Tika Raja (princely title) - Paramjit Singh was scion to the royal domain of Kapurthala in the Punjab, famed for its architecture and beautiful gardens, it was referred to as 'the Paris of the Punjab'. Fluent in French, the family were regular habitues of Paris and the Cote d'Azur.
His bride-to-be - Stella Mudge - had been born to a modest English family in Carlton, Kent, on 13th. October 1904, completing her schooling from Coburn Grammar School for Girls where she became fluent in French. As well as learning to play piano, cello and taking painting lessons. Stella also excelled at ballet and ballroom dancing.
Paramjit Singh was already married to a Jubbal princess, Brinda Devi, and the couple were considered ‘jewels in the crown’ of French society, mingling with deposed European crowned heads, including King Alphonso of Spain and Queen Marie of Rumania, as well as extended Russian aristocrats. He also married a Rajput lady from Kangra in 1932, 'for state reasons'.
At their marriage in 1937 the now Narinder Kaur (Stella de Khapurthala) was gifted by the Tika Raja one of the most astoundingly beautiful cars of the day, the present Talbot-Lago T150-C-SS sports coupe. It was unique in being the only New York style 9220 with fully enclosed fenders - ‘enveloppantes’ as Joseph Figoni called them.
Stella de Khapurthala had the car repainted a number of times, to match various of her outfits at concours presentation and won the 24 June 1938 Concours d”Elegance Femina. However in 1939 Stella de Kapurthala decided to sell her wedding gift and hence the famed Italian American racer and importer of exotic cars, Luigi Chinetti arranged to have the Talbot-Lago sold to a wealthy Southern Californian playboy and collector of exotic race cars, Tommy Lee. Lee regularly raced his exotic cars, including this Talbot-Lago which was timed at over 185 km/h.
At Lee’s death in 1950, the car passed through various hands before purchase by legandary collector Lindley Locke, and being placed in storage in the late 1950s, where it remained until Mr. Locke’s death in 2001; carefully preserved and remaining in perhaps the most original condition of any of the extant Teardrop Talbot-Lago.
It was then acquired by the Nethercutt Collection, and following careful restoration, the Talbot-Lago debuted at the 2005 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, earning First in Class trophy - followed by a string of Best of Show awards, and the 2007 Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance.
On 4th. March 2022, Talbot-Lago chassis No. 90107 sold at Gooding & Company auction at Amelia Island for $13.4 USD million, making it the most valuable French car ever sold at auction and the most expensive Talbot-Lago in existence.
Below we see:
1) A factory photograph of the car in 1937 directly out of the Figoni & Falaschi workshop.
2) The Talbot-Lago as presented by Stella de Kapurthala at the concours d'elegance Femina of 24 June 1938, at the Palais de Chaillot (Paris Trocadero)
3) The car aboard ship in yet another paint scheme, and notably bearing a new licence number - perhaps heading for the USA.
1/43 resin by Spark
(As ever, comments and / or corrections would be much appreciated).
@bob-jackmanWhen the car was garaged at some point in its California journey - possibly in Tommy Lee's collection (information not to hand) - the staff referred to the car as "Pants" .
And all this time I thought 'Enveloppantes' were underwear for female pachyderms. LOL. I think my favorite T-L's have the rear enclosed but the front wheel wells open. And I have a running battle in my head about whether I am more partial to Figoni et Falaschi or Pourtout!
@perrone1 It is a conundrum. To my eye Pourtout sits centrally on a scale from creative - Figoni - at one end, to conservative - Chapron - at the other. Personally I prefer the Figoni et Falashi 1930s 'fastbacks' as they are sculpturally more intricate: The Pourtout 'fastbacks' having a simpler, yet bolder form. As I mentioned in a previous post, I think Pourtout had a nice way of sweeping the rear fenders, boot and roof lines into a single form which I like a lot. I think Marcel Pourtout's 1940s forms come more to the fore, standing successfully alongside Figoni and Saoutchik in what is perhaps an even more exciting period of design. Here are some Delahaye Pourtout designs the street shot 1947, the show car listed as '49 but I believe this has to be an error - I think '39, but obviously not Paris Salon as there wasn't one in '39.
@perrone1 It is a conundrum. To my eye Pourtout sits centrally on a scale from creative - Figoni - at one end, to conservative - Chapron - at the other. Personally I prefer the Figoni et Falashi 1930s 'fastbacks' as they are sculpturally more intricate: The Pourtout 'fastbacks' having a simpler, yet bolder form. As I mentioned in a previous post, I think Pourtout had a nice way of sweeping the rear fenders, boot and roof lines into a single form which I like a lot. I think Marcel Pourtout's 1940s forms come more to the fore, standing successfully alongside Figoni and Saoutchik in what is perhaps an even more exciting period of design. Here are some more Pourtout designs the street shot 1947, the show car listed as '49 but I believe this has to be an error - I think '39, but obviously not Paris Salon as there wasn't one in '39.
Very eloquently spoken. You know your Talbot's! My favorite Pourtout is the '37 150 C-SS, while Figoni shows brilliant design in various years. Chapron is less familiar to my eye but, for sure, more conservative in design.
OMG! No; I'd go nuts just deciding on the color and if there were a matching outfit I could buy - great point!
Anyone thinking I was correct in my translation is about as nuts as I am. It sounded to me, at first blush like elephant panties. But envelope pants fits much better. Like Ponton Fenders to Pontoon Fenders.
@michaeldetorrice Thanks Mike for your appreciative remarks. The story - these colourful people - add so much to the cultural value of these cars and for me add a history that is not just dates.
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