Article: Holiday Snaps - Part 3

[Steve Holmes]

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When I was a teenager, back in the late 1980s, I somehow ended up with a British classic car magazine that featured a story on an incredible vintage car collection in France, featuring the largest fleet of Bugatti's in the world, including two of the six Royales.

The collection itself was of huge interest to me, even then. But the story behind it somehow made it even more fascinating, and since reading that article, it has been one of my life goals to view this collection in person.

The story of the Schlumpf brothers is quite amazing. If you don't know what I'm talking about, I highly recommend you do a search. It’s a fascinating story.

Hans and Fritz Schlumpf were Swiss citizens who were born in Italy, but moved to the city of Mulhouse in France, when their mother was widowed. In the mid-1930s, the brothers established a company producing spun wool products. Following WW2, they rapidly grew the business, and soon became quite wealthy. Frtz, the younger of the two, had a love for engineering, and as such, also had a love for Bugatti cars. He'd wanted to own one since childhood. Just before the Nazi's invaded France, he purchased his first Bugatti, a 1929 Type 35B.

Following the war, Fritz began racing his Type 35B, until he was urged by his staff to stop racing, due to the dangers involved. The two brothers were quite different; Hans was something of a tyrant towards his staff, while Fritz had a great respect for them, and in return, initially, at least.

In the 1950s, the Schlumpf brothers began collecting Bugatti cars in earnest. In addition, they also bought entire car collections, largely to get the Bugatti’s in those collections. Because of this, they soon amassed a wide variety of very high-end marques, including Ferrari, Rolls-Royce, Hispano-Suiza etc. But Bugatti was what they fixated on. In 1962 alone, they purchased nearly 50 Bugatti's, and by 1967, owned 105 examples of the marque.

By now, their business had grown to an epic scale, and they employed a large workforce and several factories. In secret, they closed off a section of their 19,000 square meter factory building in Mulhouse, which they'd purchased in the 1950s, and used it to house and restore vehicles from their collection, which by this stage numbered nearly 400. They employed a large team of specialists to restore the cars, but the workers did so under a confidentiality agreement. They built a special display area featuring gravel floors and red tile walkway. By now, the Schlumpf collection had become an obsession.

Amazingly, although there were quite a few people who knew about the collection, including those from various Bugatti car clubs around the world, very few had actually seen it.

By the late 1960s, the textile market had changed, and a lot of the manufacturing work was now being done in Asia, and as such, the Schlumpf brothers business was suffering. This downward slide continued into the 1970s, and soon the Schlumpf’s began selling their factories. In late 1976, they closed their Malmerspach plant, laying off the workers as they did so. This prompted a workers strike, and soon riots began, requiring the intervention of over 400 police from ransacking the Mulhouse factory, where the brothers based themselves.

[Steve Holmes]

In March 1977, during a union activists sit-in strike at the Mulhouse offices, workers broke into the factory, and it was here they discovered the collection, which by now was at over 600 cars. They set an Austin 7 on fire, and it was at this point the brothers fled across the border to Switzerland. With money owed to workers, and accusations of tax evasion, the Schlumpf’s never returned, and their Mulhouse factory, with their car collection, was occupied for the next two years by the textile-union. To recoup moneys owed, the union opened up the museum to the public, and more than 800,000 people visited in just two years.

However, with increasing debt, the brothers many creditors, including the French government, began looking to the collection to recoup their losses. It was at this stage it came close to being broken up. Fortunately, the collection (and building where it was housed) was classified in 1978 as a French Historic Monument by Council of State. A year later, a bankruptcy liquidator ordered the building be closed.

In 1981, the collection, including the buildings, were sold to the National Automobile Museum Association, who opened its doors once again in 1982. In 1999, as the condition of the collection fell into decline, Culturespace was contracted to take it over, run it, and modernize various sections to give it wider appeal, and to generate other sources of income. In March 2000, it was re-opened as the largest automobile museum in the world.

In 1981, Fritz Schlumpf filed a lawsuit from Switzerland claiming he was owed a portion of the sale price. Eventually, in 1999, a French court found in his favour. Although he had died in 1992 (Hans Schlumpf died in 1989), his widow was paid a large sum by the French government, while 62 of the cars were also returned. Following her death in 2008, many of these cars ended up in the Mullin Automotive Museum in Oxnard, California.

Over the years, the Mulhouse collection has had a few make-overs, and is now listed as a National Heritage site. The collection is now at 520 vehicles, with around 400 on display at any one time, while the old restoration shop also currently being resurrected.

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For me, more than 25 years after reading that classic car magazine article, I finally got the chance to visit the Schlumpf collection, or Cite de l'Automobile, as it is officially called. I spent more than three hours there, and these are the photos I took. And I have to say, it was quite an overwhelming experience, not only because I finally got to tick off a long-term goal I’ve had since I was a teenager, but because the museum, the layout, and the collection itself, are simply incredible. I will definitely return.

