1955 Talbot Lago Grand Sport
Click on pics to enlarge-arrow back to text
Ou la la… This is a nice vehicle, despite its French origins. A big 4.5Liter straight 6, with twin cams in the block and triple Solex carbs. The other neat feature is the Wilson or E.N.V pre-selective transmission. Move the column mounted lever to the gear you want before you want it. Push the “clutch” pedal and it’s in that gear. Takes a few minutes to acclimate to thinking ahead, but it’s really pretty clever. It’s originally a British design, but Lago bought the patent rights in the early 50’s and made some minor changes.
Unfortunately, the reason it’s here is that the reverse selector is on the blink. The engine and gear box must come out to rectify the problem. It’s a very expensive bit of sheet metal to have to work on. Only 19 of these cars were produced!
Here’s a shot of the engine..
BIG Six Cylinder 4.5L
Here’s the driver’s seat view.. By enlarging this shot the gear selector is clearly visible on the right side of the steering column.
Interior picture
And here’s the offending gearbox innards. Each of the block like structures on the left side are the selectors for the respective band operated planetary gear sets. The reverse is the bottom left most..
E.N.V. gearbox in neutral
And here’s a couple more shots of the car.
Rear quarter-my favorite
Front view
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