Satan's barge - 1983 Ferrari 400i
Discussion
I love the 365/400/412 and apart from the Daytona, they are definitely my favourites. I was in Torquay a few years ago and came out of a shop just up from the harbour and there was a 365 parked. I waited for a while to see/hear it pull away and was rather surprised when a diminutive older lady came out of the hairdresser, get in and drive away!
Nice, cool weather today for a short trip to Molsheim, the home of Bugatti. There are a couple of Bugatti-themed rooms at the Musee de la Chartreuse, a name more associated with this
which, in my younger days, might have been the cause of some long, strange, introspective experiences. Two of the three cars on show were, inevitably, on loan from the Schlumpf Collection. Last weekend was the annual Molsheim Bugatti festival.
It clashed with Angouleme, where there were probably more Grand Prix Bugattis competing in one event than ever before.
which, in my younger days, might have been the cause of some long, strange, introspective experiences. Two of the three cars on show were, inevitably, on loan from the Schlumpf Collection. Last weekend was the annual Molsheim Bugatti festival.
It clashed with Angouleme, where there were probably more Grand Prix Bugattis competing in one event than ever before.
I've only really started taking an interest in Bugattis in the last few years, and had concluded that if there was one car I would really like to drive that I haven't already, it would be a Grand Prix Type 35. (That was until last weekend, when I saw the straight eight Delage at full chat and relegated the Bugatti to second place in my affections - it was glorious.) However, there is one model that has always fascinated me, and that was the Royale. During the late '80s classic car investment bubble, a Royale achieved the highest price ever for a car at auction, at around $6.5m. This was long before I got my driving licence, and when I was amassing mountains of books and magazines about cars. Such an unfathomably valuable thing attained an almost mythical status in my imagination. The classic car magazines in 1985 reported that all six Royales had been brought together for the first time, at Pebble Beach, which must have been magnificent. Until today, I had never seen one in the metal.
For those who might not be familiar with the Schlumpf brothers, they were two of the most influential figures in the history of Bugatti and in French motoring heritage. Hans and Fritz created a textile empire in Mulhouse, an area of France that changed hands between the French and Germans at various times in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. After the war, they began buying up all the Bugattis they could find, and many other veteran and vintage cars. When the Bugatti company was sold to Hispano-Suiza, the Schlumpfs bought up all the assets, including whole cars, parts and toolings. In the 1960s, they bought thirty Bugattis from an American collector called John Shakespeare, including a Royale, for less than $100k for the lot. They ended up with two of the six Royales built in a collection totalling over 120 Bugattis and hundreds of other cars, including a Mercedes 300SLR, of the type used by Moss and Jenkinson to win the 1955 Mille Miglia and one of which was sold for $140m last year, and two pre-war Mercedes Grand Prix cars. This immense private collection was intended to one day be opened as a museum dedicated to their mother. But, when their textile businesses went belly up in the late '70s, they fled to Switzerland, their disgruntled workers broke into the workshops and storage halls, and found what was almost certainly the most valuable car collection in the world. It was appropriated by the government and ultimately became the French National Automobile Collection. When it became known, this saga was unlike anything ever heard of in the classic car world. Denis Jenkinson was one of the first journalists to visit after the flight of the Schlumpfs, and wrote an excellent book that is still a useful reference work forty years later.
So, I finally made it to the Schlumpf Collection this morning, and it was absolutely amazing. First, in the car park, for you Mercedes lickers
some crazy fool appeared to have driven a classic Ferrari all the way from the UK
and this Dutch registered Healey had come from the Lonville Classic, a rather exclusive annual European Tour
For those who might not be familiar with the Schlumpf brothers, they were two of the most influential figures in the history of Bugatti and in French motoring heritage. Hans and Fritz created a textile empire in Mulhouse, an area of France that changed hands between the French and Germans at various times in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. After the war, they began buying up all the Bugattis they could find, and many other veteran and vintage cars. When the Bugatti company was sold to Hispano-Suiza, the Schlumpfs bought up all the assets, including whole cars, parts and toolings. In the 1960s, they bought thirty Bugattis from an American collector called John Shakespeare, including a Royale, for less than $100k for the lot. They ended up with two of the six Royales built in a collection totalling over 120 Bugattis and hundreds of other cars, including a Mercedes 300SLR, of the type used by Moss and Jenkinson to win the 1955 Mille Miglia and one of which was sold for $140m last year, and two pre-war Mercedes Grand Prix cars. This immense private collection was intended to one day be opened as a museum dedicated to their mother. But, when their textile businesses went belly up in the late '70s, they fled to Switzerland, their disgruntled workers broke into the workshops and storage halls, and found what was almost certainly the most valuable car collection in the world. It was appropriated by the government and ultimately became the French National Automobile Collection. When it became known, this saga was unlike anything ever heard of in the classic car world. Denis Jenkinson was one of the first journalists to visit after the flight of the Schlumpfs, and wrote an excellent book that is still a useful reference work forty years later.
