10 replies to this topic

[Cheater]

[Dave Crevie]

Great video, Greg. There were several variations of the Type 57, and I would guess that the Atlantic was the best looking.

 

Another of my favorites was the Stelvio roadster. I have video I took riding around Maine in one that I will transfer to disc, hopefully to post here. 

[Cheater]

Here's a picture of my late best man, the handsome and dapper Donald R. Peterson, who purchased this Bugatti Type 57 Stelvio cabriolet in Paris in 1956 for $300, drove the car to London, shipped it to Philadelphia, and then drove it 1,200 miles home to Minnesota in 33 hours. You shouldn't wonder where I got my propensity for driving old cars long distances after purchasing them.

 

 

[slotcarone]

I'm thinking that Bugatti drove a bit different than the Model A!

[Eddie Fleming]

Beautiful cars. I love the looks of Bugattis .
 
But I would take Greg's Ford. At least I could afFORD it, I think.

[Dave Crevie]

Of course, some of the "Pur Sang" crowd are going to thumb their noses at the fact that Jay's car, despite being all Bugatti, was not built as an Atlantic. I suppose that they have a point in that real cars gave up their parts to build this one, but without seeing what condition those cars were in, I can't completely condemn the project.

 

Take this Ferrari 250 TRC that was built from a 250 GTE. There were only so many GTEs built, and now there is one less. But I have to admit, I would probably have more fun with the clone than the coupe.

 

 

(Found on Bring A Trailer)

[Cheater]

Dave,

 

The number of full Classics that have either been rebodied or don't carry their original body is quite large. A huge number of phaetons, dual cowl or not, began life as sedans.

 

The CCCA actually has a class for cars that have been rebodied.

Check out the detailed history of this single-family owned 1912 Simplex toy-tonneau coming up at the Pebble Beach Gooding auction later this year. It was rebodied when less than a year old!

"This Simplex, chassis no. 799, has been integral to the Sndyer family legacy since February 1912, when William Penn Snyder Sr. purchased it initially as a two-passenger Runabout, or “Speed Car,” for his son as a college graduation gift. The influential family ran one of the largest integrated steel companies in Pittsburgh and played a pivotal role in the development of the state of Pennsylvania for several centuries. In the early 20th century, the Snyder family owned an impressive stable of cars, including over three Simplexes. Original documentation on file from the Simplex factory to Mr. Snyder notes that this chassis was an “extra fast one,” and this proved to be true, as the Speed Car got into an accident in its first year of ownership. Deeming the lightweight Runabout too fast for his son, William P. Snyder Sr. decided to have the chassis tastefully rebodied by Quinby as a four-passenger Toy Tonneau in December 1912."

 

[Mike Patterson]

I always thought this automobile fit the definition of a hot rod Bugatti:

 

 

I scanned this out of an AUTOMOBILE magazine some time ago, and IIRC, this car was Ettore's last personal ride.

[Kevan]

Whilst I agree it's more beautiful than this T32 'tank'...

 

 

... it's not in the same league as this T59/50B.

 

[Dave Crevie]

Greg,

 

I know of probably a hundred rebodied vintage cars. Some better and some worse than their originals.

 

And let's not forget that a huge percentage of "Golden Era" cars were sold as chassis only. It was up to the purchaser to find a coachbuilder to finish it out.

 

To me, it is that 'esprit' that made the era so great.  

[Dave Crevie]

I've never been inside a T57 engine, so I found this interesting. If you have some time to spend, check this video out.

 

Aside from being a mono-bloc design, it looks like the T57 is more conventional than most other Bugatti engines. No roller bearing crank, which was a bear to get right. The cylinders are cast in, not screw-in like earlier designs. Two valves per cylinder, rather than three. This is not a true rebuild, but shows some of the interesting procedures needed in a total rebuild.