|
|
Bugatti Legends book! 25 Euro only! |
|
New: News (May 14)
New: Bugatti Miniatures news (May 14)
New: Bugattis for sale (May 12)
New: Events (May 5)
New book: Coche a la Vista! - Medio siglo de automovilismo Chileno tras la Huella de Juan Zanelli (May 3)
New: Question (April 24)
New: Bugatti parts offered (April 24)
New: Bugatti parts wanted (April 24)
New: issue of the Bugatti revue (April 14)
New book: Bugatti Type 43 Register and data book (February 25)
New book: Ettore Bugatti, L'Artisan de Molsheim (February 25)
New book: Bugatti Type 46 - La Petite Royale (February 9)
New: some Bugatti miniatures wanted (December 2)
New: Bugatti wristwatch wanted (October 28)
Compare over 95% of the car insurance market with help from The Thrifty Scot.
Try a competitive car insurance quote at Kwik-Fit.
Q4 Insure Compare cheap car insurance quotes
Contact Budget for Van Insurance in the UK
Saga specialise in over 50's Car Insurance
Tesco Personal Finance - for all your Motor Insurance needs
Picture Sheets of the Bugattis, per Catagory
Information on the Bugatti types is also included!
This site was missed since 2001, I put it back on line, thanks to Pascal van Mele, the version is of January 2001!
Especially the the Hunting for Bugatti Information, "Everything Bugatti" (articles) and the Bugatti cars database are of the most interest, but you will find much more!!!
However, of course Jacob does not respond to mails anymore, some older links may not work, the Pim Faber books, models and stamps databases do not work, and the Hunting Bugatti Questions are not followed up. As a service, I will post all answers to his existing questions on my pages, new questions will be published on my site also!
Bookshop
Bugatti, awaiting the launch of a truely new model, like the Veyron Targa or the Saloon, presents the 3rd variation of the Veyron. After the Veyron PurSang, and the Hermès Fbg, they now present the SANG NOIR, presumably as a homage to the Bugatti T57SC Atlantic.
It seems that the Veyron clients appreciate an even more individualised (though a series of 15 Pur Sang's is claimed) car than what the Veyron already is.
See for yourself, the carbon bonnet and top, black sides, black air scoops and new wheels do give the car a different appearance, though nowhere close to the Atlantic, which Bugatti in it's brochure calls a T57 Atlantique! What about the attention to heritage that Bugatti says to have!?
Though the Veyron's all look differently from the outside, they all have the same mechanics, with 1001 HP 16 cylinder engine and 4-wheel drive. There are some price differences, with the "Basic" Veyron being 1.1 million, the Hermès Fbg 1.55, and this Sang Noir in between with 1.4 million.
2010 will see the launch of the Bugatti-Schumacher F1 team.
VW will bankroll the team to the tune of £500million over the next 5 years. The drivers are unknown but could include Nick Heidfeld and Lewis Hamilton as his contract with McLaren will be over by then.
Micheal Schumacher will be the team CEO and test driver. Ferrari are understood to be disappointed to be losing such a great asset to the team but understand his desire to run a team of his own name. Micheal will step away from the team at the end of 2008 to concentrate on setting up Bugatti-Schumacher and so as not to have a conflict of interests.
There have been rumours of Bugatti entering Formula 1 already more than 5 years ago, this time, it may be true. However going by what Micheal is doing nowadays, there sure is determination in him in the technical side of Formula 1.
Themotor.net – 05.05.08.
May 8, 2008 At the recent (May 6) IMPRESSIONIST AND MODERN ART Auction (Christie's) in the Rockefeller Plza, New York, a Rembrandt Bugatti sculpture, "Grand tigre royal" fetched a stunning $2,617,000.
Info:
Signed, numbered and stamped with foundry mark 'R. Bugatti CIRE PERDUE A.A. HEBRARD A3' (on the base)
bronze with dark brown patina
Length: 28¼ in. (71.7 cm.)
Conceived circa 1913 and cast in the artist's lifetime
Provenance
Galerie A.A. Hébrard, Paris.
Maison Jansen (acquired from the above).
This work will be included in the new edition of the Rembrandt Bugatti Catalogue raisonné currently being prepared by Véronique Fromanger.
