For a little over 40 years, Talbot-Lago made acclaimed, high-performance automobiles that continue to fascinate car enthusiasts. The marque has been defunct for over 60 years, but the Talbot-Lagos that remain regularly command high prices at auctions, including a 1939 Talbot-Lago T150-C-SS Coupe, which sold for over $4.8 million at auction in 2008.
That’s not a small number, but it pales in comparison to what a 1937 Talbot-Lago T150-C-SS Teardrop Coupe sold for as part of Gooding & Company’s latest Amelia Island Auction. It ended up selling for $13,425,000, which makes it not only the most valuable Talbot-Lago ever sold at auction, but the most valuable French car ever auctioned.
There are several reasons why the T150-C-SS sold for a such a significant amount. The coachwork is by Figoni et Falaschi, and it’s one of only a handful of teardrop designs to be made. Fewer still have survived to the present day.
This wasn’t the only high-profile sale at Amelia Island, however. A 1991 Ferrari F40 sold for over $2.4 million, while a 1967 Toyota-Shelby 2000 GT found a buyer at over $2.6 million. Several Porsches also sold for over $2 million, as did a 1998 RUF Turbo R Limited — which set a record for its particular marque as well.
Of the 99 lots up for sale, 91 of them sold. All told, the total sales were $66,534,480 at Gooding & Company, with the average car selling for $731,148. It’s the auction house’s most profitable event held at Amelia Island.
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