Talbot Teardrop

The tears of Figoni

This eye catcher is called the goutte deau, the water droplet. In English it is called the teardrop. Antonio Lago, the founder of the company, wanted to produce a number of very exclusive sports cars. For the exterior he turned to the Parisian design house Figoni & Falaschi, known for their flamboyant yet always stylish bodywork designs.

The absolute best in car design

As a design, the car stands out for its aerodynamic fenders, the extremely slanted windshield, and the headlights, door handles, and turn signals recessed into the bodywork. The car is widely regarded as the masterpiece of coachwork designer Giuseppe Figoni and ranks among the absolute top in automotive design.

The feeling of movement

Figoni was inspired by shapes from aviation, with which he tried to give a stationary car the illusion of movement. Behind its beauty, however, this car hides the fact that it is a pure racer. Under the hood is a four liter six cylinder engine producing 160 hp. The teardrop finished third at Le Mans in 1938, behind two Delahayes.

A true racer

The teardrop that can currently be admired in the Louwman Museum was owned by Mrs Robin Byng, Countess of Strafford, who used the car in prewar France. After the war the Talbot Lago was sold to gentleman driver Rob Walker, who even used it as a practice car for Le Mans in 1949.

Short but powerful

Figoni & Falaschi is a partnership between two Italians who emigrated to France, designer Giuseppe Figoni and businessman Ovidio Falaschi. Their success is short lived, however. After the war there is no longer any demand for special coachwork. Figoni and Falaschi go their separate ways; the latter returns to Italy and Figoni goes on to run an ordinary garage.

Experience this masterpiece up close

Dont wait another moment to see this masterpiece in real life. Plan your visit to the Louwman Museum!