Jacques Saoutchik, Carrossier by Peter Larsen, Ben Erickson - 9781956309195

The 1948 Salon de l\u2019Automobile: A Star is Born\nOn October 7, 1948, when the Paris Salon de l\u2019Automobile opened its doors in the Grand Palais just off the Champs-\u00C9lys\u00E9es, it was to a world of postwar austerity. Yet despite the hardship, the great coachbuilders were out in force: Figoni et Falaschi, Pourtout, Franay, Chapron and others showed elegant machinery that everyone wanted, but hardly any could afford.\nLike some supernova, the undisputed Star of the Salon blazed on the stand of the Carrosserie de Luxe, Jacques Saoutchik. The presentation was a series of firsts: Saoutchik had taken stand no. 1, the first on the left as one entered the Grand Palais. Placed on this stand was chassis 110101, the first Talbot-Lago T26 Grand Sport chassis made. The voluptuous Saoutchik body it wore was a first showing, a world premiere of its design, a dazzling fastback coup\u00E9 which would become the \u201Csignature\u201D body style for the Grand Sport chassis. A total of sixe