Clément-Talbot


Clément-Talbot Limited was a British motor vehicle manufacturer with its works in Ladbroke Grove, North Kensington, London, founded in 1902. Rootes renamed it Sunbeam-Talbot Limited in 1938.
The new business's capital was arranged by Charles Chetwynd-Talbot, 20th Earl of Shrewsbury, shareholders included automobile manufacturer, Adolphe Clément, along with Baron A. Lucas and Emile Lamberjack all of France.
The shareholders sold it in late 1919 to the company that became S.T.D. Motors. It kept its separate identity making cars designed specially for it or by its employees until 1934. After S.T.D.s financial collapse it was bought by the Rootes brothers.

Origin

The first Talbots, re-badged Clément-Bayards built in France, were sold by the British Automobile Commercial Syndicate Limited, manager Daniel M. Weigel, from the Earl's premises at 97–98 Long Acre, which included Maison Talbot, importers of Michelin tyres. The earl's flourishing business was the importation, distribution through a large British network and retailing of many brands of European motor cars and associated products. It brought about the close association with businessman Adolphe Clément. The earl closed this business in 1909, when its only advertised brand was Spyker, because it seemed to be foolish to compete with his own Talbot dealers.
On 11 October 1902 Clément-Talbot was formally incorporated "to carry on business as manufacturers of and dealers in horseless carriages and motor-cars, air-ships and the component parts thereof". later lifted to of land were purchased for a new factory in Ladbroke Grove, North Kensington, alongside the Great Western Railway line and between Wormwood Scrubs and the Kensal Green Cemetery. The housing estate now on the site has Shrewsbury Street as its main access-way.

Clément-Talbot Works

Production

Weigel was appointed managing director and C. R. Garrard works manager of Clément-Talbot. Kensington assembly got under way in 1904 initially using imported components. In December 1904 speaking at their annual trade dinner in the presence of all directors the Earl described Clément-Talbot as "partly-controlled by French interests". At that time production was entirely British made except for the engines imported from France. The first wholly British designs were made in 1907. However, in 1908 the opportunity was taken to equip new cars with a very successful new Clément-Bayard engine of L-head design with greatly improved performance. Its more compact combustion chamber gave faster ignition and allowed higher compression ratios. Talbots could now match, even beat Vauxhalls and Sunbeams in competition

Cars offered by Clément-Talbot London (1904–1916)

Cars made in France are marked with an asterisk
NameCylCubic capacityBore and strokeTax h.p.Brake h.p.Years in productionSpeedsWheelbaseTrack
7 hp2100480 x 1007.91905–1906370 in
8 hp2100480 x 1007.91904–1906378 in
8/10 hp *2124885 x 11091907–1907396 in 51 in
9 hp21885100 x 12012.41905–19053
10 hp21885100 x 12012.41905–19063
10 hp21885100 x 12012.41908–19084110 in 53 in
10/12 hp21885100 x 12012.41907–1907493 in 53 in
10/14 hp *4159175 x 90141907–19073108 in 51 in
11 hp2152690 x 120101904–19043
12 hp4240980 x 12015.91905–19154
12 hp4272485 x 12017.91905–19054
12 hp4272485 x 12017.91906–19064104 in
12 hp4272485 x 12017.91906–1906388 in
12 hp *4240980 x 12015.91908–19083114 in 55 in
12 hp4240980 x 12015.91909–19094103.5 in 50 in
12 hp4240980 x 12015.91910–19104110 in 51 in
12 hp4240980 x 12015.91911–19124108 in 51 in
12 hp4240980 x 12015.91913–19144112 in 51 in
12 hp4240980 x 12015.91915–19154112 in 52 in
14 hp4240980 x 12015.91904–19044
15 hp4297690 x 11720.11907–1907498 in 55 in
15 hp4297690 x 11720.11908–19084106 in 55 in
15 hp4297690 x 11720.11909–19094116 in 55 in
15 hp4297690 x 11720.11910–19104116 in 55 in
15 hp4356190 x 14020.11911–19124118 in 55 in
15 hp4356190 x 14020.11913–19134119 in 55 in
15-20 hp4261080 x 13015.91914–19144112 in 51 in
15-20 hp4261080 x 13015.91915–19154121 in 52 in
16 hp4305390 x 12020.11905–19054
20 hp4305390 x 12020.11904–19044
20 hp43770100 x 12024.81906–1906492 in 55 in
20 hp43770100 x 12024.81907–19074117 in 55 in
20 hp6361480 x 12023.81910–19104120 in 55 in
20 hp6361480 x 12023.81911–19114122 in 55 in
20 hp6361480 x 12023.81912–19124123 in 55 in
20 hp6361480 x 12023.81913–19134124 in 55 in
20-30 hp4356190 x 14020.11914–19154127 in 55.5 in
24 hp44398100 x 14024.81905–19054
24 hp44398100 x 14024.81906–19064110 in 55 in
24/30 hp *44398100 x 14024.81907–19074119 in 55 in
25 hp44155105 x 12027.31908–19084117 in 55 in
25 hp44155105 x 12027.31909–19094116 in 55 in
25 hp44447100.5 x 140251910–19104120 in 55 in
25 hp44447100.5 x 140251911–19124118 in 55 in
25 hp44447100.5 x 140251913–19134119 in 55 in
25-30 hp44447100.5 x 140251914–19144127 in 55.5 in
25-30 hp44447100.5 x 140251915–19154132 in 55.5 in
25-40 hp6361480 x 12023.81914–19144132 in 55.5 in
25-50 hp6392180 x 13023.81915–19154139 in 55.5 in
27 hp44942110 x 130301904–19044
35 hp46333120 x 14035.71905–19054
35 hp46333120 x 14035.71906–19064116 in 55 in
35 hp45428120 x 12035.71908–19114118 in 55 in
35/45 hp *46333120 x 14035.71907–19084125 in 55 in
50/60 hp *48624140 x 14048.61907–19084129 in 57 in

