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Coppa d’Oro delle Dolomiti 2014

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The sole Bugatti in the wonderful environment of Corvara in Alta Badia.

Story and photos by Alessandro Gerelli

The Coppa d’Oro for historic cars has usually been held at the end of August, but for organizational reasons, it has been moved to mid-July.

The result was gorgeous from the weather point of view, and all the participants enjoyed the wonderful sights of the Dolomites, going from Cortina to Merano and then back to Cortina going up and down through many “Passi Dolomitici”.

Unfortunately the number of participants was also very low (about 50 cars at the start and 40 at the arrival) and also the “quality” if compared with the editions of few years ago. This year there was only one Bugatti, one Ferrari, no Maseratis, a few interesting Alfas and Lancias. There were many English cars on hand.

Of course this is a trend which is common to all the “oldtimer” races, but we enthusiasts feel we are missing the sight of those lovely old cars idled in garages.

[Read more…] about Coppa d’Oro delle Dolomiti 2014

Prescott 2014: Almost Thoroughly French

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1928 Amilcar CGS

The 1928 Amilcar CGS Riley of Terry McGrath climbs towards the esses.

Story and Photos by Jonathan Sharp
Click on photos to enlarge!

It is a shame that my Sat Nav does not use public houses as navigation points because being instructed to “turn left at the Bugatti Inn” sounds so much nicer than just “in 500 meters turn left.” My journey to Prescott was to cover the Bugatti Owne’rs Club’s La Vie en Bleu Festival which celebrates all things French. Last year the event welcomed the International Bugatti Rally. This year it was the turn of the International Amilcar Rally to enjoy the Bugatti Club’s hospitality. A very impressive line-up of cars enjoyed the shade of the trees in the paddock. The weather over the weekend was typical of an English spring, tipping it down on Saturday, warm dry and sunny on Sunday. The paddocks on Sunday did however resemble the aftermath of the Glastonbury Music Festival – mud everywhere. The event always attracts a good turn- out not just the entrants in the hill climb but also from the members of the various French car clubs who had been invited to attend. The runs on the hill were as usual very spirited with very few incidents to mar what was a very enjoyable event.

This is an Amilcar Tandem, of which perhaps two were built in 1923 to race in the Cyclecar Grand Prix.

Marius Mestivier at the helm of a 1100cc Amilcar Tandem. Courtesy 'Amilcar' by Fournier.

The driver had the gearshift between his legs and the mechanic the driver.

It is good to see that old fashioned camaraderie is still very much the watchword of a Prescott event as is evident here. Car 36 is the 1928 Bugatti T35B of Steve Curtis, car 37 Derek Howard Orchard's 1931 T51

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25th Great Australian Bugatti Rally

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T44 of Patrick Friedli on the streets followed by Preston in King's ex-Kidston Bugatti.

Story and Photos by Chris Martin
Click on images to enlarge

Click here to see photos of many of the entrants in separate story

The Bugatti Club Australia hosted its 25th Great Australian Bugatti Rally in conjunction with a two week International Tour for overseas visitors.
The International Tour started from the Crown Plaza Hotel at Coogee in Sydney on Sunday March 23rd and ran for two weeks, ending with a Gala Dinner at the Marriott Resort in Surfers Paradise on Sunday 6th April. [Read more…] about 25th Great Australian Bugatti Rally

Respect and Responsibility: Restoring the Itier Bugatti

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Alan Söderström, seen standing by his Bugatti roadster in 1965, didn't know it, but under this unusual body was a Grand Prix car. Current owner Henrik Schou-Nielsen recounts the story for VeloceToday.

By Henrik Schou-Nielsen (and staff)

Danish architect Henrik Schou-Nielsen tells us the fascinating story of a famous racing Bugatti that seemed to have disappeared over the years, only to be found at long last hiding under a striking art deco styled roadster. The discovery resulted in a 10 year project that skilfully preserved two very different Bugattis, one of which turned out to be the Grand Prix Bugatti raced by Anne-Cécile Itier in the 1930s. We’ll let Schou-Nielsen take it from here.

Itier in her T51A Bugatti at the Nurburgring in 1934.

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Concept Cars and Aerodynamics, 1917-1940

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Kelsch Coupé Aerodynamique on the chassis of a 2 liter Bugatti Type 30.