[Steve Holmes]

This is the view walking up towards the museum entrance. At left is part of the old Schlumpf brothers textile factory.

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[Steve Holmes]

The entrance features this amazing art piece (for want of a better term), in which the middle cars are actually spliced through the middle, separated by the huge glass window, with the front of the cars outside, and the rear inside.

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[Steve Holmes]

When you enter, you walk down a long dark corridor which has the effect of actually heightening the anticipation. Beyond that is another corridor, featuring artwork on the walls. At the end is a first glimpse of what is the follow.

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[Steve Holmes]

And here it is. The first car that greets you, after a bit of a walk, is this magnificent replica of the Esders Royale.

As mentioned above, there were only ever seven Type 41 Royale's built, although Ettore Bugatti originally planed to build 25 of them. Featuring a 12.7 litre straight-8 engine, with 4.3 meter wheelbase, and measuring 6.4 meters overall, the Royale's were intended to be the most luxurious cars ever built. Bugatti was expecting all 25 cars to be snapped up by royalty and the uber-rich, but during a six year span, only three found buyers, and only seven were ever made. But this isn't one of them.

This car was commissioned by the Schlumpf brothers as a replica of Royale chassis 41111, the second Type 41 built, and the first to find a buyer. 41111 was originally sold to French textile tycoon Armand Esders, and fitted with a beautiful sweeping roadster body. It was known as the Royale Esders Roadster.

41111 still exists, but not in its original form. Its second owner was a French politician, who had it re-bodied as a Coupe de ville.

This car, the Schlumpf replica, was built using many original Bugatti parts from their huge stockpile. Its hard to explain just how impressive it is in person. And for sure, photos don't do it justice.

The Esders replica was housed in a small-ish room that worked as a partition between the long entrance hallway, and the main museum.

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Continuing on, the walkway finally reaches the entrance for the main museum, where a couple of very early veteran vehicles are displayed.

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[Steve Holmes]

And here it is. The opening for what lays ahead, and for me, the moment where I finally get to venture into this incredible space that I read about in that magazine all those years ago.

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[Steve Holmes]

OK, so, first things first. This place is absolutely huge! Its even bigger than I was anticipating. And I was anticipating it to be big. The building is much as it was when the Schlumpf brothers were creating it as their own private folly. The red tiled floor is still in place, as are the gravel rows on which the cars are displayed. And, there are several rows, each being, at a rough guess, 100 meters long. Adding to the opulence are the endless number of magnificent Pont Alexander III lamp posts.

The entrance, as pictured above, actually leads out into the center of the main hall. But I didn't want to just dive straight in. As, to the left on entrance, is a small room that I was drawn to, which is something of a shrine to Fritz Schlumpf.

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[Steve Holmes]

The first car on display in this smaller room is the car that started it all. This is Fritz Schlumpf's Type 35B. This is far form being the most impressive, or even most valuable car here. But its significance to the rest of the collection means it commands a special place.

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Note the photo on display between these genuine Bugatti 1/2 scale Type 52s. This is is Jeanne Schlumpf, mother of Hans and Fritz. Her sons were devoted to her and dedicated the collection to her.

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[Steve Holmes]

A few more of the cars on display in this room:

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[Steve Holmes]

Back into the main hall now. The layout of the museum, as mentioned, features several perfect straight rows with red tiled flooring, gravel display floors, and the beautiful lamp posts. Upon entry, the vehicles are displayed from oldest at left, getting ever more modern with each row.

However, there are a couple of very special sections. To the left, and next door to the Fritz Schlumpf room, is another very special room in which the most significant road cars in the collection are on display, including the two Royale's. At the extreme right is a section dedicated to racing cars. But I begin my journey in the main hall.

Admittedly, my knowledge of veteran cars is limited, and I didn't really know what I was looking at. Regardless, the following is an assortment of what I photographed:

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[John McKechnie]

Note the photo on display between these genuine Bugatti 1/2 scale Type 52s. This is is Jeanne Schlumpf, mother of Hans and Fritz. Her sons were devoted to her and dedicated the collection to her.

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in Herges book-Tintin in the Land of Black Gold, the Sheiks son had one of these- red of course-Snowy the dog had a turn at driving it.

[Steve Holmes]

in Herges book-Tintin in the Land of Black Gold, the Sheiks son had one of these- red of course-Snowy the dog had a turn at driving it.

Thanks John, very cool!

[Steve Holmes]

I highly recommend this fascinating account of the Schlumpf collection, from Sports Car Digest. It paints a rather darker picture of the two brothers than many stories and has some great photos of the collection as it once was: http://www.sportscardigest.com/schlumpf-collection-profile-and-photo-gallery/

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[Steve Holmes]

Imagine what it must have been like for those workers who stormed this building back in the 1970s and found scenes like this!