This magnificent sculpture represents the last stage in Bugatti's stylistic development and in many respects the height of his achievement as an artist. While having created some three hundred sculptures during his tragically short life, it is his depictions of big cats that are, for many, his greatest and most charismatic works. Having spent a period of ten years sculpting and studying the animals at close hand, Bugatti acquired considerable knowledge of their attitudes and behavior, and would apply this to greatest effect in his final works. Created in 1913, less than three years before his untimely death at the age of 31, the Grand tigre royal is one of his last and most compelling sculptures, embodying as it does his late and most expressionistic technique. The piece is imbued with a powerful sense of movement and dynamism; the considered and often impressionistic surfaces of many of his earlier works here giving way to rich striations and lines that crisscross irregularly, rendering simultaneously the stripes of the coat and the musculature beneath. An essay in anatomical accuracy and awareness of form, Bugatti here skillfully captures the essence and vitality of his subject, to create a sculpture that gives lasting testament to his mastery.
For the the Bugatti revue the earliest issues have been available in CD Rom format only, due to a lack of space on my server. I now relocated all my sites BugattiPage.com, BugattiRevue.com, BugattiAircraft.com and Special-Classics.com to new servers.
This gave me 4 time the original space (4GB now), that I could put all the old issues back on. So, enjoy your reading!
May 2, 2008 Prizes won by Bugattis at the 2008 Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este :
Concorso d’Eleganza Design Award
By Public Referendum at Villa Erba
Bugatti Veyron Hermès 2008, Georges Keller, D
Trofeo Girard-Perregaux
Special Prize of the Jury
Bugatti 57 SC Atalante 2-door Coupé Gangloff #57532, 1937, Antonius Meijer, NL Above
Class C: STREAMLINED - Style and speed
Mention of Honour
Bugatti 57 SC Atalante 2-door Coupé Gangloff #57532, 1937, Antonius Meijer, NL
Further Bugatti present was:
Bugatti Type 57 Cabriolet Graber 1936 #57444, owner Roland Jordi (CH)
Thanks to Christophe Chanterault (for this item and others)
RM Auction Amelia Island: 1928 Bugatti Type 35B Supercharged Recreation, Not Sold
The estimated value was set at $175,000 - $225,000 which was not obtained. Bidding reached $160,000 which was not enough to satisfy the reserve and the car was left unsold.
RM Auction Classic Car Auction of Michigan: 1934 Bugatti Type 57 Galibier Sedan #57178: $242,000 Sold. The buyer is J. Braam Ruben (NL)
April 24, 2008 Amongst Bugatti items stolen from me in UK at Christmas last year my Eureka Bugatti pedal is still missing. Anybody with any information could you please send me details via email: brianswann01@aol.com
Bugatti’s widely renowned Veyron will be getting a Targa variant next year, according to a source at parent company Volkswagen. The news confirms what we had speculated almost a year ago, and the fact that a former Bugatti executive has spoken out lends a good deal of credibility to the claim - not to mention that Bugatti’s communication chief, Georges Keller, has also confirmed the convertible Veyron is in the works.
According to the exec, the targa option was the only one available to Bugatti “because there was no other solution which could fit with the car’s safety cage”. While the hard-top will be removable, there will be no storage space for the roof within the car, meaning the cover will have to be taken off at home. If the weather turns nasty a concealed fabric cover can be extended to protect the cabin, reports Automotive News.
Without the roof, the car will require added reinforcements and underbody changes to maintain torsional rigidity. These changes are expected to come at a cost to performance, and top speed is rumored to be limited to 217mph (350kmh).
Bugatti is yet to reveal how many convertibles Veyrons will be produced and when the first cars will be available. Previous reports claim production numbers will be somewhat lower than the 300 coupe models, with many suggesting there will be just 80 Targa models.
Austrian Helge Hauk over the years collected almost all literature, magazines, publications, videos etc. about Bugatti, and constructed a fantastic catalog of all known published Bugatti information. It is now free for anybody to see and discover what is still missing in one's collection (and I can tell you, that is quite a lot)
It is published in 5 separate PDF files, of which over 600 items on books alone, and about 500 items on all other publications!
All this information is now accessible on: http://1974.19.funpic.de/Almanach/almanach.html
April 18, 2008 Many of you did correctly identify the mistery Figoni below as a modern design, even coming up with the original photograph from which the background was taken. It was of course all too obvious, especially the sloping bonnet and the too modern front wheel. I put it on my page just for fun, to see what reactions I would get.
However, I was still surprised to see that it was copied as a true mistery car, on BugattiBuilder.com. No Jeroen, I won't be giving any names here!
Terry Cook's Decoride Bugatti / Delahaye Figoni & Falaschi / Van Vooren inspired "Hot Rods" were presented before on this page. The car above is just a coupe version of an existing open car design.