So, I finally made it to the Schlumpf Collection this morning, and it was absolutely amazing. First, in the car park, for you Mercedes lickers
some crazy fool appeared to have driven a classic Ferrari all the way from the UK
and this Dutch registered Healey had come from the Lonville Classic, a rather exclusive annual European Tour
Edited by Rumdoodle on Friday 22 September 21:12
I'd highly recommend the Bugatti Trust at Prescott Hill Climb, too. If you visit on a quiet weekday, as I did once on my (upcoming!) birthday, you might have a personal tour by the collection's curator and chief archivist. The Bugatti Trust was actually formed during Ettore's lifetime and Jean Bugatti even visited and tackled the hill climb.
As for the exhibits - there are plenty of much better pictures online than the ones I took. In the main Bugatti hall, the lighting is not great for photos. So, I'll just post a few here. Finally seeing these two Royales was wonderful.
I stood looking at this for ages, just thinking, "This is - CAR"
So many other Bugattis, such as this extraordinary Type 46
and another Type 46 that was bought secondhand by a family that then did 300,000km in it before sending it back to the factory rather than to the breaker's yard
So many examples of obscure veteran makes that I had not heard of. Some of the most remarkable products by companies whose names have such romantic historical resonance - Delahaye
Voisin
Pegaso
Hispano-Suiza
And other highlights, the utterly charming Panhards
An immaculate Lagonda
Mercedes Grand Prix cars - a 1937 W125 and a 1939 W154, each nearly 500bhp
And the greatest temple to one of the motor industry's geniuses
And here's an unusual picture of a man who seems reassuringly in control of what he is doing, whatever that is. And, may I say, very well dressed for the occasion
So - go and do Schlumpf. These flawed eccentrics unintentionally bequeathed to the world a magnificent treasure, much of which might otherwise be locked away in private collections.
I stood looking at this for ages, just thinking, "This is - CAR"
So many other Bugattis, such as this extraordinary Type 46
and another Type 46 that was bought secondhand by a family that then did 300,000km in it before sending it back to the factory rather than to the breaker's yard
So many examples of obscure veteran makes that I had not heard of. Some of the most remarkable products by companies whose names have such romantic historical resonance - Delahaye
Voisin
Pegaso
Hispano-Suiza
And other highlights, the utterly charming Panhards
An immaculate Lagonda
Mercedes Grand Prix cars - a 1937 W125 and a 1939 W154, each nearly 500bhp
And the greatest temple to one of the motor industry's geniuses
And here's an unusual picture of a man who seems reassuringly in control of what he is doing, whatever that is. And, may I say, very well dressed for the occasion
So - go and do Schlumpf. These flawed eccentrics unintentionally bequeathed to the world a magnificent treasure, much of which might otherwise be locked away in private collections.
bolidemichael said:
I'd highly recommend the Bugatti Trust at Prescott Hill Climb, too. If you visit on a quiet weekday, as I did once on my (upcoming!) birthday, you might have a personal tour by the collection's curator and chief archivist. The Bugatti Trust was actually formed during Ettore's lifetime and Jean Bugatti even visited and tackled the hill climb.
I've been meaning to get to Prescott. It's on the list for next year!Rumdoodle said:
bolidemichael said:
I'd highly recommend the Bugatti Trust at Prescott Hill Climb, too. If you visit on a quiet weekday, as I did once on my (upcoming!) birthday, you might have a personal tour by the collection's curator and chief archivist. The Bugatti Trust was actually formed during Ettore's lifetime and Jean Bugatti even visited and tackled the hill climb.
I've been meaning to get to Prescott. It's on the list for next year!I did once read a review of the Royale, by an individual that was tasked with limbering it up prior to the auction -- the one in Monterey/Pebble Beach that you mention must've been the one, as it was an archived review from the 80s iirc. He says that it was wooden and leaden initially and he was so disappointed to have 'met his idol'; yet, after a few days driving and a few miles under its belt, the Italian tune up worked its magic and it was lithe and sprightly, completely defying its enormous stature.
Ettore's genius was in the visualisation of the chassis flex points; his extreme dyslexia made him a powerful visual thinker and that translated well to his creations.
bolidemichael said:
La Vie en Rose is the hallmark event, but it's a great atmosphere irrespective.
