1937 Talbot-Lago T150C SS Coupe

This Talbot-Lago is one of two automobiles built by Figoni with these iconic closed front fenders - and the sole survivor with the original body. Entitled the 'Coupe Amerique,' it debuted at the 1937 New York Auto Show - the first time Figoni's 'teardrop' design had been seen Stateside. It was exhibited at the Trocadero Gardens in Paris for the 1938 Concours d'Elegance Femina, and won the Prix d'Excellence for its then-owner, the Princess of Kapurthala, also known as Stella Mudge, a dancehall performer who married the Maharaja of Kapurthala.

The car was sold in 1939 to well-known American collector Tommy Lee through Luigi Chinetti, and was later acquired by Lindley Locke, who kept it for nearly 50 years. It went to the Nethercutt Collection in 2004 and, following an exacting restoration, won its class at the Pebble Beach Concours in 2005.

This Talbot-Lago T150-C-SS is believed to have been based on rendering number 9035, a variation of the Modéle New York design with skirted and fully enveloping front fenders. Built from aluminum, this Talbot-Lago is one of two examples of this type and the only remaining example with its original coachwork intact. It is believed to be one of four Talbot-Lago vehicles with a teardrop design ordered by Freddy McEvoy.

This vehicle left Figoni's factory with painted wire wheels, a sunroof, a blue exterior with gray fenders, and an oval cloisonne badge with the words 'Lago S.S. Paris.' Upon completion, the car was registered in Paris as '3772 RL4' to André David.

On June 24th, 1938, the car was shown at the Concours d'Elegance Fémina held at the Trocadéro Gardens. This Talbot-Lago was joined by two other T150-C-SS Coupes (chassis 90108 - a Modéle New York Teardrop shown by the stepdaughter of Ovidio Falaschi, and chassis 90114 with factory coachwork entered by Freddy McEvoy's mistress, Beatrice Cartwright). For this event, chassis 90107 had been painted cream with red fenders.

At the Concours d'Elegance Fémina, this car (chassis 90107) was awarded the Prix d'Excellence and was presented by Princess Stella de Kapurthala who had recently married Paramjit Singh.

In 1939, the Talbot-Lago was sold to Thomas Stewart Lee of Los Angeles and brought to the United States. Mr. Lee would amass an extensive stable of prominent vehicles over the years, including two other Talbot-Lago T150-C-SS Coupes (chassis 90108 and 90114).

While in Mr. Lee's care, chassis 90107 was repainted in dark red. On occasions, the car was taken to the desert flats, east of Los Angeles, where it was driven at speeds in excess of 117 mph. Mr. Lee's passion and the quest for speed ultimately led to a tragic car accident, leaving him in chronic pain and reliant on painkillers. Eventually, he was forced by legal means to relinquish control of his business empire, declared 'mentally incompetent, and admitted to the Pasadena Sanitarium. In early 1950, Mr. Lee took his life; following his suicide, a full-page advertisement appeared in the September 1950 issue of Road & Track magazine, stating: 'Forced Sale of Prize Collection: The Thomas S. Lee world-famous foreign sport cars must be sold immediately. By order of the Los Angeles County Public Administrator.'

Chassis 90107 was acquired in 1951 by John Duckworth, and the following year, in March, the Talbot-Lago was on the cover of Road & Track. It was road tested, along with his Figoni-bodied Delahaye 135 Roadster, for a feature article. Soon after the article appeared in print, the car was sold to Jerry Hould, who, in turn, sold it to Walker Edmiston.

In 1956, Lindley Locke added it to his growing collection of custom-bodied French cars. While in his care, the car was painted white and driven occasionally during the years of Mr. Locke's ownership. By the early 1960s, the car was put into storage at his Santa Monica, California, garage, where it remained for the next four decades.

In 2002, the car reappeared in Richard Adatto's book, From Passion to Perfection. In 2004, Lindley Locke's widow Betty donated 90107 to The Nethercutt Collection. A ground-up restoration soon followed, with original paint and leather upholstery used as references, ensuring its return to its original colors and configuration.

After the restoration was completed, it debuted in 2005 at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance where it earned a First in Class trophy. In 2007 it won Best of Show at the Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance.

By Daniel Vaughan | Feb 2022