Georges Roesch Talbots

I photographed this line-up of Talbots at the Coys International Historic Festival meeting at Silverstone in July 1997.

The three green cars bear the number plates of the three Talbot 105s that took part in the 1934 Alpine Rally, each of the cars completing the rally without a single penalty point and thus winning a Coupe des Alpes, or Alpine Cup. The programme of the Silverstone meeting shows that number 72 was the 1934 Talbot 105 of Stephen Curtis and was driven in the two Pre-War Sports Car Races that weekend by Humphrey Avon and Tom Threlfall. Of the other two Talbot 105s one was entered by Stephen Curtis and driven by himself and David Morris, and the other entered by Peter Bradfield and driven by him and by another driver 'to be nominated'. Those cars were numbered 71 and 73, but the racing numbers can't be seen on the other two green cars in the photograph and I've not been able to positively identify which is which. BGH 21 and BGH 23 are largely original, but BGH 22 is a replica built after the original car bearing that number was exported to Australia. The white car at the far end, registered PL 2, is a 1930 Talbot 90, one of the team that finished in 3rd and 4th places in the 1930 Le Mans 24 Hour race. This car isn't listed in the Silverstone programme as taking part in the races there.

There's a Talbot Owners Club, whose website carries a report of the 1934 Alpine Rally.