FLF 217 - the story of a unique Talbot T23 Figoni et Falaschi Coup By Bill Clark and Jean-Louis de Brux

From information received from Claude Figoni, initially via Andr Vaucourt who saw Vaughan Gaskells new acquisition during its restoration at Arthur Archers, the Figoni et Falaschi works number was #704. Chassis 93095, a Talbot T23 Baby with the 4 litre, twin carburettor, vertical ohv, 115 bhp engine was received by Figoni in May 1938 to be bodied as a coup, colour aluminium grey, wings dark metallic grey. In Talbot parlance, Baby refers to a 2.95m. wheelbase chassis, the Major was 3.20m. and the Master was 3.45m. Records show that the car was ordered by, or at least for, Madame de Casembroot. It seems almost certain that she was the wife of Jacques de Casembroot1, a successful French film director of Belgian origin active in Paris at that time. Thanks to Jean-Louis research we know that at the age of 30, Jacques married Valentine Hlne Yvonne Alexandrine Jeanne DE KERGUEZEC, then aged 21, on 22/09/1934. They divorced on 29/04/1941 in Paris. Valentine subsequently married Bernard Lon Jacques Etienne M.J. WIBAUX in 1944 in Paris. This divorce would seem to provide an answer to the question of why Mme. only kept the car for a few months, if that. Questions remain however: Was the car ever badged as Talbot? Why was such a unique, upmarket model shipped to GB as a demonstrator? Would a T23 Baby coach usine as on p 87 of Spitz not have been more appropriate? Were Figoni et Falaschi trying to crack the English market, where they were cruelly nicknamed Phoney and Flashy by elements of the motoring press? Claude Figoni says that the car was not shown at the 1938 Paris Salon. 93095 was the only coup to this design, although there were six cabriolets built by Figoni et Falaschi to the same pattern. One of these, for the tenor Villabella is pictured on page 129 of Alain Spitz book TALBOT Des Talbot-Darracq aux Talbot-Lago. From the waist down, this body is clearly the same as 93095s body. By a stroke of good fortune, one of these cabriolets passed through Arthur Archers hands during the restoration of 93095 and enabled the grille and front bodywork to be returned to the original design, after removal of the American alterations. The photos to the left are Villabella and his car, this time extracted from Talbot by Jacques Borg and Nicolas Viasnoff, page 132. Editions Henri Veyrier, 1980. The next record of the car has it registered FLF 217 in London on 5th January 1939 as the Darracq demonstrator by Albemarle Motors. The badge over the grille is
1

His notable films include: Laurette ou le cachet rouge (1931), Mimosa Bar (1933), Appartement louer (1936) and Lange gardien (1942)

Darracq, the chassis plate is Darracq, the speedometer is calibrated in MPH, but the Motor records the headlights as being fitted with yellow French specification bulbs. Rebadging of Suresnes built Talbots as Darracq was necessary to avoid legal action by Lord Rootes who jealously guarded his rights to the names Sunbeam and Talbot in Britain and several other countries, including Sweden. FLF 217 was road tested by the Motor for its 31st January 1939 issue and by Autocar for its th 17 February issue.2 There then follows the first substantial blank period from 1939 to 1952. When advertised in Motor Sport in 1961 it was described as ex Peter Murray Hill. This is the only reference in Vaughans papers to Peter Murray Hill. As confirmed by his daughter, Auriol Lee, he was the actor and rare book dealer who was married to Phyllis Calvert and who died in November 1957. Auriol Lee places his ownership of FLF 217 in 1953/54, following which he had a Daimler and a Delage. As Auriol recalls, I well recall my poor mum's exasperation each time Peter would arrive home at the gate at the wheel of yet another exotic automobile, but even she had to admit to falling in love with the Darracq. If Im right it was a beautiful shade of blue, and had an elegantly sculpted 'tail'. Phyllis (1915-2002) was a major English movie star of the 1940s. An extract from her obituary in the Independent states it was the Regency hit The Man in Grey (1943) that catapulted her into superstardom, along with her co-stars James Mason, Margaret Lockwood and Stewart Granger. Calvert played the trusting wife trapped in a loveless marriage to sadistic Lord Rohan (Mason). A search of the British Pathe film archive will produce two interviews with Phyllis en famille. The earlier interview includes a glimpse of Peter with their daughter, then known as Ann Auriol.

