26th Nov, 2008 13:20

The Pavilion Gardens

 
  Lot 42
 

1932 Talbot 105 Fox & Nicholl Team Car

Sold for £202,500

(including buyers premium)


Lot details
Registration No: PJ 7363
Chassis No: 31084
Mot Expiry: June 2009

"Of all the cars I ever drove, from Frazer-Nash to Monoposto Alfa Romeo and Type 59 Bugatti - the 105s were the nicest to push to the limit, and only the Monza Alfa would go round corners quicker" (Brian Lewis, Lord Essendon)

With his contract to manage the Lagonda Works team terminated at frustratingly short notice in mid-January 1930, Arthur Fox of the Tolworth-based dealer and race preparation specialist Fox & Nicholl sought a new marque partner for the forthcoming season. Aided and abetted by Colonel Warwick Wright, he persuaded the Clement Talbot Ltd board to build and maintain three specially modified four-seater touring cars based on the company's recently unveiled '75' model. In return, Fox promised to source a team of drivers and pay all entry fees as well as taking responsibility for pre-race testing etc. After an ignominious start, the resultant trio of Works Talbot '90' cars proceeded to dominate the 3 Litre class at such prestigious events as the Le Mans 24-hour race, Irish Grand Prix, Tourist Trophy and Brooklands '500'. While, a single-seater version set a host of International Class and British Records including covering 500km at an average speed of 105.62mph. The spectacular success enjoyed by the '90' cars was all the more remarkable given that their engines displaced just 2276cc.

Understandably keen to make preparations for the 1931 season, Arthur Fox began badgering Talbot and more particularly its chief engineer, Georges Roesch, for a full 3 Litre capacity sports tourer in October 1930. His persistence was rewarded some two months later when the factory not only agreed to continue its provision of Works cars but also published a catalogue listing details of a new 2969cc '105' model priced at £835. Based around a 9ft 6in wheelbase, the newcomer's sturdy ladder frame chassis was equipped with all-round leaf-sprung suspension (semi-elliptic front / quarter-elliptic rear), various cross braces and massive four-wheel drum brakes (just under 16in in diameter). True to Roesch's ethos that even Talbot competition cars should contain a high percentage of production car DNA, the first four Fox & Nicholl '105' cars (road registered as 'GO 51', 'GO 52', 'GO 53' and 'GO 54') also featured Luvax hydraulic dampers, thermostatically controlled radiator shutters and a single Zenith 48mm downdraught carburettor.

Among the most unprepossessing looking but technologically sophisticated powerplants of the 1930s, the straight-six engine fitted to the '105' boasted a seven-bearing crankshaft, nickel chrome Swedish steel con-rods, four-bearing chrome-plated camshaft, vertically staggered inlet / exhaust tracts and diagonally opposed combustion chambers (the latter facilitating the use of 'oversize' 44mm inlet and 40mm exhaust valves). Shorter, lighter and more rigid than most of its contemporaries, race-tuned versions of the pushrod overhead-valve unit developed 119bhp @ 4,800rpm in 1931 and 132bhp @ 4,800rpm a year later (but were reputedly safe to over 5,000rpm). Bodied in aluminium over ash to contemporary 'Touring Car' regulations, the Fox & Nicholl 'GO' cars each sported a disappearing hood, detachable reinforcing strut ahead of the rear seats, cycle wings, fold-flat windscreen (complete with integral aero screen), 19in centre-lock wire wheels and an alligator tail housing the spare plus a thirty-five gallon fuel tank. Further benefiting from a close-ratio four-speed 'crash' gearbox, ultra-direct steering (1.25 turns lock-to-lock) and torque tube drive, the quartet's distinctive light Apple Green over Dark Green livery was reputedly inspired by Georges Roesch's fiancée who was a buyer for Debenham & Freebody's.