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[Steve Holmes]

This is one of the earliest cars Ettore Bugatti contributed to, when he worked for Mathis.

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[Michael Clark]

Wonderful Steve - my wife and I will be there in late September. Your photos have added to the already high level of anticipation!

[Steve Holmes]

Wonderful Steve - my wife and I will be there in late September. Your photos have added to the already high level of anticipation!

You will absolutely love it Michael. I spent three hours there, but it still wasn't quite enough. I found myself rushing more than I would have liked to, and not able to spend as much time with each car that I would have liked. But I have to admit I was getting pretty tired towards the end. It is quite an overwhelming experience. I'll definitely return.

[Allan]

Did anyone else notice the mistake in the script of post 16 where in the English translation the numbers are transposed and read 213B?

[ERC]

Great stuff Steve. Hopefully, if my wife is able to travel again in the future and we can do an European river cruise, Basel isn't so far away from Mulhouse!

[Michael Clark]

Not only is Basel Airport nearby, it isn't even it Switzerland...

[Oldfart]

We spent a whole day, and that was barely enough.
Before you go, try to get hold of a copy of "The Schlumph Obssesion". It is a story, that if it were fiction, is almost unbelievable. When you know it's for real the mind boggles.

[Peter M]

These photos bring back memories to me Steve, I was there in 2013 being in the group that went to Belgium,Holland,France and the UK.We went over to celebrate 50 years of Bruce McLaren Motor Racing the museum was one of the many highlights.
It would have to be the biggest collection of Bugattis in the world.
Any petrolhead should visit this also the Le Mans museum.

[Ost]

I'm so pleased you got to visit there. I too have been wanting to visit since I was young. Definitely lives up to expectations from your photos.

[Steve Holmes]

I'm really glad these photos are bringing back memories for some of you guys, and motivating others to visit. Its truly worth the effort if you happen to be in that part of the world.

[Steve Holmes]

We spent a whole day, and that was barely enough.
Before you go, try to get hold of a copy of "The Schlumph Obssesion". It is a story, that if it were fiction, is almost unbelievable. When you know it's for real the mind boggles.

Rhys, thanks for the heads-up. I wasn't aware of that book, so searched for it on Trademe, and low and behold, there was a copy for sale. I managed to buy it. It'll be on its way to me soon.

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[Oldfart]

Steve, hopefully it's the one that somebody "borrowed" from me and was never returned. If it is, I will know it's gone to a good home :)

[Steve Holmes]

Steve, hopefully it's the one that somebody "borrowed" from me and was never returned. If it is, I will know it's gone to a good home :)

How will we know if its your one Rhys? Is there anything I should be looking for?

[Steve Holmes]

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Read the description below. Apparently this Talbot 26C has never been raced!

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[khyndart in CA]

Steve,
You will just have to come to Laguna Seca in August to see a Talbot 26C on the race track.
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(Ken Hyndman photo. Laguna Seca. August 2017.)
"" This 1950 Talbot T-26C Grand Prix car with chassis number 11052 was one of the factory works racers during the 1950 season. It is fitted with the twin-plug engine and a side air intake commonly known as a 'bazooka'. It is one of just 23 examples created from 1948 through 1951 and is powered by a straight six cylinder engine that displaces 4.5 liters and produces 260 horsepower. There is a four-speed manual gearbox and four-wheel drum brakes."
By Daniel Vaughan | Feb 2008 " (Conceptcarz.com information )

This one is just for you Steve.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KyB8scps_x8


Ken H

[Oldfart]

How will we know if its your one Rhys? Is there anything I should be looking for?

Because it had my name in the front. I really didn't expect it to show, like a couple of others. Mea Culpa for not being clever about records of who I loaned things to.

[Paul B]

Steve,
You will just have to come to Laguna Seca in August to see a Talbot 26C on the race track.

(Ken Hyndman photo. Laguna Seca. August 2017.)
"" This 1950 Talbot T-26C Grand Prix car with chassis number 11052 was one of the factory works racers during the 1950 season. It is fitted with the twin-plug engine and a side air intake commonly known as a 'bazooka'. It is one of just 23 examples created from 1948 through 1951 and is powered by a straight six cylinder engine that displaces 4.5 liters and produces 260 horsepower. There is a four-speed manual gearbox and four-wheel drum brakes."
By Daniel Vaughan | Feb 2008 " (Conceptcarz.com information )

This one is just for you Steve.



Ken H

Have a look at the rear wheel placement of both 26c's, the one that was not raced in post #46 seems to have the rear wheel oddly placed too far toward the cockpit, whereas the photo in post #47 has the rear wheel placed more rearward in a more practical place. Or is it the angle of the shots?

