Antonio Lago

Antonio Franco Lago, known as Anthony Lago or Tony Lago, (Venice, 28 March 1893 – Paris, 1 December 1960) was an Italian engineer and motor-industry entrepreneur. In 1934 he bought the French branch of Automobiles Talbot from the collapsed Anglo-French 'Sunbeam-Talbot-Darracq' combine and thus founded the marque Talbot-Lago.[1]

The French government awarded him the Legion d’Honneur for the glory he brought to France.

Biography

Early life

Lago was born in Venice in 1893, but the family moved to Bergamo, where his father was manager (or owner[2]) of the municipal theatre. He grew up in the company of actors, musicians and government officials, developing relationships with leaders such as Pope John XXIII and Benito Mussolini. He graduated in engineering from the Politecnico di Milano.[2][3]

In 1915 he joined the Italian Air Force, where he achieved the rank of major during the First World War.[1][2][3]

Politics

A founder member (one of the first 50[2]) of the Italian National Fascist Party, he became outspokenly critical of fascism, which led to a violent dispute with Benito Mussolini, necessitating his subsequent fleeing to France. In an era of volatile politics he always carried a hand grenade. In 1919 three members of the fascist youth entered a trattoria looking for him, but as they shot the two owners he threw the grenade and ran out the back door. One of the fascists was killed and Lago fled to Paris, reportedly never returning to Italy.[1][2][3][4]

Engineering

Lago worked for Pratt and Whitney in Southern California before settling in England in the 1920s, where he changed his name to Anthony and represented Isotta-Fraschini plus becoming the technical director of 'L.A.P. Engineering'. He then became director of 'Self-Changing Gears Ltd' owned by Walter Gordon Wilson and John Davenport Siddeley which manufactured Wilson pre-selector gearboxes (or he negotiated marketing rights[1][2]), and persuaded 'Sunbeam Talbot Darracq' and others of its merits.[1][3]

Talbot-Lago

Lago was a "ruthless businessman with great charm".[2] During the 1920s the antiquated Talbot factory in Paris had overspent on Grand Prix racing, but Lago convinced Sunbeam-Talbot-Darracq, the British parent, that with him as director it could be back on its feet in 18 months. They paid his salary whilst he transformed the company and they also agreed to share any profits from the sale. His three pronged rescue plan for Talbot involved reducing expenses; building light sporting cars; and using racing for development and publicity. He insisted that the racing cars were closely related to Talbot-Lago production models.[1][2]

In 1933 he moved to France, and when, in 1934, Sunbeam-Talbot-Darracq were planning closure, he managed to convert the Wilson gearbox licence into an option to purchase the Talbot factory at Suresnes after two years. At a cost of £63,000 ([approx Euro 40,000 as of 2012) he founded the Talbot-Lago marque (SA Automobiles Talbot).[1][2][4]

Marketing

1937 Talbot Lago T150 SS. Teardrop Coupe bodywork by Figoni & Falaschi
1938 Talbot-Lago T-150 CSS. Body by Figoni & Falaschi

In 1934 Walter Becchia (the designer of the Citroen 2CV's flat twin engine) produced the Talbot-Lago T150 model and then Lago creatively organised its promotion. In June three cars, painted in the French Tricolour of red, white and blue, were entered in a Concours d'Elegance in the Bois de Boulogne and driven by well-known female racing drivers wearing tailored outfits that matched the cars. The following weekend the same cars and ladies were presented to the French motoring industry at the Prince of Wales hotel, followed by another concours sponsored by a Paris newspaper. Sales were slow due to French recession and lack of racing success, so Lago found a unique new publicity niche, covering 100 miles in one hour at the Autodrome de Linas-Montlhéry.[1]

Scandal

Capitalising on the company's success in sportscar racing, Lago announced plans to build a 3-litre V16-engined car for the 1938 Grand Prix season. He showed the blueprints to the Comité de la Souscription Nationale pour le Fonds de Course (a government body that used public money to try to achieve success in motor racing) and received a 600,000-franc subsidy (approx Euro 300,000 as of 2012), but the V16 never appeared, and it was believed that he used the money to build a factory for Pratt & Whitney aircraft engines.[2]

Business

Despite going into receivership four times, Lago kept the business running until 1958, when he sold it to Simca.[1][3]

Death and commemoration

Antonio Lago was awarded the Legion d’Honneur by the French government "for the glory he brought to France on the race course". He died in Paris in December 1960. He is buried in the cemetery of Predore, the village where he lived.[3]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Concept Carz. Profile of Talbot-Lago
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 8W Forix - October 1999, The pre-war Talbot single-seaters by Leif Snellman
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Bonhams. Profile of 1939 Talbot-Lago T150 C SS Chassis no. 90120 Engine no. 17318-C
  4. 1 2 Old Racing Cars. Profile of Antonio Lago
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External links

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