More info: www.decorides.com
April 14, 2008 I received this, relatively unsharp picture of a Bugatti, at first I wouldn't believe it, but according to the person who sent it to me, it reads "Figoni & Falachi - Bugati - 1939" on the rear. This should be a T57 or T57 C then. I tried searching my archives, but couldn't find it.
Does anybody have more information on this car, or any additional information, chassis number etc.?
If you have information, please mail directly to me.
PRESS RELEASE
ANGERS, FRANCE - April 2, 2008.
The much anticipated decision from the High Court of Appeal in Angers, France was handed down on the biggest Bugatti legal battle in years. On March 18, 2008 The High Court of Appeal found that American businessman and car connoisseur Mr. Christopher Gardner and French engineer Mr. Thierry Bizon were completely innocent of all charges. The High Court also found that Mr. Francois Cointreau had lied regarding statements and documents he filed with the French court. If the Cointreau name sounds familiar, it should. Cointreau is a household name in France, and is renown for the liquor that bears its name. Francois is the son of the patriarch of the Cointreau family.
Find here the complete court papers in French
The case began years ago with a dispute between Mr. Gardner and Mr. Francois Cointreau. Mr. Gardner had brought his 1935 Mercedes 500K to the Cointreau’s shop “Sarl Restaur’Auto” for restoration. In the course of that restoration Mr. Cointreau expressed his interest in purchasing one of Mr. Gardner's prized possessions, a rare and important Type 57 Bugatti Cabriolet with one-off coachwork by Albert D'Ieteren (57589).
Mr. Gardner agreed to sell his Type 57 Bugatti to Mr. Cointreau on an installment basis for FRF1,800,000 (280,000 Euro), with payments due over time. Subsequently, Mr. Cointreau abandoned the restoration of Mr. Gardner’s 1935 Mercedes Benz 500K pushing the unfinished car into a vacant garage. Mr. Cointreau also failed to make the final installment payment for the Type 57 Bugatti. After much correspondence, Mr. Cointreau and Mr. Gardner settled their dispute in October 2001. That settlement was that Mr.Gardner would take back his T57 Bugatti , for which Gardner had only been partially paid, and accept the unfinished restoration on the Mercedes 500K after having already paid for that restoration in full.
However, to Mr. Gardner's surprise, that was not the end of it.
According to court documents, Mr. Pierre Cointreau, father of Francois and part owner of the Cointreau car restoration company, was unhappy about how his son Francois had settled the dispute with Mr. Gardner. The elder Cointreau sought to revise the settlement, despite the fact that the settlement was signed by Francois Cointreau and witnessed by Mr. Thierry Bizon who was at Mr. Cointreau's shop at the time of the settlement. Mr. Gardner said he was not interested in revising the settlement. Then inexplicable things began to happen.
Mr. Cointreau generated a suspicious invoice for over 150,000 Euro for work on the Bugatti T57. Mr. Cointreau also furnished a suspect affidavit by Dutch Bugatti dealer Braam Ruben to inflate the value of Mr. Gardner’s Type 57 Bugatti and thus undermine the true settlement.
When the influential Cointreau's presented these documents to the lower French courts, the case escalated into a criminal complaint, naming Mr. Gardner and Mr. Bizon as conspirators. In November 2001, French authorities seized Mr. Gardner's Bugatti Type 35C (4882) and Mercedes GULLWING while stored at Mr. Thierry Bizon’s shop. That Court ordered seizure was made on the basis of another falsified document rendered to the Court by Mr. Cointreau in order to trumped- up his revised settlement claim. The Cointreau’s even managed to have Mr. Gardner arrested based on these and false documents. Gardner was immediately declared innocent before the Angers Court in 2002 days after being retained on those bogus charges. Despite that clearance the investigation continued deadlocking Gardner's assets with the use of a criminal overtone.
The case dragged on for over six years through the complex French Court system. Mr. Gardner and Mr. Bizon consistently proclaimed their complete innocence during those years. In 2005 it was thought that the case had seen the light at the end of the tunnel when the Judge ordered a hand writing analyzes of Mr. Cointreau. The Carte Gris (title) of the T57 Bugatti appeared to have been signed by Mr. Gardner. This Court investigation found that likely Mr. Cointreau had forged Mr. Gardner's signature. This forgery put the Bugatti into the Cointreau's companies name, despite not having paid for it in full.
