The Lost Bugatti Aerolithe reborn...some new pics

[RDMcG]

http://www.autoweek.com/article/20120629/CARNEWS01...

Above is a note I wrote about the beautiful Bugatti Aerolithe that appeared one time at the London motor show and shortly thereafter disappeared, never to be seen again. It was the fore bearer of the Atlantique. Not in the article are some picture of the recreation on the proper Type 57 chassis and number matching engine and transmission whcih is now in final assembly. I will update this post in a few months when it is finished. All parts are built including the interior, so it is more advanced than it looks:

Here are some pics of the original car:



Pictured on a London street in May of 1936. The car was never sold, but lent to two people to try:










The recreated car in assembly when I visited it, June 2012:







Building a part from magnesium is very tricky, with multiple strips making uo the whole in order to achieve complex curves as it is subject to stress fracture:

Edited by RDMcG on Tuesday 3rd July 15:58

[RDMcG]

[Dave Hedgehog]

hugely impressive project

beauty is in the eye of the beholder i guess, looks more like a comedy car imo or something from a B&W flash gordon show

[RDMcG]

Dave Hedgehog said:

hugely impressive project

beauty is in the eye of the beholder i guess, looks more like a comedy car imo or something from a B&W flash gordon show

I think it shows the design philosophy of the Atlantique that followed, though I am not as enamoured of the frontal treatment. Side and rear views look very good to me. As you say, eye of the beholder.

[Riley Blue]

I saw a similar Bugatti at Mallory Park recently

[2slo]

I've always liked the look of that, and if I had the money for a Morgan Aeromax...

[Bootey]

Reminds me of this I saw a few weeks back

[RDMcG]

I recall seeing the original Embiricos car years ago..beautiful thing indeed.

[silverfoxcc]

Where is the replica going to when it is finished? Mulhouse museum?

[Hooli]

Dave Hedgehog said:

hugely impressive project

beauty is in the eye of the beholder i guess, looks more like a comedy car imo or something from a B&W flash gordon show

+1

It's bloody ugly isn't it?

[RDMcG]

silverfoxcc said:

Where is the replica going to when it is finished? Mulhouse museum?

Commissioned by a private owner

[Trommel]

Very cool project. It looks far better than the German one, and no original body wasted to do it.

[mikey77]

Nothing is 'lost' any more is it? The rarer or more legendary the car the more likely it is now to turn up in bits as a 'miracle find'. Cynical? Moi?
Incidentally, apart from the spats I think it's beautiful.

[Riley Blue]

Found it! At Techno Classica 2006

[Trommel]

[quote=Riley Blue]Found it! At Techno Classica 2006/quote]

That's the German one, not very accurate.

[Riley Blue]

Same show, 2007

[Trommel]

That's an Atlantic replica.

[RDMcG]

Trommel said:

That's an Atlantic replica.

Yep..the Atlantic was on a 57 SC chassis and engine and had the much lower grille than the Aerolithe. There were three. The Williamson and Lauren cars are well known and I heard that someone is reconstructing the third car that was basically trashed in a train crash......the blue car is an Aerolithe rep, no idea of provenance.

Edited by RDMcG on Wednesday 4th July 14:24

[Riley Blue]

Thought I'd put them up for comparison purposes. What's the one I photographed at Mallory Park?

[Trommel]

Riley Blue said:

What's the one I photographed at Mallory Park?

Type 57 with a replica Gangloff body.