Sold out

In autumn 1919 A Darracq and Company agreed terms for their purchase of all the shares in Clément-Talbot as of 31 July 1918. Auguste Oddenino, Regent Street restaurateur and businessman was, by then, a major shareholder in Clément-Talbot. Adolphe Clémente-Bayard's Levallois factory did not flourish after the Armistice of 11 November 1918. He lost interest in motor manufacturing. In 1921 he would sell his works at Levallois to André Citroën. The Earl of Shrewsbury and Talbot died in 1921.
In 1920 London's Darracq added Sunbeam Motor Car Company to its enterprise and renamed itself S.T.D.Motors. Shareholders and subsequent commentators were at loss to explain the commercial advantages given by the combination. Each of the three companies continued to operate independently. S.T.D.'s products were made in respectively, Wolverhampton, London and Paris. Anthony Blight believes Coatalen was drawn back to full-time efforts at S.T.D. by the possibility of racing cars under three brand names and of two nationalities. He had not long retired from his chief engineer post at Sunbeam and was now a design consultant in Paris in his native France.

Automobiles Talbot Suresnes

The process of dropping the Darracq name for the Paris products was begun in early 1919 when new cars were badged Talbot-Darracq. In 1920 Darracq was dropped altogether from Talbot-Darracq. Owen Clegg at Suresnes, Paris, would design new cars to be built in Suresnes and Kensington.
Louis Coatalen who had remained a director of S.T.D. joined S.T.D. Motors as chief engineer and blocked Clegg's new designs. Coatalen's principal interest was a new Sunbeam racing car and, of course, a whole new range of products for Wolverhampton and Paris. Kensington would have to build a small car for the utility market. The new utility Talbot would be designed in Paris by Coatalen's freshly assembled team.

Clément-Talbot London continue

At first the Kensington factory kept its employees busy converting wartime ambulances to Talbot touring cars. When that ran out they had to revert to their prewar models, which were luxury cars and almost impossible to sell in the new slump of mid-1920. They were asked to build the two new 3-litre straight eight S.T.D. Grand Prix cars and a 1½-litre variant – all to wear a Talbot radiator.

Post war designs

;8-18 a Paris design
a small fast chic "utility" car it sold only to country doctors and professional men. The lively 970 cc engine ran very sweetly. Designed in Paris its lack of a differential burst tyres broke spring mountings and gave drivers humiliating battles at corners. It was also fifty per cent too expensive for the "utility" class. A made-in-Barlby-Road Talbot it also turned up from Acton with a different-shaped radiator as a locally assembled Suresnes Darracq.
;10-23 a Roesch amelioration
a bored out 8-18 engine, 1074 cc, a differential, a longer and stronger wheelbase and chassis with the back springs properly tied on. 2½ cwt heavier, it was slower but seated four. It was a commercial success.
;12-30 the first Talbot Six and another Paris design
an 8-18 with two more cylinders, 1454 cc. Weight and price were both up 75 per cent, power up 50 per cent. Mitigated by "delightful" gearbox, and light and accurate controls. Further mitigated the following year by an increased bore so its capacity was now 1612 cc. Neither popular nor successful it is only remembered for being the first Talbot Six.

Cars built by Clément-Talbot London (1919–1938)

NameCylindersCubic capacityBore and strokeTax horsepowerBrake horsepowerYears in production
164261480 x 13015.9—1914–1915 1921–1921
366392280 x 13023.8501915 1921–1921
144195572 x 12012.9—1921–1921
8-18497057 x 958201922–1926
10-234107460 x 958.9231923–1926
12-306145457 x 9512—1922–1924
12-306161260 x 9513.4301924–1924
16-506254070 x 11018.2—1924–1924
18-556254070 x 11018.2—1925–1925
14-456166661 x 9513.8461926–1935
20-606291675 x 11020.9—1926–1928
18-706227669.5 x 10018601930–1930
906227669.5 x 10018931930–1937
756227669.5 x 10018701931–1937
1056296975 x 11220.91001931–1937
656166661 x 9513.8461932–1935
956296975 x 11220.9951933–1936
1106337880 x 11223.81231935–1937
Eight8450480 x 11231.71501936–1936
104118563 x 959.8411936–1939
3-litre6318175 x 12020.9781937–1938

Some of the last true Talbots