They say if you want something done right, you have to do not yourself, and that’s the philosophy Geoffrey Taylor applied to his Depression Era sports cars. Working under the banner of ‘Alta’, Taylor earned an impressive reputation for designing and building the vast majority of the parts that comprised his cars, including the chassis, powertrain, and devilishly-cool bodywork. In the mid-1930s, Taylor built a handful of state-of-the-art, single-seater race cars — one of which is currently being sold through RM Sotheby’s private sales.
One of only six examples ever produced, this exact 2.0L Alta Grand Prix — engine/chassis No. ‘52S’ — was campaigned in a myriad of prestigious races like the Brighton Speed Trials, Monaco Prince Rainier Cup, and the Pescara Grand Prix. It also set a lap record in 1935 at Brooklands. Though the Alta undeniably boasted some impressive mechanical features, it’s the racer’s unique bodywork design that really sets it apart from other elite vehicles. And while it might not carry quite the same level of prestige or historical significance as the Alfa Romeo P3’s and Buggati Type 35’s that it competed against, this ultra-rare Alta nonetheless wonderfully encapsulates the exotic and innovative race machines of the pre-WW2-era.