After the Armistice of 1918 that ended WWI, a number of men who had made a name designing or building aircraft switched their attention to creating automobiles. Some, such as Gabriel Voisin and the brothers Henri and Maurice Farman in France, did so because they needed other products for their factories and/or new challenges for their talents. After he was discharged from the Royal Navy, British inventor and designer Charles Dennistoun Burney sought new activities, following a brilliant wartime career. For the Germans it was pure necessity, as the Treaty of Versailles implied the closure of the German aviation industry and prohibited the Germans to develop airplanes or airships, even for civilian purposes.

Rumpler’s Teardrops
Edmund Rumpler, was an Austrian automotive engineer who was well-known in post-war Germany as the manufacturer of the successful ‘Taube’ (Pigeon), a German warplane based on an original design by Igo Etrich. Rumpler also had experience in automobile design and manufacturing, having worked for Nesselsdorf (later to become Tatra), Daimler and Adler.

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Roland Garros/Black Bess Bugatti Part 3: Ivy Cummings

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The Garros/Black Bess Bugatti crosses the Channel to a new life and legend.

By Gijsbert-Paul Berk

In its 100-year history, the Rolland Garros Bugatti had a number of significant owners, who together have accumulated an impressive amount of victories, often against competitors in more modern cars.

After the death of Roland Garros in 1918, the Bugatti became the property of Louis Coatalen, then Chief Engineer of the Sunbeam Motor Company Ltd. in Wolverhampton. During World War I he had designed the Sunbeam aircraft engines. In 1919 he was involved in the merger of Sunbeam with Talbot and Darracq to form STD Motors.

As Coatalen was born in Concarneau (Brittany) he spoke fluent French and was often in Paris. As a driver and an engineer he was greatly interested in fast and sporting cars. Sometime later –between 1919 and 1921- the Bugatti was bought by Sidney Cummings, a car dealer at Fulham Road, for his daughter Ivy.

Miss Ivy Cummings. Photo courtesy Octane.

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Roland Garros/Black Bess Bugatti Part 2: Bugatti T 18

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By Gijsbert-Paul Berk

Part 2 describes the development of the Garros Type Bugatti and the car when owned by French hero Roland Garros.

Read Part 1

The Development of the Bugatti “Roland Garros”
Before he set up his own company, Ettore Bugatti designed engines and chassis for various manufacturers, among them De Dietrich, Hermes, Mathis, Deutz and Peugeot. Bugatti’s own factory in Molsheim was operational in 1910 but he continued to work for others. One of these projects for Peugeot was to design racing car for the 1912 Grand Prix de l’Automobile Club de France and the Coupe de l’Auto.

The engine Bugatti developed for Peugeot was a large (around 5 liters) four-cylinder with a single overhead camshaft. One can quite well understand that Ettore drew on his experience with an earlier design he had done for Deutz, and also incorporated design features of the small engine he produced under his own label. Apart from the size of bore and stroke, the main difference was that the larger engine had three valves per cylinder (two inlet valves and one exhaust valve).

1910 Bugatti-designed Deutz had a SOHC, Bugatti's first. Note chain drive.

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Roland Garros/Black Bess Bugatti Part 1: Roland Garros

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By Gijsbert-Paul Berk

In collaboration with the French Tennis Federation and the Louwman Museum at The Hague, the organizers of the 38th edition of the Rétromobile show in Paris – from 6 to 10 February 2013 – will pay tribute to the French World War I hero Roland Garros.

Among the many fascinating exhibits the visitors to Rétromobile 2013 will be able to admire are the Morane-Saunier type H plane – part of the Amicale Jean-Baptiste Salis collection – which was the first plane ever to cross the Mediterranean 100 years ago. In addition, the famous 5-litre ‘Roland Garros’ Bugatti or ‘Black Bess’, now in the Louwman Museum Collection will be part of the show. (See color photos of ‘Black Bess’.)

This particular Bugatti has a wonderful history that spanned the English Channel and created legends in both France and England. We begin with Roland Garros, its first owner.

The Roland Garros Bugatti
The Rolland Garros Bugatti was first delivered on September 18,1913 as chassis number 474, to the French aviator Roland Garros who was a personal friend of Ettore Bugatti. It was the fourth of a series of seven chassis that Bugatti produced of this four-cylinder five-liter model (encoded by Bugatti historians as the Type 18). However, after the aviator purchased the car, the name “Roland Garros” would thereafter always associated with the model.

