genuine Bugatti pictures

Never seen before photos of #4914 - 170T
These 3 exceptional photos were sent to us by Patrick de Bondeli, nephew of Albert de Bondeli who bought the T35B #4914 from Ernest Friderich just after that Williams won at its wheel the Monaco GP 1929. This famous T35B has been driven by other great pilots as Louis Chiron (Marne GP in Reims 1928) and Rene Dreyfus (Dieppe GP 1929). It is also the most original Bugatti Grand Prix known, never restored and preserved during the last 50 years by one owner only. Auctioned by Bonhams at Goodwood in september 2005, it was unsold at 2.5 millions of euros, reserve price was higher. It was finaly sold some months later by private transaction, we speak of about 3 millions of euros ... Many thanks to Patrick de Bondelli for these exceptional photos.

Albert de Bondeli at the whell of #4914 in Nice in 1929. The car has already lost its British Racing Green color (driven by Williams was english) and has now the french light blue paint that it always has today. Dieppe GP 1929 : René Dreyfus at the wheel of #4914 pass in front of the stands. Arrival of Dieppe GP 1929 : René Dreyfus winning is at the wheel of #4914, Albert de Bondeli sat on the rear wheel on left, we recognize Friderich on right, smiling. On rear, Friderich’s mechanic and probably a race official.

Photo from family album
Interesting picture of a Type 35 with Joseph Hugues, our contact’s grandfather, at the wheel. Photo in Cannes surroundings, in 1925. Our contact, Michel Hugues, always heard that the man in white near the pilot was Louis Chiron. Evidently, it’s not him. So who is he ?
Thanks to Michel Hugues for this photo, visit his website about wreck cars : http://hugues.tipi.free.fr/epaves/

Bugatti T51 versus Dewoitine in Montlhery
“Who knows where and when this picture depicting a Bugatti making a race with a plane was taken ?” we asked on our Research pages on 17th september. Answer came quickly : It is a Bugatti Type 51 driven by Divo making a speed race against the personal Dewoitine owned and piloted by Marcel Doret. That plane is today at the Musee de l’Air near Paris. It was a promotional operation organised at Montlhéry, in march 1932. The Dewoitine won against the Type 51 : 209,670 km/h versus 206,321 km/h for the Type 51. Not bad at all ... This was published in the newspaper “Les Dernières Nouvelles de Strasbourg” dated 8th april 1935. Thanks to Bruno Denise for the picture, and to Nicolas G. and Philippe Gervais for the answer.

8 december 2005 : some news about this subject, coming from the Bugatti Trust in UK : a new photo and an important precision. This new picture shows the registration number 4800 NV1 and as a result one can identify this Type 51 as #51133 and listed as being delivered to the pilot Louis Chiron in February 1931.
Thanks to Hugh Conway !

Paul’s family archives : wonderful !
Adrien Paul was Sales Manager for Bugatti at Molsheim, from 1928 to 1939. Thanks to our Club’s website, his son Olaf contacted us and told me the story of his father’s life. Moreover he showed me the photograph albums of his family : a pure treasure, a lot of pictures never seen before and with a wealth of caption material from his father’s hand. These caption correct some errors made in the past Bugatti literature. A special page is necessary in the aim to publish and describe these 70 photos : click here

Some news from #57227 ?
Claude Schneider send us this interesting picture edited in “Les Dernières Nouvelles de Strasbourg” in 1939. The Type 57 registered 9730 NV 2 on December 12th 1934 has had a violent crash on March 12th 1939 with the tramway runing the line Strasbourg - Truchtersheim. It was owned by Strasbourg’s archbishop, Monseigneur Ruch. The 5 persons who were aboard the Bugatti had only light injuries. Is this 57 still alive even with these very important damages of this time ?
Paul Kestler, the well-known Bugatti historian, send us a new picture of this poor 57227, after the crash. A lot of damages, that’s probably the reason why this Bugatti is untraced today, probably scraped.

Nice pictures of Type 40 Grand Sport
Received photos of two nice Type 40 Grand Sport, don’t hesitate to send more if you have some !

Thanks to Salvador family for this nice picture of their grandfather Another Type 40, from Switzerland, the family prefers to stay anonymous

Bugatti Type 44 #44713
You were numerous answering to the ad published in our “Searching” page in the aim to identify that strange Bugatti : it is a Type 44 chassis n° 44713, number plated 330 XL 3 in France on april 28th 1939, and bodied by Tirbois in Niort (France). Maybe this Bugatti had been sold by Garage Arnaud in Niort, which was Bugatti (and Renault) agent at this time ? Nevertheless, this body will not be known as a model of elegance and lightness ... Thanks to all !