[khyndart in CA]

Paul,
That might be the reason it had never raced. The driver would have been terrified of losing a elbow on a road wheel being that close !
Ken H

[Steve Holmes]

Steve,
You will just have to come to Laguna Seca in August to see a Talbot 26C on the race track.
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(Ken Hyndman photo. Laguna Seca. August 2017.)
"" This 1950 Talbot T-26C Grand Prix car with chassis number 11052 was one of the factory works racers during the 1950 season. It is fitted with the twin-plug engine and a side air intake commonly known as a 'bazooka'. It is one of just 23 examples created from 1948 through 1951 and is powered by a straight six cylinder engine that displaces 4.5 liters and produces 260 horsepower. There is a four-speed manual gearbox and four-wheel drum brakes."
By Daniel Vaughan | Feb 2008 " (Conceptcarz.com information )

This one is just for you Steve.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KyB8scps_x8


Ken H

Hey thats a great looking car Ken! I did see a couple of them racing at Silverstone many years ago.

[Steve Holmes]

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And now for something a little smaller.....

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[chaindrive]

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A SMALL VERSION OF THE ABOVE.................Peter Giddings brought one down here a few moons ago

[khyndart in CA]

Two engine shots of the 1950 Talbot T 26C at Laguna Seca. 2017.
Note the straight six engine with 12 ignition wires for 2 spark plugs per cylinder.
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( Ken H photos. )


(ken H)

[Steve Holmes]

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A SMALL VERSION OF THE ABOVE.................Peter Giddings brought one down here a few moons ago

Hey thats really cool!

[Steve Holmes]

Two engine shots of the 1950 Talbot T 26C at Laguna Seca. 2017.
Note the straight six engine with 12 ignition wires for 2 spark plugs per cylinder.
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( Ken H photos. )


(ken H)

Stunning!

[Steve Holmes]

This is where it really started to get interesting for me, when I got amongst the cars from the 1930s and beyond. The 1930s really brought about some fascinating design.

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[Steve Holmes]

The information board for this beautiful 8C was incorrect, although the museums website provides the correct details: http://citedelautomobile.com/en/collections/alfa-romeo-type-8c-2-31

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Obviously the museum has been added to since the 1970s, with various updates to the building, as well as the addition of new cars. Also, there is this room at one end of the museum which I assume has a regularly changing theme. On my visit, it was celebrating the Corvette.

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And now for a little French eccentricity.

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One of one built. Cute little French Alart.

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How about some Ferraris? I'm a sucker for old Ferraris.

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Obviously the museum has added more cars since the Schlumpf's fled in the 1970s. Here are two examples.

You know its an overwhelming experience when you walk past an Aston Martin Lagonda and barely give it a second glance!

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It has to be said not all Bugatti's are things of beauty. The Type 46 is actually a little awkward.

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[ERC]

Great stuff Steve. Just when I thought I'd knocked most things off my bucket list, you come up with another item!

Something odd about that type 46 Bugatti. Rebodied perhaps?

[Steve Holmes]

Great stuff Steve. Just when I thought I'd knocked most things off my bucket list, you come up with another item!

Something odd about that type 46 Bugatti. Rebodied perhaps?

Glad you're enjoying them Ray. The crazy thing is, I haven't even go to the good bits yet!

I don't know what the background is behind that particular Type 46. Some of the coach building was farmed out. I don't know if there is another like it.

[Steve Holmes]

This Type 35B was displayed with its rear facing the audience. I can see why. Its a great looking rear.

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Of course, a Bugatti Veyron is an important modern addition to this collection.

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Because it had my name in the front. I really didn't expect it to show, like a couple of others. Mea Culpa for not being clever about records of who I loaned things to.

Rhys, my copy of the book arrived a few days ago. I've not found your name in it yet, or anyone elses. Thats good news I guess?

[Steve Holmes]

To one side of the museum is a large section dedicated to racing cars. The first race cars I passed were rally cars from the Group B era.

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[Steve Holmes]

Believe it or not, by the time I reached the end wing of the museum where the racing cars were displayed, I'd already been there a couple of hours. I was aware of the time, and the fact I only had another hour or so before the museum closed, and as a result, I probably didn't spend as much time in this area as I would have liked. When I return, I'll spend less time in the veteran car section, and more time in the racing car section. But because this first visit I knew I'd be sharing on here, I wanted to try and cover the whole museum.

Anyway, this end wing is dedicated to the history of motor racing, and more to the point, Grand Prix racing, which, of course, began in France. The museum manages to cover almost every era of Grand Prix racing, including a couple of cars from the pre-Grand Prix era. The Schlumpf brothers had accumulated racing cars dating back to 1904, and through to the 1970 Ferrari 312B I posted earlier in the thread. Since the brothers fled in the 1970s, the collection has been added to with the addition of more modern racing cars.