Mr. Gardner and Mr. Bizon persisted, but their claims of innocence fell on deaf ears. The lower Angers court found them both guilty despite all the material evidences in their favor. Undeterred, Mr. Gardner retained new counsel and appealed the low court decision. Mr. Gardner retained Maitre Antoine Barret of Angers, France, a close relative of Mr. Cointreau's own attorney Patrick Barret , the former President of the Angers Bar Society. The appellate case was set for a January 2008 argument.
At the January 2008 appeal hearing, the powerful influence of the Cointreau family in Angers was brought to bear. The Cointreau’s provided another affidavit to further inflate the value of the Type 57 Bugatti. This affidavit was by Cointreau’s new witness, Bugatti middleman Mr. Patrick Faucompre. Faucompre issued the new affidavit after implicating a unsuspecting American Bugatti Club member under questionable circumstances in a phone conversation. The Faucompre document was deemed fictitious with the outraged Club member emerging immediately to issue a statement to the High Court of Angers that Faucompre had lied.
In a bold move, Mr. Gardner’s attorney let Mr. Gardner testify as part of his closing appellate argument. Mr. Gardner methodically and passionately explained what the true value of his Type 57 Bugatti was, and why the Faucompre affidavit, as well as the earlier affidavits, were each inaccurate, unreliable and falsified to trick and deceive the Courts.
The High Court of Angers found Mr. Gardner's testimony compelling and ruled his explanation of transaction well documented , reasonable , logical , and fair. The High Court of Appeal reversed all prior rulings and cleared Mr. Gardner and Mr. Bizon. The High Court of appeal also found that Mr. Cointreau had lied outright in his statements to the Criminal Court and had contradictory statements throughout the proceedings. The Civil case was dismissed and Mr. Gardner’s other cars were released immediately.
Mr. Gardner's attorney, Maitre Antoine Barret, summarized the years of litigation: "It has been a long road for Mr. Gardner and Mr. Bizon. They consistently proclaimed their innocence. It was a long awaited and well deserved victory."
Mr. Gardner and Mr. Bizon have made no comment to date, other than to express their satisfaction that the High Court of Appeal handed them a resounding reversal, ending the years of rumor and innuendo directed at them by many of the Bugatti Clubs and members. Bugatti and classic car enthusiasts alike should take note: In the world of Bugatti, as well as all other car circles involving rare cars, one should be very careful in assessing the honesty and integrity of shops and restorers, even when those persons are assumed to be of high regard.
Stay tuned for the rest of the story in an upcoming three part expose of interest to all Bugattists and connoisseurs of rare and classic cars.
Joseph Ford III
Attorney and Bugattist
Since the death of Yorkshire Bugatti enthusiast Dr H. Carr, specialists have been trying to secure his ex-earl Howe Bugatti Type 57S Atalante. Not seen since the early '60's, the car is now rumourd to have sold privately for 3.5 million GBP. a similar price to that achieved last year for another Atalante.
March 8, 2008 The New Hermes designed Veyron Bugatti will revive a relationship initiated in the 1920's between Emile Hermès and Ettore Bugatti. Hermes needed a zipper designed, and called on Ettore to design it for him. Thus this new designer issue Veyron has a zipper designed radiator to hint that special zipper connection. The new Hermes-designed Bugatti Veyron - was unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show today. It features a maroon colored exterior with beige bonnet. The interior looked like my wallet, but not so empty. It comes with 22-inch special edition wheels and Hermes fuel-filler cap. In fact there is the H logo all over the car. The inner surfaces of the Bugatti Veyron Fbg par Hermès have been designed in bull calfskin (Young Bull ?) by the Hermès workshops in Paris. The door handles follow the forms of handles on Hermès bags and luggage. Hermès, originally a Parisian-based saddle maker is the only special designer edition Bugatti plans to do. I asked about a Prada edition and that and the Von Dutch special issue was not possible. Rumor at the Geneva Show stand on Press day ( March 5 ) was that this car was going to RUSSIA where it would be able to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in a mere 2.5 seconds. It is priced at 1.55 million Euros (not including tax), and available at the end of 2008 if you want to order one. It comes with a special wallet in the glove box that matches the interior.
Photos and text By Christopher Gardner, Switzerland
Press Release On the occasion of the 78th Geneva Motor Show (from 6 to 16 March 2008), Bugatti and Hermès co-present the fruit of their partnership: the “Bugatti Veyron Fbg par Hermès”, associating Bugatti’s technical performance with the expertise of Hermès and its craftsmen. In partner-ship with Hermès, designer Gabriele Pezzini has married the distinctive Hermès style to the legendary Bugatti Veyron 16.4, magnifying the car’s personality.
