A virtual magazine for a true passion!

Editor: Jaap Horst


Letter from the Editor

Being the editor of the Bugatti revue since the beginning, I want to make known some of my personal feelings and Ideas. I don't think they are so very interesting, but I guess if one is really crazy about Bugattis (like me) one does read everything...

The second issue of the Bugatti revue has not suffered from a lack of articles. Certainly I had the article about the Replica's (well.. Otakar had promised it to me) and the Best Bugatti ever inquiry was started by Yours Truly, but I received some extra copy, from Guy Mangiamele (Photographer for "Automobile Quarterly") and Ivan Dutton (for those who do not know, Ivan Dutton has quite a big garage, specialized in Bugattis).

These two are very contrasting articles, the article by Ivan Dutton reflects the way petrol and Castrol run through the veins of the real Bugattiste, while the article by Guy Mangiamele expresses the reason why the Schlumpf brothers are not liked: they were collectors not Bugattistes. They were (? I don't know if they are still alive) like a butterfly collector, who rather kills one of those beautiful creatures for his collection, instead of looking at and admiring them in nature. This story made me quite sad when I read it.

The article by Otakar Kopecky informs us of things some of us would rather not know! Some of these "Replica's" are really very badly made, whilst others merely take the Bugatti as a source of Inspiration, like the Atlantic was for the Chrysler Atlantic. Apart from these there are of course the "real" reproductions like the Esders Roadster built in Mulhouse, using Royale engines converted to T41 Specification from Autorail Engines (work Ivan Dutton can do for you). There is at least also a 2nd Coupe Napoleon, while others are being build. Also there is a project for a twin engined Royale record car, to be build after original plans. The status of this project is unknown to me.

The Best Bugatti inquiry had some expected, and some unexpected results. Of course the T35 had to finish first, while the T55 and Atlantic are logical choices as well. The low standing of the Royale is strange though (to the non-Bugattiste Bugatti means T35, Royale, T57). As is the 4th place of the EB110! It seems that we cannot resolve here if the Italian Bugattis EB110 and EB112 must be considered to be real Bugattis or not, I think this is something everybody must resolve for him/herself.

Maybe people who know me would have expected here a report on the spring rallye of the Dutch Bugatti club which I attended, but I will suffice with telling you that it was a great success, with 20 Bugattis attending it was a fantastic day! It was my first encounter with an Atlantic (Eric Koux Replica) and I must say that the Atlantic really is special, no matter how you look at it. The cover photo for the revue is of the car I had a ride in, a T57C Galibier, driven by Simon Klopper of Klopper engineering.

The last thing I was exited about (concerning Bugattis, mind you) was the discovery of the T48 for me. This (to me at least) was one of the "missing numbers". I found out though in Georgano's Complete Encyclopaedia of Motorcars, 1885-1968 that it was the number for a project for Peugeot, the 201X, which was build in small numbers. This was a sporting version of the Peugeot 201, the engine being a four-cylinder version of the T35. This engine has the denotation T48!

I hope you enjoy reading the revue and feel free to contribute your story!

Vive La Marque !!


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