According to Anthony Blight's authoritative tome 'Georges Roesch and The Invincible Talbot', the 'GO' cars enjoyed considerable success during the 1931 season at events as challenging as the Brooklands 'Double Twelve' (1st, 2nd and 3rd in class), Le Mans 24-hours (3rd overall, 1st unsupercharged car), International Tourist Trophy (4th overall, 2nd in class) and Brooklands '500' (6th overall, 2nd in class). Blight also states that one of their number, 'GO 54', was temporarily reclaimed by Roesch and entered for the 1931 International Alpine Trial. Notable as the first Works Talbot to tackle the gruelling rally, it underwent extensive preparation at the marque's Barlby Road, North Kensington factory. Swapping its original engine for a lower compression unit, the '105' Team Car was further modified with wider-spaced gear ratios, less sensitive steering (2.25 turns lock-to-lock), supplementary friction dampers, an auxiliary side-mounted spare wheel and single-piece windscreen. Entrusted to Humfrey Symons / Norman Garrad, 'GO 54' was one of sixty-one cars marshalled in front of the Maximilian II Barracks outside Munich for the start of the event on July 31st. Competitor number '28', the next several days saw it traverse some of the most torturous roads to be found in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy and France without the loss of a single mark. Winning one of just six Glacier Cups awarded that year (the highest honour achievable by a single entry) the Talbot had the further distinction of being the third fastest car up the legendary 9,042ft Stelvio Pass behind Donald Healey's Low Chassis Invicta 4.5 Litre.

As part of the ongoing relationship between Clement Talbot Ltd and Fox & Nicholl, 'GO 52', 'GO 53' and 'GO 54' were comprehensively re-engineered and rebuilt for the 1932 season. Boasting new chassis, engines, gearboxes and running gear, the reworked '105' Team Cars proved as competitive as ever with 'GO 53' running as high as 4th overall on the Mille Miglia and 'GO 54' finishing 3rd overall at the Le Mans 24-hours. Although, he contemplated entering a team of three 'GO' cars for late July's International Alpine Trial and mid August's International Tourist Trophy, Arthur Fox soon realised that the estimated time window between the trio returning from the Continent on August 7th and leaving for Ireland on August 15th was just too tight. Forced to choose between the two events, he plumped for the latter but not before Barlby Road had helpfully made three new '105' engines numbered AV 33, AV 34 and AV 36 (the same as the racing units in 'GO 54', 'GO 51' and 'GO 53') so as to alleviate any difficulties with registration logbooks / carnets abroad. While, the Works were happy to supply Fox & Nicholl with mechanical consumables, budgetary constraints meant that they were unwilling to make any more complete cars available for competition purposes.

Besides which Arthur Fox had made it clear he was targeting the International Alpine Trial's most coveted prize, the Alpine Cup (or Coupe des Alpes). Only granted to the highest scoring team of three cars in each class, entry for the award automatically precluded competitors from qualifying for individual Glacier Cups should one or more of their team mates fail. Despite, Talbot blanching at the prospect of such a 'death or glory' endeavour, Fox persuaded Eller and Bill Reeves - the two marque enthusiasts at Warwick Wright Ltd - to finance the building of three bespoke Team Cars with which he could mount an Alpine Cup challenge. However, the Warwick Wright backing came perilously late and the project was not green lit until June 29th; a scant three weeks before the new cars would need to leave for the Continent. Unlike their 'GO' car siblings, the 'Alpine' trio were to be bodied by Vanden Plas with full four-seater coachwork and elegant flowing wings. Their appearance would thus be far more marketable and any success achieved more likely to result in sales (an important consideration given that Warwick Wright Ltd had committed some £2,000 to the venture). With much of the chassis fitting-out process being completed at Vanden Plas' Hendon premises in an attempt to save time, Blight described how: "Knee deep in carpenters and wood shavings, Saunders and his men nevertheless contrived during the next fortnight to make the few permitted alterations suggested by Roesch and Day. The back axle ratio was left untouched at 4.36:1 . . . The instrument panels virtually duplicated those used on the racing cars, resplendent in appearance with the outsize revolution counter and oil gauge, but boasting a brace of clocks for the Trial; at the back of the car, a double carrier was made up to hold a pair of spare wheels where one normally sufficed, requiring a special outswept bumper bar to clear them" (Georges Roesch and The Invincible Talbot', p.330).

