A time when cars were arts
The 1932 Talbot 14/65 Boat Tail Tourer was made from Honduran mahogany.
Chassis number 31983 was first registered on 5th August 1932 as a 14/65 saloon but according to the vendor was transformed approximately forty years ago into the stunning machine that you see today.
The body was built and fitted post-war by a boat-builder using 3 in. by 1/4 in. planks of Honduras mahogany laid from front to back, including the bonnet. The bonnet and doors were then cut out and fabricated to the highest possible standard imaginable.
Mechanical specifications include a six-cylinder 1670cc engine, disc webbed crankshaft, thermo-siphon cooling, flywheel fan, front-mounted carburetor, rod-operated 16 in. brakes and 9 ft. 6 in. wheelbase chassis. Furthermore, a dynamotor is mounted on the front of the crankshaft, doubling as a starter and dynamo, allowing for a seamlessly silent start-up procedure.
The interior is finished in black leather and the two doors have a pocket flap that is decorated in an Art Deco geometric design. The rear two passengers, using two alloy pads to climb in, sit on a bench seat located under a hatch that can be stored in the tail, allowing the elegant mahogany lines to be uninterrupted when one is traveling without additional passengers.
Complete with flashing indicators for safe night driving, 9 in. (23 cm.) diameter Marchal headlights, and rectangular aeroscreens, there is no hood fitted so a towel around your neck and a tonneau is your weather equipment! Oil pressure is reported to be 60 psi and the overall length of this fabulous Talbot is c.15 ft. 5 in.
Of the AU 65 series only 320 chassis were built, however, it can be said with some certainty that no other surviving chassis is as impressive or unique as chassis number 31983.
Credit: Cars & Motorbikes Stars of the Golden Era

← Previous Next →