Roland Garros was already famous when he was introduced to Ettore Bugatti. Not, as many today think, because he was a French tennis champion; while he did play tennis in school, his fame came as a record-setting aviator. Rolland Garros, as we shall see, was quite an extraordinary person.

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Prescott: The Climb and the Cars

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Bugatti Brescia

Bugattis enjoy a rare moment of sun. David Hand's 1925 T39 sits next to the 1924 Brescia T13 of Charles Knill-Jones.

By Jonathan Sharp

The Cotswolds: bucolic golden-hued thatched cottages, rolling farm land, wheat fields swaying in a warm summer breeze, antique shops, old English country inns selling fine English ales. All this and more, for it is also the home of the Bugatti Owners Club of Great Britain and the famous Prescott Hill climb.

Cheltenham is near Gloucester, Prescott Hill 5 miles northwest.

Let’s put this place on the map: Prescott Hill Climb, based five miles northwest of Cheltenham, Gloucestershire consist of 60 partly wooded acres, with a beautiful private drive of about 1127 yards (.64 mile) in length.

Overhead shot of Prescott, wouldn't it be lovely. and it is.

The course rises over 200 feet with a combination of short straights, fast and slow corners and a breathtaking hairpin. Today’s supermachines get up the hill in about 36 seconds. The old ones take a lot longer but are more fun to watch. Each year Prescott hosts a variety of annual events ranging from the “Le Vie en Bleu,” a celebration of French cars, to the Autumn Classic, open to American automobiles.

Track Diagram corresponds well with the overhead photo.

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Vanhoolandt at Monaco

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While Graham Gauld brought us insights and personal stories from the pits at this year’s Historics, Hugues Vanhoolandt delivered his usual outstanding imagery from around the circuit. Below, twenty top shots for our readers.

Gordinis

Two early Gordinis. Number 16 is the very first Gordini single-seater,

Lancia Marino

The Lancia Marino, built by Marino Brandoli who drove it at the 1957 GP of Naples, Italy, here driven by ex-F1 driver Beppe Gabbiani. See Graham’s article for more information.

Tec Mec

Tec Mec 250F was the ultimate evolution of the Maserati 250F. But it was immediately outpaced by the rear engined cars, its only outing being the 1959 US Grand Prix.

Maserati A6gcm

The Maserati A6 GCM (M for monoposto) was not accepted that year at the Monaco Grand Prix as it was reserved for Sports Cars. But they took part in the F1 World Drivers Championship, and did very well.

Maserati

Julia De Baldanza battling at the ‘Swimming Pool’ corner with a Cooper T41.

Grid C commemorates the 1952 Monaco Grand Prix in which Ferraris took the five first places. Three 166 MM Touring barchettas like this one were at the start.

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Requiem for a Salesman

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Del Lee's Allard, which he would give up in order to get a Bugatti. Photo by Eric Davison.

By Eric Davison

I am about to do something that on one should ever do: That is to repeat a story once told by a legendary story teller.

The late David E. Davis told this tale many years ago. He may go down in history as one of the great story tellers of all time and that is a tough act to follow. Since he is no longer around I think it is my responsibility to keep this bit of lore going. The story involves two men who have been part of earlier stories that I have related and is just too unforgettable to let fade. Both parties were friends of David E. who watched the following drama unfold when he was a young salesman at Falvey Motors.

Lee in his Bugatti Type 37 which would later be determined to be a T35. Photo by Harold Lance.

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Hugues Vanhoolandt at Retromobile

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Photos by Hugues Vanhoolandt

Graham Gauld brought you the commentary this year, and below, Hugues Vanhoolandt provides a look at the colors of red and blue at this year’s event. Here are the selections from the cars of France.

Talbot-Lago T26 Grand Sport

Cooperation between France and Italy resulted in this Ferrari-like 1950 Talbot-Lago T26 Grand Sport with a barchetta body by Motto of Torino in 1952.

Renault Electric

Back to the future with this Renault Dauphine with electric motor. Henney Motors and Bell Labs, both American companies, experimented with an electric powered car, fifty years ahead of their time …or perhaps fifty years after!

After Ralph Lauren last year, it was the turn of another US collector, Peter Mullin, to show his best pieces in Paris, among them the Bugatti Type 57 SC Atlantic s/n 57374 …

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