Editing Talbot-Lago (section)

===T14 LS engine / Talbot Lago Sport===
{{main|Talbot Lago Sport}}
[[File:Talbot-Lago T14 LS.jpg|thumb|1956 Talbot-Lago T14 LS]]
At the 1954 [[Paris Motor Show|Salon de L'Automobile de Paris]], Talbot-Lago presented their last new engine: the new four-cylinder still had the typical twin laterally mounted camshafts, although it was upgraded to five main bearings. The new {{convert|120|PS|kW|0|abbr=on}} 2,491&nbsp;cc engine was called the T14 LS, but it did not have a car to go in until May 1955 when the [[Talbot Lago Sport|Talbot-Lago 2500 Coupé T14 LS]] was finally presented.<ref name="Decker1">{{cite journal | last = Decker | first = Jean-Paul | ref = Decker | title = Blue note: A bord d'une... Talbot-Lago 2500 coupé T 14 LS 1955 | language = fr |pages=34, 37 | journal = Rétroviseur | number = 267 |date=May 2011 | publisher = Éditions LVA | issn = 0992-5007 | location = Fontainebleau, France }}</ref> The first car had all-aluminium bodywork, but later cars used more steel.  Fifty-four of these coupés were built, but they proved hard to sell - the stylish bodywork couldn't quite hide the thirties' underpinnings, and the rough engine offered little elasticity nor longevity.<ref name="Decker2">[[#Decker|Decker]], p. 38</ref>

Lacking the resources to engineer the necessary improvements, for 1957 Talbot-Lago had to resort to buying in an engine.  They chose the V8 2580&nbsp;cc made available by [[BMW]], albeit with the bore diameter slightly reduced, to 72.5&nbsp;mm, which gave rise to a 2476&nbsp;cc engine displacement, positioning the car (just) within the 14CV [[Tax horsepower#France|car tax band]].<ref name=Automobilia1958>{{cite journal| title =Automobilia| journal = Toutes les voitures françaises 1958 (Salon Paris Oct 1957)| volume = 8|page=74|year = 1998|publisher=Histoire & collections|location=Paris }}</ref>  Reflecting the company's export plans, Talbot now rebranded the car as the "Talbot Lago America" and (finally) came into line with other French automakers by placing the driver on the left side of the car.<ref name=Automobilia1958/>  However, market response remained lukewarm, and only about a dozen of the BMW powered Talbot Lago Americas were produced.<ref name=Automobilia1958/>  In the early summer of 1958, Tony Lago decided to accept an offer from Simca president, [[Henri Pigozzi]], for the sale of the Talbot brand to [[Simca]].<ref name=Automobilia1958/>  The sale of the business went ahead in 1959.<ref name=Automobilia1959>{{cite journal| title =Automobilia| journal = Toutes les voitures françaises 1959 (Salon Paris Oct 1958)| volume = 21|page=78|year = 2002|publisher=Histoire & collections|location=Paris }}</ref>

With the sale of the business to Simca, the new owners found themselves with a handful of the final Talbot Lago Americas which were awaiting engines.<ref name=Automobilia1960>{{cite journal| title =Automobilia| journal = Toutes les voitures françaises 1960 (Salon Paris Oct 1959)| volume = 15|page=60|year = 2000|publisher=Histoire & collections|location=Paris }}</ref>  There was now no question of Simca being permitted, or wishing, to produce cars with BMW engines, and the only solution available was to fit the last batch of cars with Simca's own 2351&nbsp;cc V8.<ref name=AlleAutosder50er/>  This [[Ford flathead V8 engine|engine]] had its roots in 1930s Detroit, and was originally provided by Ford to give the (then) [[Ford Vedette]] produced by their [[Ford SAF|French subsidiary]] a flavor of the driving experience offered by an unstressed US style V8 sedan.<ref name=Automobilia1960/> It was by no stretch of the imagination an engine for a sports car, and even with a second carburetor produced only {{convert|95|bhp|abbr=on}}, as against the {{convert|138|bhp|abbr=on}} of the BMW-engined cars from the previous year's production.<ref name=Automobilia1960/>  Claimed top speed was now 165&nbsp;km/h (103&nbsp;mph) in place of the 200&nbsp;km/h (124&nbsp;mph) listed the previous year.<ref name=Automobilia1960/>  At the 1959 [[Paris Motor Show]] a stand had been booked for what was by now the Simca-Talbot brand, but a late decision was taken not to exhibit a Lago America and the stand was instead given up to a hastily constructed "motor show special" prototype of which, after the motor show, nothing more would be heard.<ref name=Automobilia1960/>