Bugatti

Bugatti

Virtual Bookshop - buy books about Bugatti on-line. Also video/DVD, toys, and miscellaneous items.


Type 55	Type 35

It was sometime in the 70's when I first became aware of Bugatti. There was an exhibition in London entitled "The Amazing Bugattis" and amazing they were. As well as Ettore (who designed clothing and equestrian tack amongst other things as well as his cars and the factory tools used to produce them) there was Rembrandt (named after the painter whom the family knew) the painter, sculptor and furniture designer. But it was the cars that caught my eye. As I remember it was a Type 35 Grand Prix car that was featured, and I was just bowled over by the sheer artistry of the car - its lines, proportions, use of polished steel and brass, and the quality of the workmanship like the engine turning of the back of the dashboard.

Since then I have gathered a number of models, posters, postcards, paintings, jigsaws, greetings cards etc. most of which are exhibited round our house, with my wife's blessing, (well, most of the GP cars are blue, her favourite colour).

We are fortunate to live quite close to the hill-climb circuit at Prescott near Cheltenham where these fabulous cars are raced up the hill at the Classic and VSCC meetings. As well as the GP cars owners take their saloons and a little more sedately, cavalcade around the circuit during the lunch break.

August 4th 2024 - VSCC Prescott

The first visit back to Prescott since 2002, after an abortive attempt in 2006 when it was so expensive we didn't have enough cash and that's all they were taking. Booked in advance this time at less than in 2006, but gobsmacked with the number of visitors. In previous years we have parked adjacent to the track but this time at the bottom of a long field with a stiff climb carrying chairs and picnic to get to the circuit - "I thought it was the cars climbing the hill...". Weirdly at the entrance to the circuit there were two people taking card payments but only one scanning pre-paid tickets on a phone. His scanner didn't work on our PDFs stored on the phone or for the previous group muttering something about 'after-market' (not had problems before or since) so he just took our names. Very busy in the paddock dodging round people to get anywhere, and when we found a spot to sit at the end of the short track groups of people standing and milling around obstructing our view. Won't be going to that one again but will have another go at BOC events and Shelsley non-VSCC as we both like to see a broader spread of cars ... even though The Navigator has to put up with motorbikes.

Loads of competitors cars and plenty of action, although annoyingly just after we sat down to watch someone hit the wall at the Esses and it took nearly an hour to shift them, then resumed for about 10 minutes before a one-hour lunch break. Only one car went up the hill in the break but it was a glorious Type 51 which had been found as a rolling chassis in the 70s bricked up behind a wall since the Nazi occupation of France in WW2. But even that came past really quickly us despite being by Orchard corner and Pardon hairpin so in sight for longer.

May 2022 - Charnwood Caper, Bugatti 'Tank' soap-box derby entry for a Bugatti Owners Club event at Stonehurst Farm:

May 2014 - Mille Miglia

With a pal living in Bologna it was a great opportunity to see both the start in Brescia as well as the overnight stop in Bologna on the way back to the finish. Flew from Stansted to Bologna Thursday morning at some ungodly hour then we drove to Brescia via the Lamborghini factory near Modena. Brescia atmosphere was brilliant, in the afternoon the cars were dotted around the street and piazzas with free access. In the evening people lining the street with the cars giving a bit of a show as they did a circuit of the town from the start ramp. Police lining part of the route but taking absolutely no notice of people walking or cycling in the road and crowding in making the passage narrower and narrower.

Friday on Lake Garda then Saturday we went to Imola ostensibly to see Senna's memorial, to find there was a round of the Le Mans European series and the Porsche GT3 cup that weekend. Free parking, free grandstand for the practice and qualifying, and for 10 euros into the paddock where you could wander around at will. No restrictions, even into the backs of the garages to take pictures of the cars with the covers off, the engineers and all the kit, a terrace overlooking the pits, the usual race event young ladies, and a Senna exhibition. Then back to Bologna for the return of the Mille Miglia cars.

