1933 Talbot AV105 Drophead Coupe

This 1933 Talbot AV105 Drophead Coupe “Brioni" is finished in two tone blue with a grey interior and a blue hood. Its coachwork was crafted by Offord and Sons Ltd of London, who were founded in 1791. They made the Brioni three position drop top model bodywork, which was fitted on the lightweight Talbot chassis. The Brioni originally retailed for £795 and was marketed as “one of the most comfortable and at the same time smartest cars made today”.

The styling of the Talbot AV105 Drophead Coupe was very much of the period, with large headlights, a large upright chrome radiator grill and sweeping front wings leading down to the running boards.

The proportions of the 2+2 Drophead are well balanced with the two tone blue paint complementing the Offord and Sons Ltd coachwork.

The exterior of the Talbot AV105 Drophead Coupe presents with a charming level of patina. There are signs of wear in the paint, with chips, scratches, some rub marks and light areas of surface rust present on some of the panels.

An attractive set of painted wire wheels with chrome knock offs are fitted to the Talbot. The wheels continue the patina theme and have surface rust present, with the chrome knock offs in good condition. A full set of Lucas tyres are fitted and they appear to be in good condition.

Up front the large headlights and grill dominate the Talbot’s face. The cars brightwork work is in nice shape overall with some marks and signs of age present. A good day polishing would certainly be very rewarding. The drivers wing mirror is present, however the passenger side is broken and is missing.

The interior of the Brioni Drophead is quite spacious with enough room for four adults. The grey leather seats are in good condition with some marks and signs of wear present. The door cards are in decent shape and again have evidence of use.

The blue carpets are intact, with some of the blue carpet pile starting to thin in a few areas.

Prewar cars are known for their multifunction steering wheels and the Talbot’s is no exception, with controls for the ignition, choke and trafficators in the centre. Behind and to the right of the steering wheel is the Wilson pre-select gearbox gear lever and on the left is the control level for the adjustable dampers.

The Talbot’s wooden dashboard is intact and all the gauges are present, though some are not functioning. The centre console is showing signs of age and wear, with some cracks present around some of the fixing screws, so it could do with some refurbishment.

A nice feature is the flip out front windscreen which can be very welcome on those warm sunny drives.

The suicide doors open nice and wide, with the drivers door hanging slightly, which catches on the running board.

The blue fabric hood is in decent shape over all with some small tears and wear present. The side chrome pram handles lock into place, with the hood securing well to the windscreen surround. The moveable wooden support bar for the 3 position hood has been repaired poorly in the past and is currently broken and would need replacing. The hoods internal liner is showing its age and could do with replacing.

Overall the condition of the interior matches that of the exterior with a nice level of patina that could be enhanced with a careful detail and renewing of some parts and fittings.

The Talbot AV105 was powered by the advanced 3.0 litre six cylinder designed by Georges Roesch. Matched with the 4 speed Wilson pre-select gearbox, it certainly would have been both relaxing and sporting Drophead for its time.

The seller states that the Talbot’s engine has never been rebuilt, due to its low 41,000 miles over the last 89 years. According to the seller one of the previous owners kept the Brioni as original as possible, rebuilding or replacing parts only when necessary.

He goes on to say that the exhaust has been partially replaced, but does still require some further work to finish. And both the hand throttle and choke are not working from within the cabin. However the choke can still be operated at the Zenith Type 48VI carburettor.

The car does start and move but as it has been in storage for some time, the seller recommends a thorough recommissioning and service before taking it on the open road.

Not much is known about the Talbot’s history prior to 1949. The seller states it was purchased in that year by Mr Stanley Evans, who was a car dealer in Surrey. He sold it to a Mr Bridges in the same year, before passing to Mr Ted Hardwidge in 1958. The seller says that Ted completed a partial restoration of the car during his ownership, which included a gearbox rebuild, radiator replacement and a full repaint, from black to its current two tone blue. Photo’s in the history file show the car during its restoration and upon completion. Ted then sold the car to his Godson in 2010.

This Talbot AV105 comes with a selection of paperwork including the original Talbot owners manual, a wiring diagram, some past MOTs and invoices for previous maintenance (notably from Talbot specialist A Archer), a Buff Logbook from 1949 and settings records for a Wilson pre-select gearbox.

The 1930s was an exciting time for the automobile industry with the racing scene driving development and performance, which naturally trickled down to road cars. The Talbot AV105 is a fascinating car which was very advanced for its time. This attractive Brioni Drophead Coupe presents a wonderful opportunity to recommission and restore a rare sporting model that was the pinnacle of Anglo-French motoring in the 1930s.

We estimate this car to fetch between £45,000 - £60,000.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with the vendor in Tonbridge, to arrange an appointment please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.