I did once read a review of the Royale, by an individual that was tasked with limbering it up prior to the auction -- the one in Monterey/Pebble Beach that you mention must've been the one, as it was an archived review from the 80s iirc. He says that it was wooden and leaden initially and he was so disappointed to have 'met his idol'; yet, after a few days driving and a few miles under its belt, the Italian tune up worked its magic and it was lithe and sprightly, completely defying its enormous stature.
Ettore's genius was in the visualisation of the chassis flex points; his extreme dyslexia made him a powerful visual thinker and that translated well to his creations.
Somewhere, I have a copy of either C&SC or Classic Cars featuring a road test of a Royale by one of their journos. Might have been Mike McCarthy. I'll dig it out when I get home.I did once read a review of the Royale, by an individual that was tasked with limbering it up prior to the auction -- the one in Monterey/Pebble Beach that you mention must've been the one, as it was an archived review from the 80s iirc. He says that it was wooden and leaden initially and he was so disappointed to have 'met his idol'; yet, after a few days driving and a few miles under its belt, the Italian tune up worked its magic and it was lithe and sprightly, completely defying its enormous stature.
Ettore's genius was in the visualisation of the chassis flex points; his extreme dyslexia made him a powerful visual thinker and that translated well to his creations.
Rumdoodle said:
bolidemichael said:
La Vie en Rose is the hallmark event, but it's a great atmosphere irrespective.
I did once read a review of the Royale, by an individual that was tasked with limbering it up prior to the auction -- the one in Monterey/Pebble Beach that you mention must've been the one, as it was an archived review from the 80s iirc. He says that it was wooden and leaden initially and he was so disappointed to have 'met his idol'; yet, after a few days driving and a few miles under its belt, the Italian tune up worked its magic and it was lithe and sprightly, completely defying its enormous stature.
Ettore's genius was in the visualisation of the chassis flex points; his extreme dyslexia made him a powerful visual thinker and that translated well to his creations.
Somewhere, I have a copy of either C&SC or Classic Cars featuring a road test of a Royale by one of their journos. Might have been Mike McCarthy. I'll dig it out when I get home.I did once read a review of the Royale, by an individual that was tasked with limbering it up prior to the auction -- the one in Monterey/Pebble Beach that you mention must've been the one, as it was an archived review from the 80s iirc. He says that it was wooden and leaden initially and he was so disappointed to have 'met his idol'; yet, after a few days driving and a few miles under its belt, the Italian tune up worked its magic and it was lithe and sprightly, completely defying its enormous stature.
Ettore's genius was in the visualisation of the chassis flex points; his extreme dyslexia made him a powerful visual thinker and that translated well to his creations.
ETA: Found it!
Edited by bolidemichael on Friday 22 September 22:43
Rumdoodle said:
The classic car magazines in 1985 reported that all six Royales had been brought together for the first time, at Pebble Beach, which must have been magnificent. Until today, I had never seen one in the metal.
Five of the six were displayed at Goodwood Festival of Speed in 2007. They are magnificent motors.Bugatti returned with the first customer car at the Festival of Speed in 2013.
Rumdoodle said:
So, these piqued my interest and I’ve spend some time learning about Panhard. Panhard (Panhard et Levassor, pre WWII) was quite a pioneer and set the modern car configuration (four wheels, front engine, steering wheel (!) and pre-synchromesh transmission) and was going well until the son of the owner miscalculated the cost of aluminium panels which turned out to be triple that of steel! It almost bankrupted the company but was seemingly the beginning of the end. Anyway, this model was of particular interest to me, thanks to its slight silhouette and gill-like frontal cavity, so some google-fu indicates that it’s the only surviving 1948 Dynavia prototype in the world; the other was crashed and destroyed.
Today was a travel day, leaving Sainte Croix en Plain in Alsace and going via Besancon to a little village in Bourgogne. It's costing about £240 to fill up and I'm getting about 350 miles on that, which I reckon gives me about 12mpg. Stopped off at the Notre Dame du Haut chapel designed by Le Corbusier and built in the 50s after the original 14th century chapel had been destroyed in the war.
Nearby, Alpine incoming
Besancon was impressive. This is the Porte Noire
and, for the full French experience, we wandered into a protest. It was a real tinderbox, could have gone up any time......that may be a slight exaggeration
and parked up for the night
Nearby, Alpine incoming
Besancon was impressive. This is the Porte Noire
and, for the full French experience, we wandered into a protest. It was a real tinderbox, could have gone up any time......that may be a slight exaggeration
and parked up for the night
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