This remarkable car features an array of excep¬tional characteristics: the innovative alliance of a technologically advanced engine, deliver¬ing 1001 horsepower, with an understated yet uncompromising silhouette reflecting the high performance capacities of state-of-the-art engineering and design, and above all, the pleasure these inspire in every Bugatti owner.
The fascination exerted by this sports coupé, capable of reaching 407 km/h, is due in large part to its unique alliance of the very finest motor-racing technology with comfortable handling for everyday driving. The 16-cylinder “W” configuration engine is fed by four turbochargers and features 64 valves, generating 1001 horse¬power at 6000 rpm. The engine draws on its 8-litre displacement to deliver a maximum torque of 1250 Newton-metres between 2200 and 5500 rpm. With full-time all-wheel drive, the car’s phenomenal power produces breath-takingly dynamic handling, with acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h in a mere 2.5 seconds. The Bugatti Veyron 16.4 benefits from aero-nautical and aerospace technologies, making it the fastest production car ever made. The car also features a braking system designed to deliver unprecedented powers of deceleration, establish¬ing a new industry benchmark. The carbon-fibre discs provide brake pressure of up to 180 bars, combined with eight-piston monobloc callipers and titanium pistons fitted with fine steel heads and ceramic heat protectors. Apply the brakes at speeds above 200 km/h, and the rear wing acts as an airbrake, positioning itself at an angle of 113 degrees in less than 0.4 seconds, augmenting the Bugatti Veyron’s already impressive stopping power. The airbrake increases negative lift at the rear of the car to 300 kg, enhancing the braking torque on the rear axle. At 400 km/h, emergency braking will bring the sports car to a complete halt in less than 10 seconds.
This, the world’s most fascinating car, has pushed back the limits of physical engineering to offer a completely new sensation for driver and passenger alike. But it has also adopted a radically different stance to that of other sports cars: its features and finish are sure to impress the most demanding clientele. Hermès and designer Gabriele Pezzini have lavished attention on the interior and exterior of this exceptional car, to create the new Bugatti Veyron 16.4: the “Bugatti Veyron Fbg par Hermès”
The official name of the highly exclusive Bugatti Veyron “Fbg par Hermès” refers to the historic Hermès headquarters on the Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, in the heart of Paris’s eighth arrondissement: the “Fbg” appellation evokes the house’s “faubourg” address.
With the Bugatti Veyron Fbg par Hermès, the exacting standards of Émile Hermès and Ettore Bugatti come together for the first time, in a exceptional collaboration: the culmination of their extreme attention to aesthetic and techno¬logical quality and performance.
Gabriele Pezzini has reinterpreted Bugatti’s tradi¬tional two-tone carriage work, fostering a fluid, harmonious transition between the car’s exterior and interior design. The colour of the hood extends to the interior of the cockpit, and re-emerges behind, at the level of the rear wing.
As a tribute to the celebrated 1924 Bugatti Type 35, undoubtedly the most famous of all time, thanks to its many successes on the racetrack, the new Bugatti Veyron Fbg par Hermès features eight-spoked wheels in polished aluminium, central butterfly wheel locks branded with the letter H, and air vents around the rims repro¬ducing the characteristic appearance of Hermès saddle-stitching. The horseshoe radiator grille, and the lateral ventilation grilles flanking it, are made from lightweight alloys with a design of interlocking H’s evoking the Hermès “signature”.
The inner surfaces of the Bugatti Veyron Fbg par Hermès have been designed and sheathed in bull calfskin by the Hermès workshops in Paris. The care and attention to detail observe an extremely refined, minimalist formal vocabulary, reflecting the tradition of the very first Bugattis and the fundamental design principles of the house of Hermès. The door handles echo the fluid forms of handles on Hermès travel bags and luggage. And the dashboard, traditionally finished in brushed aluminium, is here clad entirely in bull calfskin. Passengers aboard the Bugatti Veyron Fbg par Hermès will find a dashboard glove compartment designed to hold a selection of small travel accessories and a zipped Hermès wallet. Both seats are covered in two-toned bull calfskin, and the panel separating the cockpit from the central rear engine – traditionally made of carbon fibre – is covered in the same fine leather. The leather-lined trunk holds a specially-fitted “Toile H” and leather case, hand-made by craftsmen from the Hermès workshops.