Grand Prix racing began in 1906, and evolved into the Formula 1 World Championship which began in 1950. But it was essentially created because of manufacturers being dissatisfied with the rules of the big international race of the time, the Gordon Bennett race, which focused on countries being represented, rather than brands. As such, only one entry per country was accepted, which the manufacturers didn't like, for obvious reasons.

Grand Prix racing rules changed regularly, and the collection here manages to have at least one representative of almost every era up to the 1970s. From there its a little more loose.

In addition are a great selection of sports cars, with Le Mans being such an important race to the French.

This is looking from one end of the racing car wing, starting with the oldest cars.

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[Steve Holmes]

I think this Serpollet is the oldest of the racing cars in the collection. It took part in pre-Grand Prix era races. The collection also houses a Dufaux, another pre-Grand Prix era car, but that car appears earlier in the thread, as it was displayed towards the start of the museum.

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One of my favourite cars in the collection, the mad little Bugatti Type 32 'Tank'. It wasn't a success. Bugatti built at least four of these cars, but I don't know how many still exist. The Schlumpf brothers purchased this example directly from Bugatti.

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Of course, there are many racing Bugattis represented.

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[khyndart in CA]

There certainly is a lot of money in that display Steve.
Just the insurance coverage would be enormous for this wonderful exhibition.
Ken H.

[ERC]

One of my favourite cars in the collection, the mad little Bugatti Type 32 'Tank'. It wasn't a success. Bugatti built at least four of these cars, but I don't know how many still exist. The Schlumpf brothers purchased this example directly from Bugatti.

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Steve, I have a pic of one at the 1996 Goodwood Festival of Speed, with a USA plate on the back.

[Steve Holmes]

Steve, I have a pic of one at the 1996 Goodwood Festival of Speed, with a USA plate on the back.

Thanks Ray, it stands to reason there would be more than one survivor.

[Steve Holmes]

There certainly is a lot of money in that display Steve.
Just the insurance coverage would be enormous for this wonderful exhibition.
Ken H.

Yeah I would expect it must be Ken. I can't even imagine what the collection must be worth.

[Steve Holmes]

Following the section pictured above, we walk through a partition, which brings us to the section displaying racing cars from the immediate pre-war era, as well as post-war. The Grand Prix and F1 cars were displayed in a two-by-two format representing a racing grid, with the oldest cars at the rear, working towards the new cars at the front. Very cool.

This is the view to the left.....

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.....and this is the view to the right.

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[Steve Holmes]

I was amazed to see this pair of pre-war Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix cars in the collection. The W125 was actually supplied by M-B in an exchange deal with the Schlumpf's.

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One of my all time favorite race cars; Maserati 300S. What a thing of beauty! I recall an old Top Gear episode where Tiff Needell drove one on an airstrip, and produced some incredible power slides. I wish there was a video of that on youtube I could share.

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[Steve Holmes]

The last Bugatti Grand Prix car. It was not a success.

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[Michael Clark]

300S - bettered only by a 450S!

[Steve Holmes]

I know I should love the 450S more Michael, given that I'm a die-hard V8 enthusiast, but the agility and soundtrack of a 300S gets me every time.

[ERC]

Mark Knopfler... A wet and soggy Friday at Goodwood 2000. Was with my wife, so we had to leave early afternoon as we were drenched. That is why I prefer to do Goodwood on my own. Not fair to let others suffer the vagaries of the UK weather when you know they aren't interested in the cars anyway.
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[Steve Holmes]

Thanks Ray. Does Knopfler still race this car?

[Steve Holmes]

The collection includes a lot of Gordinis. In fact, this is probably the largest collection of Gordinis in the world. Although not as famous as other French brands, Gordini flew the flag during the late 1940s and through to the late 1950s when he went to work for Renault. When he retired, he gave various cars to French museums, but most he gave to the Schlumpf's.

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And of course, no French racing car collection is complete without Panhard.

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[Steve Holmes]

I was amazed to see a 300SLR in the collection. Its extremely rare to see any of these outside of Daimler-Benz captivity. I don't fully understand how this car came to be in the collection, but it is apparently on permanent loan. From who? I'm not sure, but the Schlumpf's were close friends with Alfred Neubauer, and acquired a selection of pre-war Grand Prix racing Mercedes-Benz' during the 1950s, including a pair of W163s, which I don't recall seeing during my visit. M-B did acquire at least one car from the brothers for their own museum, so perhaps they were loaned this car as part of the deal? Perhaps someone knows more.

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[Steve Holmes]

This 908 finished third twice at Le Mans.

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[Steve Holmes]

Now moving on to the single seater racing cars from 1960s and newer, including the Lotus 33 that apparently starred in the movie Grand Prix.

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[ERC]

What a great photographic backdrop. Maybe they should run some Armco along the wall? You were lucky to find so few other visitors there at the same time Steve.