Bugatti files recently discovered : Eric Verkade
During Retromobile 2003, your favorite webmaster bought a collection of Bugatti documents realised between 1930 and 1946 by Eric Verkade, a Dutch passionate person of beautiful motorcars in general, and Bugatti in particular. Eric Verkade created the Garage Autosport in Amsterdam and was a bosom friend of the Dutch well known Bugattist Bart Loyens. These files contain, among others, beautiful photos of the era which we reproduce here. Also some advertisements of the era (1950’s) which are going to make dream some of you a lot ... !
Many thanks you to Dick Ploeg for his researches on these images, for the supplementary photos which he passed on to us and for the legends which he kindly supplied us. All details about Eric Verkade's surprising life will be in the Club's bulletin of December 2003.

Bugatti T43A #43293 with the body modified by Schutter & van Bakel just before the WWII. It received successively a T44 engine (ex 44659-360) in 1951, then a T57 - 183 (ex 57321 ???) that it has even today. It is always in Holland. Bugatti T43 photographied probably in Belgium, date and location unknown T46 #46452, in 1933 or 1934 at the Concours d’Elegance of Scheveningen, property of A. Rhodius (on right). On left, the Bugatti importer for Netherland Van Ramshorst T46 #46452 near 1947, maybe property of Eric Verkade. Registration plate has been hidden by an other reversed plate T46 #46452 : wheel flascs had been removed and skirts added to the front fenders in an effort to modernise the body Eric Verkade’s T49 is towing the Maserati CL4 used by Eric in GP after war. This T49 is today beeing restored in Holland Eric Verkade (on right) presenting his Maserati 16 cylinders Tipo V4 (#4002) to Tazio Nuvolari, the great race driver Very good surprise in these files : #57675, my coach Ventoux 1938, photographied at the end of the 50’s ! Eric Verkade and his wife Monique in the sublime Maserati 16 cylinders Tipo V4 (#4002) whom Eric restored and transformed into this elegant roadster (he got the car as damaged and burned wreck) Nice coach T57 Atalante (#57828) bodied by Ganglof, probably photographied at the beginning of the 60’s. Jean-Pierre Wimille on T59 (?), his mechanic Lucien Wurmser, and Raymond Sommer on left (white), probably at Montlhery M. Sontrop and his the famous T49 with T57 engine called “Le Canon”. This Bugatti always exists in Holland. Picture taken during the 60’s Type 57 Atalante, photographied during the 60’s, with French registration

Bugatti bodied by Gaston Grümmer
The French journalist G. Bonnafous is studying Bugatti bodied by Gaston Grümmer.
He looks for any photos of these Bugatti, in particular those of a small coupe-chauffeur presented to the 1929 Paris Auto Show.
If you have information, contact him by consulting his announcement : click here.
In the meantime, he sent us these 8 photos of Bugatti Grümmer, of exceptional quality and extremely rare. That he is deeply thanked for it here.

Bugatti T22 or 23 at the Velodrome of Parc des Princes in Paris, probably during the Championnat des Artistes (near 1928-1929) Another T22 or 23, same place and same time that previous picture T23 1923, re-bodied by Grümmer in 1925. This Bugatti was in the USA in the 60’s. Less happy drawing for this Bugatti 2 liters near 1926 T49 or T46 ? nice coachwork type “scaphandrier” Type 38 (#38191), photo taken at Velodrome of Parc des Princes, surprising and wonderful body ! Remains today in USA   Very nice body on chassis Type 46 “Petite Royale” Typical Art Deco body on chassis Type 46 “Petite Royale”

Charles Navarre’s Bugatti
Nathalie, grand-daughter of Charles Navarre sent me these photos of her grandfather who raced in the 30s on Bugatti T43 and T44 (?), lived in Tartas (Landes), south-west of France. Beautiful images of past time ... (does these Bugatti always exist ? The registrations were 5135 P8 and 3628 HU. I hope to receive soon the chassis numbers as Nathalie is searching for these in her grandfather documents. If you have information about these Bugatti, please contact me by e-mail  webmaster@club-bugatti-france.net ).

You have old pictures of Bugatti cars and you agree to publish them here ?
Don’t hesitate : send me an e-mail contact@club-bugatti-france.net
many thanks in advance