Hurriedly stamped with 'A' suffixes, the duplicate engines originally put aside for the 'GO' cars were allied to 'silent third' gearboxes and fitted to chassis numbers 31082, 31083 and 31084. Road registered as 'PJ 7361', 'PJ 7362' and 'PJ 7363' respectively (albeit at the second attempt), the Fox & Nicholl 'Alpine' trio were still being run-in on their way to the event's start line. Ahead lay the toughest International Alpine Trial yet with, in Blight's words, "a full six days of motoring, the running of one complete section in darkness, and the addition of a second speed hillclimb. The route now embraced the entire Alpine chain from the start at Munich to the finish at San Remo on the Italian Riviera, plunging from one country to another about twice every day". While, the Mille Miglia spanned the 1,000 miles its name suggested, the Alpine Trial asked competitors to endure 1,625 miles on some of the most challenging roads Europe could offer. Warwick Wright Ltd's gamble was not quite as foolhardy as it first appeared for Georges Roesch frequently holidayed in the Alps and knew better than most the challenges they provided. Plus the Talbot 105 Fox & Nicholl Team Cars only opposition in the big car class came from the 3-Litre Wanderers and 3.6-Litre Ford V8s, Blight commenting that "There could well have been many more team entries, considering that there were four Works-prepared Armstrong Siddeleys and trios of Invicta, Mercedes, Steyr, MG and Wolseley all running in the Trial; but their entrants lacked the necessary confidence in the total reliability of their products, and concern that the failure of one team car would involve the failure of all, caused them to enter the cars individually" ('Georges Roesch & The Invincible Talbot', p.334).

Crewed by Brian Lewis / Arthur Fox ('PJ 7361', Car Number '7'), Tim Rose Richards / Don Wilcockson ('PJ 7362', Car Number '8') and Norman Garrad / Jack Playford ('PJ 7363', Car Number '9'), the three Fox & Nicholl Team Cars sought to stick together and run as quickly as possible so as to minimise the effect of any mishap or mechanical malady. Despite wearing heavier four-seater coachwork than their Wanderer and Ford rivals (both of which opted for two-seater bodies), the Talbot trio were the fastest team entry on the Trial and among the very swiftest competitors. Indeed, their performance advantage was such that they not only caused the Ford team leader Sporkhorst to retire with head gasket failure (after he had tried to dice with Brain Lewis) but also finished most stages with plenty of time to spare. Though, the trio's antics to ensure that they did not reach the route checkpoints too early lead to some narrow escapes as Blight vividly recounted: "The fifth day began innocuously enough . . . but as the Talbots reached the mountains they ran into rain for the first time in the week . . . Fox and his men were more than usually glad to reach the halfway control of La Thuile with plenty of time for lunch. They were, in fact, far too early to report, and not knowing quite where the checkpoint might be, Fox crept forward on foot to reconnoitre. He had actually reached an inviting looking restaurant and was about to summon his crews, when a man with a large blue flag emerged from the front door, causing Fox to dodge hastily behind the nearest tree: the restaurant was itself the control point and the officials were already preparing for the first arrivals, due in half an hour's time. Nothing daunted, Fox rallied to the gastronomic cause once more and found a back way into the restaurant through the cellars, leading his troops past the astonished kitchen staff to dine in one room while the officials finished their meal in another" (Georges Roesch and The Invincible Talbot, p.339).

The fifth day was also seemingly responsible for the 'Alpine' trio's biggest scare: "At last the leading car came in sight of the head of the Pass (at the top of the Col de Galibier), Fox resisting a sudden impulse to burst into song; but a moment later his ears were assaulted by a sound even more terrifying: a sudden appalling clatter, as if every bearing in the engine had run simultaneously. Switching off the engine and cramming on the brakes, Lewis pulled into the side, wondering what on earth could have happened; and as he and Fox sat there anxiously looking at each other, their hearts fell into their boots when they were joined by Tim Rose Richards and then by Norman Garrad, both equally worried with the same unnerving symptoms. Seconds later the same shattering commotion broke out again, and feeling rather foolish everyone began to giggle; surveying the surrounding crags they soon espied a gang of road menders a little higher up the mountain, hard at work with pneumatic rock drills" ('Georges Roesch and The Invincible Talbot', p.340 ). At the end of six days' competition, 'PJ 7361', 'PJ 7362' and 'PJ 7363' had suffered broken front silencer mounts and a mysterious oil loss from their back axles but not incurred a single penalty; the first time such a team performance had been recorded on the Alpine Trial.

