Talbot (Automobiles Talbot, Suresnes, France)
Competitive years: 1928-1938
Horsepower Range: 160
The Talbot 8C 1500 was one of the two significant cars built for the 1926-27 1500cc Grand Prix formula, the other being the Delage. The block and head were integral and made of welded steel in block of four, and employed a Roots supercharger. As a Grand Prix car, time and money was short for the STD team and no matter how fast, the Talbots could not keep the Delages from winning. At the end of 1927, reportedly four cars were sold to Emilio Materassi, who continued to campaign and develop the cars in voiturette events until his death at Monza in 1928, but Scuderia Materassi continued to run the cars with limited success.
Enrico Platé then bought two cars from the Scuderia and from 1931 to 1938 he and several other drivers (one named Ferrari but not Enzo) entered voiturette races primarily in Italy, usually finishing mid-field and helped fill the grids. The Talbot might have been a proven race winner for the 1500cc voiturette classes, but never lived up to its potential.