[Steve Holmes]

What a great photographic backdrop. Maybe they should run some Armco along the wall? You were lucky to find so few other visitors there at the same time Steve.

Yes exactly Ray. One of the good reasons to travel during winter. It was the same at the Le Mans museum.

[Steve Holmes]

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[Steve Holmes]

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[Steve Holmes]

As I was walking through the racing car section, this electric train thingy passed by. I assume its created for people not physically able to walk around the museum. It is a big place. I thought this thing was pretty cool.

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[Steve Holmes]

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[Steve Holmes]

Some of the modern racing machinery, with of course an emphasis on French manufacturers.

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[Steve Holmes]

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[Steve Holmes]

And thus concludes the racing section.

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[Steve Holmes]

Walking towards this entrance way made me feel like I did when I was a kid and my mother took me to the Father Christmas cave each year. The entrance made it clear this was where the real gems were kept. By the time I reached this area of the museum I'd been there for around 3 hours. I was really excited to enter.

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[Steve Holmes]

Once in this wing, the sense of drama heightens with the low lighting. Unfortunately for me, the museum had held a function just prior to my visit, and several of the very special cars had been pushed over to the right wall and cordoned off so I couldn't really get in to have a good look at them.

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[Steve Holmes]

But still, lots to see.

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[Steve Holmes]

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[Steve Holmes]

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[Steve Holmes]

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[Steve Holmes]

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[Steve Holmes]

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[Steve Holmes]

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[Steve Holmes]

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[Steve Holmes]

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[Steve Holmes]

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[seaqnmac27]

And of course, no French racing car collection is complete without Panhard.

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CD standing for Charles Deutsch, this being after he and Rene Bonnet's partnership, DB, ended, their constructions were of course victorious in the Index of Thermal Efficiency at Le Mans several times with their 750cc powered prototypes, usually based on Panhard's

[Steve Holmes]

Thanks Sean.

[Steve Holmes]

More Bugattis.

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[Steve Holmes]

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[Steve Holmes]

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[Steve Holmes]

The thing that really struck me about this room in the museum is that virtually every car here would get an instant invite to Pebble Beach, or any other high-end show that only allows the best of the best. But the cars in this room are essentially playing a supporting role, and the way the room is laid out makes this quite clear.

Ettore Bugatti planned to build 25 Royales. These were the largest, most expensive, and most luxurious cars in the world in the late 1920s and early '30s. Here are some specs: They're over 21 feet in length, weigh over 3 tons, and have a 12.7 litre straight-8 engine. They are mighty machines, the ultimate of motor cars, and aimed specifically to be sold to royalty and other people of great wealth and importance.

In the end, only 6 were produced. And the Schlumpf collection has 2 of them! They're both displayed in the center of the room, on special stages so they're raised up above the other cars. All the other cars are positioned around them, further underlining their importance.

The most important of the pair, and of all the Royale's built, is chassis 41100, the magnificent Coupe Napoleon. This is essentially a two owner car. It started life with different body work than what it has now. The first owner was Ettore Bugatti, who used it as his personal car before crashing it early in its life, after which it was rebodied as the Coupe Napoleon. It remained in the Bugatti family until 1963, when financial difficulties forced them to sell. Fritz Schlumpf was the buyer.

Its hard to put into words just how spectacular this car is. It really has a presence about it. My crappy photos don't do it justice.

How much would it be worth?

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[Steve Holmes]

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[Steve Holmes]

I should point out that this car is totally original. Its never been restored.

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[Howard Wood]

Ironic that Ettore Bugatti who's racing cars followed the "less is more" lightweight philosophy and who dismissed Bentleys as "the worlds fastest lorries" is now probably best known for these opulent monsters.

BTY Steve, I am really enjoying these photos. I had time for only one motoring museum when we were in that part of France last year and chose the Peugeot one instead. That was quite interesting but this looks amazing although I rank the Alfa museum in Arese just north of Milan as the best I have seen. I understand it has just reopened, bigger and brighter, just hope they haven't lost the ambience of the old one.

[Steve Holmes]

Thanks Howard, I'm glad you're enjoying them. My time here felt a little rushed, just because its so massive. So its been enjoyable going back through the pics again to see what I was looking at.

We did pass the Peugeot museum, but didn't have time to visit. Hopefully next time.

The Alfa museum is one I'd really like to visit too.

I'm not a great fan of museums, I prefer to see cars being used, rather than displayed, but its hard not to be impressed by some of these. And visiting in the middle of winter means there aren't any racing events happening anyway.

[ERC]

As I have aged, I think museums have become more relevant, just as modern racing has become less relevant.