(Photographs LIFE magazine and http://peoples-history.com/ ) FLF 217s history resumes with the issue of a continuation logbook on 21st September 1954, when according to a rather doubtful photocopy of this brown logbook, it was owned by Dorwin Court Ltd of Weyspring House, Farnham Lane, Haslemere. Engine number is quoted as 23328. Ownership changed again on 5th November 1958 (possibly 1955, the copy is not clear) to Henry John Francis Marriott, of 80 Harley St, London, presumably a doctor, but not the famous American cardiologist whose middle initials were JL, not JF. Based on the logbook photocopy, ownership changed again on 23rd January 1962 to Peter Moore. The son of the racing driver and car dealer, Oscar Moore, he advertised FLF217 for sale in Motor Sport :
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The Motor Road test is included as Appendix 1

DARRACQ by FIGONI et FALASCHI Bugatti blue. Actual 1939 Autocar Road Test car. Ex-Peter Murray Hill. Engine, gearbox completely overhauled 59. Full 4-seater. Superb condition throughout. A chance to acquire one of the most beautiful cars ever built. Should be seen. 590. Isotta Fraschini. 29 Lancefield spts saloon 225 Terms and exchanges. OSCAR MOORE, 204 Ballards Lane, N.3
(tel:) FIN(chley) 2920/7050

The poor thumbnail picture in the old photocopy of the advert shows the car with wheel discs and apparently still with its two tone paint scheme, despite the description of the colour as Bugatti blue in the advert. Pre-dating the registration change by several months, an October 1961 letter from Peter Moore to LH Andrews claims the engine was completely overhauled at the Talbot factory in 1959 with less than 6,000 miles since. Cost was 182. The overhaul included the gearbox. This would seem to have been carried out during Henry Marriotts ownership. Which Talbot factory is the question? Suresnes? Or was it simply Mr Moores imagination embellishing work by a local garage? 93095 was then shipped by Peter Moore unboxed on s.s Dongedyk on 6th February 1962 to the USA. and LH Andrews of 1156 Miramonte, Los Altos CA. There is now the second substantial blank period from1962 to 1980. A USA title document of 14 th October 1980 shows she was then owned by Robert E Pingleton of San Jos, CA apparently having been in storage in a furniture depository in San Jos for many years. This period of storage is thought to be responsible for the rot in the timber body frame and the panel corrosion. The first mention of the car in Club Talbot records appears as a handwritten addition to a very early typed recensement dated by hand, June 1976. Photos provided to Tony Carroll in 1983 indicate that at this point 93095 was two tone tan and cream or yellow, bumpers had been removed and horizontal slats put in the grille, but the wheel discs were still in place and the rear spats had not yet arrived. The original headlamps appear to have been lost and replaced with very flat units. Third and final blank period 1980 to 1988. During the period up to 1988, the car was further modified by re-fitting a front bumper and fitting rear wheel spats, removing the original Figoni wheel trims which fouled the spats, and respraying in maroon. At some point the rear lights were lost and the headlights changed for larger size units of the original type. The continuing presence of the British rear numberplate was permitted on cars imported to the USA.

Pictures show FLF 217 as she arrived at Arthur Archer.

She was bought by Craig Taylor in partnership with his friend Craig Davis on 26th April 1988 for over $200,000. Craig T lives at Pebble Beach and is a judge in the Concours there. According to Craig D, I purchased the car and left it in storage for some time. I did not modify it in any way. I always assumed it was quite original. As I recall it was (originally) two tone tan or cream and then all maroon when I purchased it. I gave it a quick respray in two blues to display it (not show it) at Pebble Beach for the year (1992) that French cars were featured. It was not restored and was very much in need of work when Vaughan purchased it. Having said that, it ran pretty well and the Wilson with its clutch worked better than many others I have driven. The paint job was not expensive and the car was not stripped to bare metal. The recorded mileage of 25,850 was believed to be genuine by Craig Davis, who sold her in December 1998 to reduce his collection. Informed that the car had not been sold at the August 1998 auction3, Vaughan had flown to California to negotiate in person. The price he paid for the car landed at Felixstowe was 48,000. Under the skin, all was not well

The 1998 2009 restoration by Arthur Archer was commissioned by Vaughan Gaskell with the intention of returning the car as closely as possible to her original shape and colour when she left Figoni et Falaschis workshops. To achieve this, body timbers had to be re-made, body panels replaced or repaired, the rear wheel spats removed and the original grille re-instated. Differences from her 1939 conformation are few the oversize headlamps have been retained, the 1950s style rear number plate with its integral rear lights was thought preferable to the
3

The catalogue entry for Brooks Quail Lodge Sale of August 1998 is attached as Appendix 2.

rather unsightly twin plates shown in the 1939 pictures of the car. Also original rear lights proved impossible to find. Mechanically, Arthur agreed with Craig Davis assessment and very little work was required. A restrained grey leather was chosen for the interior trim, with blue carpets in a similar tone. Design of the interior was partly taken from the illustrations in the Road Test reports, and partly from the sister cabriolet being worked on by Arthur. Credit for the immaculate paintwork must be given to Tony Hine of Moorland Classic Cars, Stoke-on-Trent and for the superbly trimmed interior to Dave Beswick in Derby. Vaughan has never been brave enough to add all of the bills, but reckons the cost of the restoration was over 200,000. Vaughan was kind enough to have FLF 217 brought out of her comfortable berth in his collection to be photographed and show her paces. These were exactly as would be expected from the road test reports. Clearly in her day this was a very fast and solid car with excellent road manners. She still is a genuine low mileage thoroughbred in as-new condition. The final question which begs an answer is why did none of her previous owners use her more often?