This exceptional model – in toning colours of ebony and étoupe, or ebony and brick – is priced at 1.55 million euros (not including tax), available at the end of 2008.
February 25, 2008 Having spent a frustrating couple of years looking at your website but being unable to let on as to what I was doing, I can confirm that the Bugatti Trust and myself (Stuart Brown) have created a Bugatti Type 35 down to its' last nut and bolt in a 3D design package. The ultimate goal is to get the car working as a virtual system.
As far as we are aware, this is a world first in that no out-of-production car, let alone a pre-war Grand Prix car has been recreated out of the original plans, in its entirety, in 3D.
So why is this so ground-breaking and important?
1) The project has from the outset been to do with preserving all the known information on the Bugatti Type 35. To that end, we have worked from the original plans: the car's DNA. We have also involved the UK's foremost experts on the Bugatti marque. Working from the original plans has meant that by deduction, plans for those parts which did not previously exist have now been created.
2) Both myself and The Bugatti Trust are keen to involve "new blood" in the classic car scene and the fact is that the younger generation are at their most comfortable when dealing with computers. To this end, what we have achieved is akin to the human genome project (but obviously massively less important to humanity). Now that the parts have all been recreated in 3D the way the information can be used is limited only by your imagination,for example the aerodynamics, cooling system, chassis rigidity and strength of individual parts can all be analyzed to see just how good Ettore Bugatti's designs are.
3) Bugatti owners should benefit from more accurate and better value parts (obviously supplied via the Bugatti Trust/Owners Club). I personally feel that this is a very important issue as the balance of power with parts should be with the owners and not engineering firms and motor traders.
4) If any potential replica car owner cares to look, they should see that replicas cannot possibly be as accurate as the original car because without the plans they are at best guestimates as to what the car design originally was. There are over 2,500 total parts in a Type 35. This means there are at least 25,000 individual dimensions within the car and probably more.
5) The project has been donated to the Trust and shortly will be placed on their secure computer system, for the benefit of owners and further study of the design.
The project is being launched to the press shortly probably at the Bugatti Trust headquarters.
Comment: An immense amount of work, and a perfect way to make available the info from the drawings in a modern format.
Here the results of the two auctions at Rétromobile 2008 (February 8 and 9), by Artcurial and Bonhams :
- ARTCURIAL :
Lot 1K: Bugatti type 52, Baby: 26 210 €
Lot 12: BUGATTI Type 57 Cabriolet Stelvio 1935 #57314 Engine: #162: 320 664 €
Lot 15: BUGATTI Type 57 Atalante 1939 #57753 Engine: #544: Not Sold
- BONHAMS :
Lot n°102: By order of the executors of the late John Gardiner, Bugatti Type 51 Project: €47,150
Lot n°103: By order of the executors of the late John Gardiner, Bugatti Type 55: €92,000
Lot n°119: 1951 Bugatti Type 101 Coach 101 502: €185,700
Lot n°120: 1929 Bugatti Type 43 Grand Sport 43303: €1,327,500
Lot n°125: 1925 Bugatti Type 30 Tourer 4637: €310,000
Lot n°147: 1936 Bugatti Type 57 Atalante Coupé #57427: Not Sold
Lot n°168: 1937 Bugatti Type 57 Ventoux #57546: Not Sold
The T43, which belonged to the great Guillaume Prick and lately to Pim Hasscher, is reported to be sold to the Netherlands, where most of it's history lies. Therefore, I expect that the car will not receive an "American" restauration, and will be brought back to a good mechanical condition, without changing the character of the car.
Most info by Christophe Chanterault
May 3, 2008 The Houston Classic Auction USA
Two Bugattis on auction:
1934 Bugatti T59 Supercharged 3.3 litre
A stunning example in Concours Condition
1928 T37A GP
Complete with FIA papers and Logbook
More info: wwgauctions.com
For this 6th edition already several Bugatti are planned for this event, Type 35, Type 37, Type 51.
More info: www.acm.mc/gpmh
May 10, 2008 Bonhams Auction Monaco, FranceStar of the sale will be a stunning 1932 Bugatti Type 55 Super Sport that raced at Le Mans in 1934, which is expected to sell for €2,000,000 – 2,600,000.
The Type 55 Bugatti was built as a road-going version of the Type 54 Grand Prix car and became the ultimate supercar of the early 1930s. Only 38 examples were built and chassis no.55208 is one of less than 20 to be fitted with flamboyant Jean Bugatti-designed roadster coachwork.