Sure, we'd like to see the cars out on track, or at least, outside in the fresh air, but although NZ has a good depth of interesting cars, it is only when you travel that you really appreciate the vast scope of cars we'd never ever see here and some of these museums do present the cars so well, (Beaulieu, Coventry, Petersen - Los Angeles, Museo Ferrari - Modena, Lamborghini etc.) whilst others are somewhat crammed in (Brooklands) or have frustratingly intrusive signboards (Gaydon).

Others fall just a little short, though not by much and make up for it with the numbers, or variety, or more specialised offerings, such as the Haynes Museum in the UK (on my list for a re-visit this year), Donington (though it is a shadow of what it once was), and Caistor (huge, but no photographs allowed).

I suppose that any trip that includes a large event as well as museums is the ideal.

Great stuff Steve and now on my (new) bucket list.

[Oldfart]

Having been to many, I would recommend Loheac, (Manoir de l'automobile) above all!

[Steve Holmes]

As I have aged, I think museums have become more relevant, just as modern racing has become less relevant.

Sure, we'd like to see the cars out on track, or at least, outside in the fresh air, but although NZ has a good depth of interesting cars, it is only when you travel that you really appreciate the vast scope of cars we'd never ever see here and some of these museums do present the cars so well, (Beaulieu, Coventry, Petersen - Los Angeles, Museo Ferrari - Modena, Lamborghini etc.) whilst others are somewhat crammed in (Brooklands) or have frustratingly intrusive signboards (Gaydon).

Others fall just a little short, though not by much and make up for it with the numbers, or variety, or more specialised offerings, such as the Haynes Museum in the UK (on my list for a re-visit this year), Donington (though it is a shadow of what it once was), and Caistor (huge, but no photographs allowed).

I suppose that any trip that includes a large event as well as museums is the ideal.

Great stuff Steve and now on my (new) bucket list.

Thanks Ray, glad you're enjoying the pics. Make sure you allow at least half a day when you visit.

[Steve Holmes]

Having been to many, I would recommend Loheac, (Manoir de l'automobile) above all!

Thanks Rhys, I looked into visiting that museum but it was just a bit far out of the way unfortunately. Next time maybe.

[Steve Holmes]

This is the second of the Bugatti Royales purchased by the Schlumpf's. This one came as part of a collection of around 30 Bugattis from wealthy American John Shakespear in 1962. Shakespear was asking US$105,000 for the collection, which is apparently what it cost him to accumulate the cars. Fritz Schlumpf offered him $70,000 in a deal brokered at no charge by Bugatti aficionado Hugh Conway. Apparently, the whole deal became quite nasty, but in the end the Schlumpf's acquired the Shakespear cars and had them sent to France.

Chassis 41131 is a Limousine Park-Ward. In my opinion, its not as impressive as the Coupe Napoleon, but hey, its a Royale! Only five still exist, and here are two in the same collection.

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[Steve Holmes]

More now from the supporting cast.

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[Steve Holmes]

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[Steve Holmes]

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[Oldfart]

When I saw the Royales in 1986 and 88 there were supposed to be only 4, and a reconstruction being done at the time. I saw all of them! Schlumpf ones and a personal tour with Briggs Cunningham who had 2 in his collection briefly meant I had seen the lot!
I guess that Type 35s became a bit old hat by about halfway through your visit Steve, sensory overload! I know I wasn't even pausing to look at them as there were so many!

[Steve Holmes]

When I saw the Royales in 1986 and 88 there were supposed to be only 4, and a reconstruction being done at the time. I saw all of them! Schlumpf ones and a personal tour with Briggs Cunningham who had 2 in his collection briefly meant I had seen the lot!
I guess that Type 35s became a bit old hat by about halfway through your visit Steve, sensory overload! I know I wasn't even pausing to look at them as there were so many!

Hi Rhys, there were six Royales built. There are a few internet pages that describe each, and their current whereabouts. I thought only five still existed, but apparently all six do. A couple nearly didn't survive the War and had to be hidden. One was hidden in the sewers in Paris.

Other than the two in the Schlumpf collection, one is owned by Volkswagon AG (chassis 41111), which started life as the Esders roadster, but was re-bodied as a Coupe de Ville Binder. There is one in the Henry Ford Museum in Detroit (41121) which was donated by its owner in 1957. Then there are the two you saw (41141 and 41150) which were both owned by Briggs Cunningham until the late 1980s. One is now in the Blackhawk Collection in California, while the others whereabouts are unknown.

Re the Type 35s, yes, its crazy to imagine, but after a while you just don't pay too much attention. If you saw one driving down the street you'd stop and stare until it was out of view, but the level of incredible high end cars in the Schlumpf collection is such that eventually you just stop paying attention. That, and the fact the place is so damn massive!

[Steve Holmes]

An original Maybach.

