthur Fox with a special gold medal to mark the achievement.

To have claimed an Alpine Trial Glacier Award and a third place at Le Mans within a 12-month period was ultimate proof of the speed, versatility and durability of the Talbot 105.

At the end of the 1932 season the four team cars were sold to Arthur Fox for £425 each and later went their separate ways. GO54 was raced by Earl Howe, finishing 13th in the 1934 Tourist Trophy. In post-war years, the four cars were again re-united by marque historian Anthony Blight, whose book Georges Roesch And The Invincible Talbot records the full racing history of the Talbot team, continued to use the cars in vintage events. Until now, the cars have remained in the same family ownership, and have been used in selected events including the Christies and Coys Historic Festival at Silverstone.

Now, GO54 is being made available for sale and represents an unrivalled opportunity to own a very special car in the history of the sport. It has an impeccable provenance and comes complete with FIA papers and VSCC eligibility. Having raced at Le Mans and been used in practice for the Mille Miglia in period, GO54 is also a perfect vehicle for anyone seeking to take part in the Mille Miglia retro and Le Mans Classic events.

In fact, it is a very versatile motor car, just as it was in 1932. For more details, please contact Stephen Curtis on 01823 421524 or 07802 696303, or email curtis4sajs@supanet.com.