Talbot Owners' Club
- Kern Green, Hartwith Avenue, Summerbridge, Harrogate, HG3 4HT
THE TALBOT OWNERS’ CLUB
The firm of Clement Talbot was founded in 1903, bringingtogether the motor engineering expertise of Frenchman Adolphe Clement and themoney and social standing of British aristocrat the Earl of Shrewsbury andTalbot. Cars were manufactured at a purpose built factory at Barlby Road,Kensington, London and sold as Talbots, incorporating the Earl’s coat of armsin the badge.
Competition was in their blood from the start. Clementcompeted in the world’s first ever Grand Prix at Le Mans in 1906. The EnglishTalbots earned their nickname “Invincible” in the years before WW1 when theywon consistently on the hills, beaches and tracks of Britain. Their finest hourcame in February 1913 when Percy Lambert thundered round the Brooklands trackon a 25hp Talbot to become the first man in the world to cover 100 miles in onehour.
In the early 1930’s the Talbot 90’s and 105’s, designed bygifted Chief Engineer, Georges Roesch, achieved great success at Le Mans and,when not going flat out on the tracks, the Talbot 105’s triumphed in the AlpineTrial, in 1932 winning outright without the loss of a single mark; anextraordinary performance. There werenumerous other competition successes in the 1920’s and 30’s.
The Talbot Owners’ Club (TOC) was established with supportfrom Clement Talbot Ltd in 1934, prior to Rootes buying Talbot. Early membership numbered some 300 andincluded luminaries from the Talbot company and racing fraternity. The Club catered for all cars made in theBarlby Road factory and, in the late 1930’s, became the Sunbeam Talbot Owners’Club, but ceased to function during WW2. The Sunbeam Talbot Darracq Register provided a home for Talbot ownersuntil the Talbot Owners’ Club was re-formed in 2003 under the driving force ofJohn Young. The TOC is wholly alignedwith the aims of the founders back in 1934; “instituted for the fullerenjoyment of Talbot ownership”.
Talbot is the only successful car marque founded by a peerof the realm and the Club is proud to have as its Honorary president thefounder’s great grandson, the Earl of Shrewsbury and Talbot. The founder’s emblem, a standing lion upon acap of maintenance beneath a peer’s coronet, is on the radiator of everyTalbot.
The essence of the Club is to ensure that members meet andenjoy themselves; the Club is open and democratic, dialogue is encouraged. It is for people of all ages who like Talbotcars and want to enjoy the company of like-minded people and also to supportcurrent Talbot involvement in historic competition.
The TOC offers members a wide range of attractive benefits including aninformative website and active forum; a bi-monthly magazine covering Talbotnews and reports, competition activity, technical articles and period extractsfrom pre-war publications; access to spares; a spread of local, national andinternational events; an enjoyable AGM weekend and a Christmas lunch. The Club also has an enviable archivecollection including a number of important donations. The TOC car badges, designed by GeorgesRoesch are very high quality and individually numbered.
For more information, contact [email protected]