Technical characteristics

Engine: 6 cylinders in line, with block and cylinder cover with hemispherical combustion chamber, in light alloy. Special steel rods.
Diameter x Stroke: 93 x 110 mm
Total Displacement: 4483 cc
Maximum power: 260 hp at 4800 RPM
Camshafts: double to the head
Command of the distribution: two magnets moved by gears in cascade.
Power: 3 horizontal Zenith carburetors coupled to two cylinders by a steel collector.
Number of valves: 12
Electrical system: dynamo on the right moved by a trapezoidal belt (the same as the water pump)
Lubrication: dry crankcase, radiator, and pressure by double gear pump.
Refrigeration: by water, with centrifugal pump and radiator
Body type: Monoposto run in the "500 Miles of Rafaela"
Chassis Type: The frame of this car was made up of drawer-type stringers with tubular crosspieces
Maximum speed: 270 Km / h
Case: 4 gears and recoil - side lever - Wilson
Fuel: 70% octane naphtha - 15% benzol - 15% alcohol
Front suspension: independent to deformable quadrilateral and transverse elastic
Rear suspension: double elastic longitudinal
Cushioning: hydraulic telescopic - Rear four
Rear axle: A gearbox located at the exit of the gearbox and the control shaft slightly shifted to the right, gave movement to the differential group
Brake: with drum, with hydraulic control on all four wheels -The brake hoods were made of aluminum with fins and openings for cooling
Address: to the center, worm screw, and sector - the direction of independent bars
Tires and Tires: Rudge type with tires 5.25 x 18 "forward and 7.00 x 18" back.
Fuel tanks: rear tank of 170 lts. - autonomy 600 Km
Cooling system: engine and radiator

Juan Manuel Fangio raced two times with Talbot, in the 500 Miles of Rafaela in 1950, which he won with a T26C monoposto and in the 24 hours of Le Mans in 1951 with a T26GS Sport model, where he left partnering with Rosier.

The Talbot Lake T26 was a Grand Prix car built in the late 1940s by automotive designer and entrepreneur Antonio Lago, born in Italy, nationalized British, who had acquired the English brand and whose base of operations was in Suresnes, near Paris. In its two versions, the T26C car and the T26GS two-seater had a 4.5-liter, inline six-cylinder engine mounted longitudinally, with two valves per cylinder and double side camshaft. In its original version, from 1947, it could deliver 260 horsepower at 4500 rpm and reach a top speed of 270 km / h.

After his first competitions, the team of engineers of Talbot Lago incorporated some modifications to improve his performance: double spark plug, three carburetors Zenith 50HN and a stronger crankshaft that led the T26 to deliver 270 horses at 5000 rpm and exceed 280 km / h of final speed. The power plant was completed with a four-speed Wilson type preset gearbox, which did not have a clutch.

This model of Talbot Lago ran and won a dozen Grand Prix in Europe and also Endurance races, such as The 24 Hours of Le Mans, between 1947 and 1950. Although he came to run in the first season of Formula 1, he stopped participating in the category when the regulating body limited the motorizations to displacements of not more than 1.5 liters with compressor, which left out all the cars with "heavy" engines, of 4.5 liters naturally aspirated.

500 MILES OF RAFAELA 1950 - THE TALBOT SUPREMACY
On Christmas Eve 1950, on his debut aboard Talbot Lake T26C, Fangio and Louis Rosier made history by achieving 1-2 in Rafaela's 500 Miles. The overwhelming difference of the French cars over the others left the third nine laps away.

On the morning of Saturday, December 23, 1950, the circuit of Rafaela tread ground, in the province of Santa Fe, had received 10 millimeters of rain that threatened to complicate the completion of the 500 Argentine Miles, the race that brought The Talbot Lake T26C, also known as the Talbot 4500, was the first time in Argentina. The French team had put all their efforts in bringing three units to compete in the Free Force category and having chosen Juan Manuel Fangio, José Froilán González and Gaul Louis Rosier, recent winner of The 24 Hours of Le Mans, to fly them.

In the middle of the complications caused by the downpour, Fangio achieved the pole position with an average of 207.98 km / h, while Froilán and Rosier achieved the second and third place in the starting line. In the second line the Mercedes-Benz SSK of José Fanto and Luis Brosutti departed, accompanied by the REO of Ernesto Blanco.

On Sunday, Rafaela's semipermanent circuit dawned well consistent thanks to the humidity retained, giving even more advantage to the Talbot Lago, accustomed to the hard European pavement. The start was even, with the three T26C taking distance from the rest. At five laps, Fangio led with an average of 43'4 "(183.54 km / h) per turn, with Rosier barely seven seconds. Froilan began to delay due to mechanical problems until on lap 15 he had to enter the pits to change spark plugs.

 With twenty laps completed, Rosier had taken the lead and Froilán had left definitively. Fangio was second at a short distance and the Mercedes were already more than a lap of difference, marking the supremacy of the French machines compared to the Germans.

Before turning 40 turns, the REO of Ernesto Blanco had a blowout in the middle of a curve that almost makes it capsize. No dent for the driver, the car was left with a differential problem that took him out of the race. Other mechanical problems also left out Fanto's Mercedes.

The attention of the public was concentrated in the fight for the tip of the Talbot Lago de Fangio and Rosier. On lap 45, averaging half of the competition, the Frenchman entered the pits to refuel. A minute and a half later, he returned to the circuit just as Fangio entered to refuel. An extra change of tire made him lose more time than Rosier and went on the track almost 30 seconds behind his teammate.

By lap 50, El Chueco had reduced the difference to barely ten seconds and agitated the attendees, who lived for their driver. When they completed the 60 spins, the Argentine had surpassed the French and achieved a difference of 13 seconds.

The lap time was increasing (from the 182 km / h of the first third to 177 km / h in the final third) but Fangio continued to add advantage over his pursuer. On lap 70, Rosier was back at 25 seconds; in the 75, to 35 seconds and in the 80, to almost 40 seconds of distance.

The final stretch of the race had Fangio as a comfortable leader. With his rival and friend more than a minute away, El Chueco did not slacken the stride and added seconds of difference. When he reached the finish line, with the 92 turns completed, Fangio had achieved a lead of one minute and 22 seconds over Rosier. The T26C thus achieved the 1-2 of the French brand, with a third of the podium, Luis Brosutti with his Mercedes SSK, eight laps away. The Argentine had pulverized the circuit marks with a time of 4 h 32 '37' ', at an average speed of 177.09 km / h and with a lap record of 201.06 km / h in the route of 8746.1 meters. Thus he achieved his first and only victory aboard the Talbot Lago T26C.

Account journalist Alfredo Parga in his book History of a Passion that in the 500 Miles of Rafaela was the assistant sports commissioner Angel Neira who convinced Fangio to use the helmet regulative "to give the example", but no pilot would put it. And Fangio used it.

This race had originally been planned for December 2. But a torrential rain between Friday 30 November and Saturday 1 ° prevented the classification. That's why it was run on Christmas Eve and it was Fangio's 11th victory in 1950.

On lap 50, Fangio was ten seconds behind Rosier. In the 60, the Argentine had surpassed the French and obtained a difference of 13 seconds.

UNIQUE VICTORY

Fangio pulverized the Rafaela circuit, with a time of 4 h 32 '37' 'and a lap record of 201.06 km / h in his only victory in the T26C.

Career

• RaceDatePos
• N ° 85 Rafaela 500 Miles - Santa Fé (MN) 24-12-1950 1º