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[Steve Holmes]

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[Oldfart]

Steve, my memory must be at fault, as I was sure that the Schlumpf Obsession mentioned 4 Royales? I do know that when I was at the museum they were recreating one, unfinished with one of the railcar engines, as I have a photo of it. It had been taken from the workshops in it's incomplete state. I was there not overlong after the sacking by the workers, so much was as the brothers had the place

[rf84]

I had the privilege of standing in a marquee at the FOS in 2007 with 5 of the 6 Royales ever built.

[Steve Holmes]

I had the privilege of standing in a marquee at the FOS in 2007 with 5 of the 6 Royales ever built.

That must be just about the only time that happened in history?

[Steve Holmes]

Steve, my memory must be at fault, as I was sure that the Schlumpf Obsession mentioned 4 Royales? I do know that when I was at the museum they were recreating one, unfinished with one of the railcar engines, as I have a photo of it. It had been taken from the workshops in it's incomplete state. I was there not overlong after the sacking by the workers, so much was as the brothers had the place

That'd be the Esders Roadster recreation Rhys. The original Esders Roadster is chassis 41111, which was re-bodied early in its life to become the Coupe de ville Binder when owned by a French politician. This is how it has looked ever since. I believe this car is currently owned by Volkswagon who use it as a show-case, as they also own Bugatti.

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Because they'd attained so many Bugatti parts, the Schlumpf's started having a recreation of the Esders Roadster built in 1965, and using original drawings from Molsheim. Apparently it took five years just to complete the engine and chassis. When the Mulhouse factory was raided by the workers in 1977, it still hadn't been completed. It was quite close to completion in 1977, but obviously this was then delayed many years after the take-over.

This is what the recreation looks like now. Its displayed at the entrance to the main hall.

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[rf84]

Very likely Steve. And what's more at one stage that weekend there was a near-new Veyron parked beside the marquee.
One of these days I will learn how to post photos on here and post some pics.

[rf84]

The Coupe de Ville Binder was owned in 2007 by a man by the name of Lukas Huni. He paid US $16.5 million for it in 1987. At that time it was a world record high price for an automobile.

[ERC]

Tom Wheatcroft also had a replica built. Needless to say, sold off.
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I have the following novel -


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The VW owned example was on show at the Petersen Museum in LA last year as part of the Bugatti exhibition.

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[Steve Holmes]

Neat photos thanks Ray.

[Steve Holmes]

The Coupe de Ville Binder was owned in 2007 by a man by the name of Lukas Huni. He paid US $16.5 million for it in 1987. At that time it was a world record high price for an automobile.

For a long time they were the worlds most valuable cars. Not sure if thats still the case? I believe a couple of Ferrari 250GTOs have changed hands in recent years for around US$60 million. I don't think a Bugatti Royale has been sold for such a long time its probably impossible to know. But $16.5 million was incredible money in 1987, and a lot more that 250GTOs were selling for at the time.

[Steve Holmes]

Having left the 'Royale' hall, I entered back into the main hall to grab a photo of the mysterious 'Roland Garros' which I hadn't been able to get earlier due to other people standing in the way. This car was found in England along with a collection of spares. It was apparently never used, and never fully completed. Only a handful of these cars were built by Bugatti, starting in around 1908. His close friend Rolland Garros owned one, from which the model gained its name.

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[Steve Holmes]

Exiting back out of the main hall we pass the Esders Roadster recreation once more, where I snapped a few more photos.

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[Steve Holmes]

The museum was near closing time by this stage so I didn't get a chance to read the description relating to these bucks, but I assume they were made in the 1960s/70s to produce the Esders Roadster.

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[Steve Holmes]

This was in the same room.

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[Steve Holmes]

OK, as I head towards the exit, I pass along another long corridor which, surprise surprise, features more Bugattis. This impressive displays has five Type 57s, including one thats been restored but not completely reassembled, offering a sort of exploded view of the car and its mechanicals.

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[Steve Holmes]

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[Steve Holmes]

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[Steve Holmes]

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[Steve Holmes]

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[Steve Holmes]

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[Steve Holmes]

I hadn't quite finished this chapter when I had to switch focus to get a couple of books finished. Now, finally, I can post the last few photos and bring it to a close.

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[Steve Holmes]

One last look back as I left. But I'll return for sure.

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[ERC]

Thanks so much Steve. If my wife is able to return to long distance travel, I have that pencilled in as a side trip from a future European River cruise.

[Michael Clark]

My wife and I spent about four hours there two weeks ago today and it was well worth the effort - Steve, I thought we took some reasonable photos but overall, you win!

We spent a bit of time in the gift shop because the display of books was incredible - especially the comic type books on subjects such as 'Chapman', Jo Siffert and various stages of Grand Prix cars - all in French but beautifully done.

I would absolutely recommend it - passenger cars well outnumber racing cars but there was still plenty to keep us interested.

[rf84]

On the subject of museums, Donington Museum is closing. It was originally announced that it would close on November 5th but it has now been reported that it will close next Monday.