The Bugatti’s original owner was French amateur racing driver Charles Brunet who entered the car into the 1934 Le Mans 24-Hour race, sharing the drive with Freddie Zehender. The car was running 5th in the 75th lap, but in avoiding a collision with a car that had crashed, it spun and subsequently retired from the race.
In more recent times, this important Bugatti has been part of two prestigious collections – the Bill Serri Collection and since 2003, the ‘Mas du Clos’ Collection, during which time it has been fully mechanically restored by the French specialist Etablissements NOVO. The car, presented in two tone blue with black leather interior, is ‘on the button’, eligible for this year’s Le Mans Classic and ready to grace the lawns of the world’s most prestigious Concours events.
A spectacular weekend of racing with the largest display of veteran & classic French cars to date
Win a ticket to go up the hill in the Bugatti Veyron!
More info: www.prescot-hillclimb.com
June 8, 2008 Bugatti in H&H Auction Loseley Park, Guildford, UK1936 Bugatti Type 57 Graber Sports Saloon
Registration Number: JT-80-50 (Dutch Registered)
Chassis Number: 57443
Part of the Bugatti Type 57 launch range the ‘Galibier’ was a four-door, four-seater touring saloon. Named after a peak in the French Alps and notable for its pillarless doors, the model was otherwise a somewhat conservative design with formal lines and an upright stance. However, customers wishing for a sportier variation on the Galibier theme could always have their Type 57 chassis clothed by an outside coachbuilder.
Entrusted to Carrosserie Graber, chassis 57443 retained the comfortable four-seater accommodation and pillarless doors of the factory offering but added a number of decidedly rakish touches. For instance, the absence of external rear door handles made the car look more like a coupe than a saloon. An impression reinforced by the sloping tail complete with ‘sunken’ spare wheel and pontoon wings. A particularly nice feature is the moulded swage line that begins at the radiator’s shoulders, runs along the bonnet sides and then flows down towards the rear wings taking the window ledges with it.
A much treasured possession, this Bugatti has been in the current family ownership since 1962. Pleasingly retaining its original tan leather upholstery, the Type 57 is running and driving but would benefit from recommissioning. Known to the Dutch Bugatti Register and something of a timewarp, chassis 57443 will accompany us to the Vintage Sports Car Club’s April 26th Silverstone meeting and the Bugatti Owners Club’s May 24th – May 25th La Vie en Bleu weekend.
Invoiced to Bugatti’s Swiss agency, Bucar SA, on September 19th 1936, chassis 57443 was subsequently dispatched to Carrosserie Graber. Believed but not warranted to be a one-off commissioned by its architect first owner, the resultant Sports Saloon offered the same internal accommodation as a factory-bodied ‘Galibier’ but with far more flamboyant packaging. Although, a spacious four-seater, the Type 57’s coupe-like lines are accentuated by the absence of exterior rear door handles or hinges. While, other notable styling features include the sloping tail (incorporating a partially ‘sunken’ spare wheel) and moulded swage line that begins at the radiator’s shoulders, runs along the bonnet sides and then flows down towards the rear wings taking the window ledges with it. The last of a long line of Bugattis to have belonged to the vendor’s family, chassis 57443 was purchased from A. van Ramshorst’s renowned ‘NV Albatros’ dealership in November 1962. Resident in Sweden before then, the past forty-six years have seen it used for a variety of touring duties including attending a wedding at Molsheim. Pleasingly retaining its original leather upholstery, the Type 57 is in unrestored but running order (though, the engine was treated to an extensive overhaul by Jan Keizer of Doetinchem in 1991). A familiar sight in Dutch Bugatti circles and well known to the late Hugh Conway with whom the vendor’s family were good friends, this ‘timewarp’ Graber Sports Saloon will be taking pride of place on our stand at the Bugatti Owners Club’s forthcoming May 24th-25th La Vie en Bleu weekend.
Estimate: £100,000 - £120,000
More info: www.classic-auctions.co.uk
More info: www.2fast4you.it
Bugatti will be the featured marque this year. With participation from all our past and future exhibitors in conjunction with support from Bugatti USA we anticipate showcasing a gathering of cars second to none, including the Veyron exhibited by Bugatti USA.
