The most successful division of the Anglo-French Sunbeam-Talbot-Darracq combine, Talbot might well have escaped takeover by Rootes in 1935 had it not been shackled to its weaker partners.

The company's then healthy position had been achieved by a succession of well-engineered products penned by its designer, Swiss-born Charles Roesch, whose obsession with the pursuit of high performance through increased engine revolutions led to some of the most memorable cars of the 1930s.

Developed from the highly successful 14/45, the 2.3-litre '75' offered roomy, comfortable transport at a competitive price and, like all Roesch's Talbot creations, was powered by a smooth and flexible six-cylinder overhead-valve engine endowed with a remarkably high output for its size.

The chassis was a substantial, X-braced affair featuring semi-elliptic front and quarter-elliptic rear springing, and equipped with effective brakes.

Originally bodied as a saloon, this '75' wears four-seater tourer coachwork by...