Finding time for a roadside wash and polish prior to crossing the finishing line, the Talbot 105 Fox & Nicholl Team Cars became the first entry by a British manufacturer to win an Alpine Cup (or Coupe des Alpes) since Rolls-Royce achieved a similar feat some two decades earlier. News of the Talbots' victory spread quickly and Warwick Wright Ltd's leap of faith was handsomely rewarded with "a marked upsurge in interest in the '105', culminating in enquiries from Buckingham Palace itself". Put on display at Warwick Wright Ltd and later at Fox & Nicholl, the Alpine cars were soon sold into private hands. Unfortunately, the ease and magnitude of their success only served to highlight Barlby Road's dissatisfaction with the lack of outright victories being scored by the 'GO' cars. Though, the latter had established themselves as credible rivals to the myriad Alfa Romeo 8C 2300s which dominated contemporary sports car racing, it was obvious that the '105' could not eclipse its Italian nemesis without a serious capital investment. A state of affairs which led Blight to opine that "and so it was that the 1932 Alpine Trial, in some ways the summit of Talbot competition achievement, was paradoxically enough one of the factors leading to the foreclosure of competition altogether" ('Georges Roesch and The Invincible Talbot', p.342).

H&H are indebted to the vendor for the following description of the car's post Alpine Trial history and current condition:

Known Ownership History:

Soon after the Trial, 'PJ 7363' was sold into private hands and nothing is known of its history until 1953. The Talbot was bought by Don Nicholas of Rugby in April 1953, who sold it to Sandy Murray the next year. Anthony Blight reports that Sandy Murray raced the car in the mid-fifties, but my search of VSCC records has proved inconclusive. Sandy Murray relinquished the car in 1957 to The Hon Raymond Hervey Joliffe, now the fifth Baron Hylton and one of the hereditary peers still sitting in the House of Lords. About that time, Sandy Murray bought ERA R1A, so it looks as though the Talbot had to go to make space. I have a file of invoices from this period with some interesting information on what an engine overhaul cost! The car was then owned by Brian Silvester from 1958 until 1964, when it passed into the hands of McEwen and Bell's Garage in Bakewell who sold it to Jeremy Wallington in July 1964. Brian Grigg purchased 'PJ 7363' during early 1965 and began a long project of restoration, reported by Anthony Blight in his records on the history of the car. Brian Grigg refurbished a lot of the '105' to the standards of the time, but by 1996 the task was still unfinished, and he sold it, along with a huge quantity of spares, to Bill Barrott in Sheffield. Bill took great care in ensuring that all the original 'PJ 7363' bits were intact with the car, and I bought the complete car, in pieces, from Bill in 1997.

It did not take long to reach the conclusion that while much work had been done to the standards of the 1960s, everything needed to be checked or redone to bring it up to current standards. And so, under my ownership and guidance, renowned marque specialist Ian Polson took on the task of an extensive professional restoration of the car in 1997 - 1998. As far as possible, I was very keen to ensure that the originality of the car was maintained, and this has been done with one or two permissible exceptions. The inclusion of a full-flow oil filter, flashing indicators and H4 headlight units are examples of the minor variations we introduced. I also fitted a header tank for the radiator, to avoid the problem of losing the expansion coolant each time the engine warms up. I have a large photographic record of the work done at this time. I have rallied and exhibited the car extensively during my ownership. Highlights were:

(i) Euroclassic touring rallies throughout Europe
(ii) Never raced, but enjoyed track days and circuit laps on tours
(iii) Competed in the Liege-Rome-Liege historic rally on seven occasions, taking home silverware on several of these trips (2002, 2003, 2004 and 2005)
(iv) Twice shown at the Louis Vuitton Classic Concours (2001 and 2004)
(v) Twice taken part in the Mille Miglia retrospective (2006 and 2008), finishing as the highest placed British crew in 2008.
(vi) Led the charge back to the Alps in 2007 to celebrate the 75th Anniversary of the 1932 Talbot triumph.
(vii) Touring trips to historic motoring events such as the Le Mans Classic etc

It seems that Rome is our favourite European city, having driven there on at least six or seven occasions. In all of this, we have never failed to finish an event.