More info: www.classychassis.org
June 13 - 14, 2008 Bugatti at RM Auction Tustin, CA, USA
Joe's Garage - The MacPherson Collection
36 Auto Center Drive, Tustin, CA, 92782, USA
1928 Bugatti Type 35B Recreation #BC083
Estimate: $250,000-$350,000 US Offered Without Reserve
For its fourth edition, Le Mans Classic will be held on the big circuit of Le Mans on 12 and 13 July. The organizers have published a preliminary list of entrants, a list which meet six trays, ranging from 1923 to 1979. As in every edition, the Bugatti brand will be well represented. At the moment, this list is far from complete, it will be enriched in the following weeks.
Provisional entry list : www.lemansclassic.com
The 2008 International Rally will be organised by the Bugatti Club Suisse, www.bugatticlub.ch
THE BUGATTI ROYALE COUPE NAPOLEON ON THE ROAD TO THE "SAINT-CLOUD CONCOURS D'ELEGANCE"
It is by road that the famous Coupe Napoleon, Ettore Bugatti's personal car, will make its entrance at the Saint-Cloud Elegance Competition.
The Coupe Napoleon is one of the seven Bugatti Royale chassis built between 1926 and 1933 and incontestably the most exclusive car in the world. Admiring its lines is a pleasure; seeing it in motion is a privilege.
The Coupe Napoleon will be driven to Paris the day before the "Saint-Cloud Concours d'Elegance" opens and will certainly be the crowning glory of the event. The Cite de l'Automobile (National Museum Schlumpf Collection http://www.collection-schlumpf.com), which owns the Coupe Napoleon, thus joins the ranks of partners of the "Saint-Cloud Concours d'Elegance".
Artcurial, which has backed the "Saint-Cloud Concours d'Elegance" from the outset, will of course welcome the Coupe Napoleon when it graces Paris with its presence.
Pending this event, the team at the prestigious auction house is pleased to announce the first cars registered in the day's auction, scheduled during the "Saint-Cloud Concours d'Elegance": a 1958 Pegaso Z102 Touring, Bugatti Type 40 roadster with compressor, a 1934 two-seater Alfa Romeo A6C 2300 Spider, a 1913 Brasier 15hp limousine, an original saloon in perfect condition, and a first-hand Delage DM with bodywork by Autobineau. For more details on the auction, please contact Francois Melcion at Artcurial - fmelcion@artcurial.com.
"SAINT-CLOUD CONCOURS D'ELEGANCE"
The tradition of the great automobile concours d'elegance of last century will be revived at the gates of Paris. Held on 28/29 June 2008 by Editions LVA, the first "Saint-Cloud Concours d'Elegance" will be one of the key events this summer.
The prestigious and historic setting of Saint-Cloud Park will host exhibitions, condition competitions and special events. Expert collectors and well-informed motor and elegance enthusiasts will be more than satisfied.
Auctions of automobilia and cars, masterfully orchestrated by Herve Poulain (Artcurial, Briest-Poulain- F.Tajan), will undoubtedly be among the highlights of this weekend.
THE BUGATTI ROYALE
The Bugatti Royale is a "car designed for kings, but which kings would never buy".
Masterminded by Ettore Bugatti, it was intended to be the car for the world's rich and famous, but it failed to enjoy the expected success. Only seven chassis were completed between 1926 and 1933 (fitted over time with 11 different bodies) and only three were sold new.
The remaining four were used by Ettore Bugatti, whose personal car, the famous Coupe Napoleon, had its bodywork completed by his son Jean. A commercial failure, the Royale nonetheless marked an era and today remains one of the most beautiful and exclusive cars in the world.
More information: www.bugatti-club-austria.at.tt
This is the 25th Festival, every year in Molsheim.
Each year on the third weekend in September, a classic cars race takes place in the French town of Angouleme on a street circuit unchanged in layout since it first hosted an event in 1939, the high spot of the program is a race devoted to Grand Prix Bugatti.
Situated some 70 miles to the north of Bordeaux, Angouleme is located in the heart of Charente district with an attractive town center and its cathedral occupying the high point in front of which lies the start line for the racing.
The meeting takes the form of an entire week-end festival beginning with a Concours d'Elegance under floodlights in a natural amphitheatre alongside the rampart walls on the Friday evening. Saturday commences with a Rallye Touristique Internationnal ; late afternoon sees a Concours d'Etat on the lawns around the Hôtel de Ville in the center of town before adjourning to a buffet supper where the winner of the Concours d'Etat is awarded with his or her height in bottles of Cognac.
Sunday morning open with practice on the circuit for the afternoon's racing, and for new entrants it is the only opportunity to drive on the closed streets before being let loose in a race.
More info: www.2fast4you.it
More information to follow later
I can be reached by email at J.J.Horst@bigfoot.com.
