Talbot Lago Awarded Best of the Best

SEE MULLIN’S “BEST OF THE BEST” WINNING 1937 TALBOT-LAGO AT THE PETERSEN

[The following is a press release from the Petersen Automotive Museum, but very much in accord with this week’s coverage of French Classics at Monterey–Ed.]

The Mullin Automotive Museum’s 1937 Talbot-Lago T150-C SS ‘Goutte d’Eau’, which was just honored as the very first recipient of the Peninsula Classics Best of the Best Award at The Quail, will be on public display in the Mullin Grand Salon at the Petersen Automotive Museum for the next 10 weeks.

Los Angeles, Calif. (August 18, 2016) – Every year the best automobiles in the world gather in Monterey, California for Monterey Car Week – a collection of events honoring the finest vehicles ever created. New for 2016, The Peninsula Classics Best of the Best award celebrates automotive design and the art of restoration and preservation, bringing together six of the world’s top concours winners from around the globe to The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering. The Petersen Automotive Museum in conjunction with the Mullin Automotive Museum is extremely proud to announce that the first ever recipient of The Peninsula Classics Best of the Best award is the 1937 Talbot-Lago T150-C SS ‘Goutte d’Eau’ which is currently on display in the Mullin Grand Salon at the Petersen.

The 1937 Talbot-Lago T150-C SS, Chassis No. 90106 was originally purchased by Woolf Barnato, a financier and LeMans winning driver who went on to be the chairman of Bentley, and was later raced by American Grand Prix champion Phil Hill in 1978 at the Pebble Beach road races. The T150-C SS is an incredible example of both Art Deco styling and French technological innovation during the interwar period. The Goutte d’Eau featured a powerful 4.0 liter inline six with hemispherical combustion chambers that made it among the most powerful sports cars of its day. It also used the technologically fascinating Wilson pre-selector gearbox which allowed drivers to select what gear they wanted to be in for the exit of a corner, for example, and then merely dip the clutch to shift gears when they were ready. The Goutte d’Eau’s famous body was designed by French coachbuilder Figoni et Falaschi to resemble the teardrop, a shape that they considered to be perfect. The result was an incredibly aerodynamic shape that brought with it staggering beauty.

The Peninsula Classics Best of the Best Award was decided on by an exceedingly impressive list of 24 judges including Lord March, Ian Callum, Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason, Jean Todt, Gordon Murray, Jay Leno and Ralph Lauren among others. The award itself was created by Hon. Sir Michael Kadoorie, Chairman of The Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels, Limited, and parent company of The Peninsula Hotels, together with award co-founders Petersen board member Bruce Meyer along with renowned collectors Christian Philippsen and William E. “Chip” Connor II.

“To be honored with this award is wonderful. It absolutely justifies our commitment to sharing this wonderful car and others with the public,” said Peter Mullin, chairman of the board of directors of the Petersen and founder and chairman of the Mullin Automotive Museum. “The list of judges for this award is filled with individuals I know and greatly respect and we couldn’t be happier that they selected our Talbot as the first winner of what is surely going to become one of the most coveted awards in Monterey.”

The Talbot-Lago T150-C SS ‘Goutte d’Eau’ will be on display at the Petersen Automotive Museum in the Mullin Grand Salon for 10 more weeks and should not be missed. The new exhibition coming to the Mullin Grand Salon will be announced in three days during the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. For more information on the cars in the Mullin Grand Salon or the Petersen in general, please visit www.Petersen.org. For more information on the wonderful Mullin Automotive Museum in Oxnard, CA please visit www.MullinAutomotiveMuseum.com.

About the Petersen Automotive Museum
The Petersen Automotive Museum Foundation is a non-profit 501(c)(3) charity. The Museum is located at 6060 Wilshire Boulevard (at Fairfax) in Los Angeles, California, 90036. Admission prices are $15 for general admission adults, $12 for seniors and students with ID, $7 for children ages 3 to 12. Active military with ID, personal care attendants and children under three are admitted free. Museum hours are 10am to 6pm. For general information, call 323/930-CARS or visit www.petersen.org.

About the Mullin Automotive Museum
The Mullin Automotive Museum is located at 1421 Emerson Avenue, Oxnard, CA 93033, in the building formerly occupied by the Otis Chandler Vintage Museum of Transportation and Wildlife. The museum is typically open to the public on the second and fourth Saturdays of every month from 10 AM to 3 PM. Tickets must be purchased in advance at www.MullinAutomotiveMuseum.com. Semi-Private tours are offered on Tuesdays at 10 AM and Thursdays at 11 AM for $40 per person. Other weekdays may be available by appointment. Reservations are required. For information on semi-private tours or on Mullin 1000 Club membership benefits, please call 805.385.5400.