Condition Report:

Coachwork: The complete Vanden Plas body, panelling and wings are original to the car. When 'PJ 7363' was restored in 1997, the aluminium panels were removed to carry out some minor repairs to the ash frame. The original panels were then refitted and the whole of the coachwork reassembled. The running boards were replaced at that time, with the pattern carefully copied from detailed 1932 photographs. The twin spare wheel assembly and rear bumper, built specially for the three Alpine Trial cars, is exactly as in 1932. Overall, the present condition is excellent, with just some minor cracks from flexing of panels visible.

Paintwork: When I bought the car in 1997, it had been painted dark green over the original Talbot green. At the time of the restoration, the complete body was stripped back to bare metal, but not before three detailed original colour samples had been taken from parts of the car where daylight had not penetrated. These were carefully copied, and so we are as sure as we can be that the colour is the same as in 1932. The car is cellulose painted and has developed a delightful patina over the past ten years.

Engine: The restoration in 1997 included an extensive engine overhaul. The block (number 'AV 34A'), crankshaft and camshaft are original. Rods and pistons have been renewed, and the crankshaft hardened. Mains are white metal with shell bearings on the big ends. Steel timing gear and oil pump drive were fitted. The head has been fully refurbished with new valves and guides fitted in 2007. We have not fitted hardened valve seats, choosing to use an additive in the fuel. Compression ratio is about 9.3:1. The engine produces circa 138bhp @ 4,100rpm. There are the usual Talbot oil leaks from around the unit and overall it runs extremely well and is in excellent condition.

Transmission and gearbox: The gearbox is original to the car and has been fully overhauled including fitting a new laygear assembly. Engine and gearbox carry the same numbers ('AV 34A'), typically the only two numbers exactly matching on a Talbot 105. The story behind the 'A' suffix is told in Anthony Blight's account of the preparations for the Alpine Trial. Gear ratios are standard for the 'silent third' gearbox. The rear axle and torque tube were refurbished in 1997 and have also recently undergone some further improvement. The back axle is fitted with a 4:1 crownwheel and pinion but the original 4.3:1 set is available with the car. Wheels are original pattern, with narrow rims of 2.75 inches. I have chosen to run Blockley 500 x 19 tyres, the closest I could find to the originals.

Electrical equipment: The car was fully rewired in 1997 and is fitted with the Talbot dynastart and two fresh heavy-duty batteries. The dynastart has been refurbished and is operating very reliably. All the electrical equipment is in excellent working order. The headlights are fitted with low wattage quartz halogen bulbs for normal night driving and the Desmo pass lamps have modern H4 units fitted with xenon bulbs. The original internals for the Desmo pass lamps are available with the car. There is provision for fitting an electric fan, but I have used the car with the original mechanical fan under all circumstances for the past few years.

Interior Trim: When we restored the car, we were able to preserve much of the original leather. The rear seat and squab, and the rear quarter panels are predominantly original albeit renovated. The front seats have been retrimmed in matching leather. Many of the original Vanden Plas body numbers are visible on the components. The carpets were renewed throughout in 1997.

Overall: All major mechanical and body components are believed to be original to the car. The only known exception is the front axle beam, which is of the correct type but not original to this '105'.

Alongside, 'PL 2' and 'BGH 21', 'PJ 7363' is widely acknowledged as being one of the most original Talbot Fox & Nicholl Team Cars left in existence. Eligible for a host of prestigious historic events (many of which it has already savoured), this exceptional and historic '105' is offered for sale with a large history file, sundry parts and MOT certificate valid until June 2009.




 

All successful bids must be paid in full by midday the day after the auction at the latest.

You can collect your new pride and joy from our venue until 1pm the day following the sale or our partners are on hand to help arrange safe transportation:

               

Auction: The Pavilion Gardens, 26th Nov, 2008

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