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Fritz

For the Love of Fritz Part 3

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The Schlumpf: A legacy, and perhaps a future.

The Schlumpf: A legacy, and perhaps a future. Photo by Jonathan Sharp.

cvr-300Auto biographie – Pour l’amour de Fritz Broché – 10 avril 2009
de Arlette Schlumpf (Auteur), Bernard Reumaux (Collaborateur)

• Broché: 352 pages
• Editeur : La Nuée Bleue (10 avril 2009)
• Langue : Français
• ISBN-10: 2716507473
• ISBN-13: 978-2716507479
• Dimensions:24 x 2.6 x 15 cm

A summary and review by Gijsbert-Paul Berk
Read Part 1
Read Part 2

The troubles began in June 1976. The revenues of the Schlumpf wool mills had dramatically diminished as a result of the price war caused by the competition low wage countries such as China. Early that month Fritz and Hans tried to persuade the Société Générale Alsaciènne (Sogénal) to extend their credit with 5 million FRF. But the bank refused. Then, after June 15 a number of checks issued by the Schlumpfs bounced, as they were not covered. This was the beginning of the end. On June 29 the Schlumpf Group was placed under receivership, as it could not meet its financial obligations.

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For the Love of Fritz Part 2

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safsfd

Schlumpf was fascinated by both Ettore and Jean Bugatti, as well as the cars they created. Here, a prewar picture showing Jean Bugatti with the Royale roadster he designed for Armand Esders gives a good idea of the elegance and the size this Type 41. Fin (Photo Collection Bugatti family).

cvr-300
Auto biographie – Pour l’amour de Fritz Broché – 10 avril 2009
de Arlette Schlumpf (Auteur), Bernard Reumaux (Collaborateur)

• Broché: 352 pages
• Editeur : La Nuée Bleue (10 avril 2009)
• Langue : Français
• ISBN-10: 2716507473
• ISBN-13: 978-2716507479
• Dimensions:24 x 2.6 x 15 cm

A summary and review by Gijsbert-Paul Berk
Part 2

Read Part 1

The time of happiness

Soon after they started courting, Fritz began teaching Arlette to enjoy the thrills and pleasures of fast driving and to discover the ideal lines for taking – in the shortest possible time but with a minimum of risk – the many curves on the roads in the Vosges area. They often competed, each in a separate car, just for the fun of it.
[Read more…] about For the Love of Fritz Part 2

For the Love of Fritz Schlumpf Part 1

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cvr-300

Auto biographie – Pour l’amour de Fritz Broché – 10 avril 2009
de Arlette Schlumpf (Auteur), Bernard Reumaux (Collaborateur)

• Broché: 352 pages
• Editeur : La Nuée Bleue (10 avril 2009)
• Langue : Français
• ISBN-10: 2716507473
• ISBN-13: 978-2716507479
• Dimensions:24 x 2.6 x 15 cm
• Find on Amazon.com

In 2009 the French publishing house La Nuée Bleue (The Blue Cloud) brought out a book with the title For the love of Fritz. It was the posthumous autobiography of Arlette Schlumpf, the lifelong companion and later widow of Fritz Schlumpf. Gijsbert-Paul Berk’s incisive three part article is the first time the book has been reviewed in English.

A summary and review by Gijsbert-Paul Berk

At the time of publication, Arlette Schlumpf’s book attracted little attention and it was never translated. A pity but understandable; by 2005 there were several excellent books in French, English and German about the collection. In addition, the Schlumpf ‘affair’ belonged to a previous century, while the fierce juridical battles with the French authorities over the ownership of the car collection and the museum at Mulhouse had ended in a compromise. It was old news. However, Arlette’s book sheds a great deal of light on the Schlumpf Obsession, which is perhaps the most fascinating car collecting story of the 20th century.

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