Absolutely insane with Bologna being busy on a Saturday night without the Mille Miglia coming through - unrestricted crowds, cars driving in to park in one of the piazzas to park up for the night with no security. You've got to love the Italians for their enthusiasm and flamboyance and organised chaos. Despite the total lack of restrictions and some hold-ups no one was being stupid, with the car occupants hooting and waving in good humour. 22 Bugattis started out and all bar one completed the event, which is a pretty fantastic achievement.

November 2010, Classic Car Show Birmingham

First visit for some years, and a very nice display by the Bugatti Owners Club

August 2009, a bar in Albert, northern France

August 5th/6th 2006, VSCC Prescott ... Not!

Didn't make up our minds until the Sunday morning dawned warm and sunny. The forecasters kept changing their minds, and still didn't get it right. Arrived at Prescott to find fields full of campers, and directed to one of several overflow fields, and this at 10am. Saw signs on the roadside saying the price was Ł25 - per person! This is outrageous, the facilities on the site are minimal with precious few good viewing points even at a 'normal' meeting with probably half or less of the attendance. Taking cash only, and having only brought Ł40, we declined. The 'See Red' event at Donington was only Ł15 last year, with far more going on, lots of grandstands, and classic and modern Ferrari and Maserati events to boot. Even the VSCC event at Shelsley Walsh in previous years has only been Ł20, and I put that down to them desperately needing the money to buy the lease for the track. If this becomes the norm, and splitting the field for the Bugatti Classic over two days continues, I doubt we shall be attending again, and we will all lose out.

July 2006

My first visit to the Goodwood Festival of Speed. Celebrating 100 years of Grand Prix racing there were loads of veteran, vintage and classic racers as well as modern stuff. A good example of "From the sublime to the 'Gor Blimey'" were this Type 35C and the Veyron. A really pleasing touch was that the Type 35 was chosen for the first car in the series of Sand Art cars demonstrating the evolution of the GP car.

June 2002, Bugatti Classic Prescott

A real disappointment this year. Not only did it rain to a lesser or greater degree all day, but this year the event was split into two with one half doing practice and race runs on the Saturday and the other half doing them on the Sunday. In all previous years cars got two practice runs on the Saturday and two race runs on the Sunday. This meant there were only half the normal number of cars present, and a lot of classics I really enjoy seeing had been and gone on the Saturday. Also only 6 Bugattis were competing and 13 in the lunchtime cavalcade, significantly less than usual, with the like of Hugh Conway and John Marks absent for some reason. Add to that a hike in the entry fee to Ł10 per person plus Ł2.50 for the programme and what had always been a good-value day out is suddenly not. If they split the cars again in future years I may not attend.

June 2001, Bugatti Classic Prescott

An action-packed meeting for some of the wrong reasons. Early on we were down at the start and saw a stripped-out Scimitar GTE tear-off the line, smoke pouring off the tyres. As he passed us I thought "Funny, what's that big orange light on his dash signify?". Then a bit further on I wondered why smoke was coming out of his front arches. By this time he had gone out of sight and my attention turned back to the Start line where a bunch of officials were gazing at an enormous and spreading pool of oil! Fortunately he stopped before doing any terminal damage to his engine (he won his class on the next run) but it held things up while they dealt with the oil as best they could.

Next two people slid into the Armco on Pardon hairpin - the first (TVR Chimera) sounded like the throttle jammed open whereas the other (Pilbeam) just seemed like panic braking. Both had to be pulled clear of the Armco with a tractor but whilst the TVR drove off the course very gingerly, the Pilbeam driver got back in and the tractor drove off even though it (Pilbeam) had the front wheels pointing in different directions! More delay while the tractor was recalled to carry the Pilbeam off.

Finally a biker laid it down going into Ettores, and didn't get up again. The ambulance crew spent some time getting him on to the stretcher and away but we were all relieved to hear by the time he got back down to the Start he announced that all he needed was a cup of tea! You can't beat the restorative powers of the good old British cuppa.

July 2000, a bar on Cannery Row, Monterey, California