This story would make a great movie, with the car spirited away in the middle. It was a sleek aerodynamic wonder during an era of boxy, heavy automobiles. With its low stance, powerful engine, lightweight construction, 123 mph 200 kph top speed and influential teardrop body, many believe this is. Bar appearances at the paris and london motor shows in 1935, the car rarely if ever left. The aerolithe made its sensational debut at the 1935 earls court motor show in uk, having a road test in 1936, but after that nobody heard. Very little of the enormous research involved centred on the aerolithe itself.
Despite being such a headlinegrabbing car for bugatti, the aerolithe wasnt paraded that much in public. At the guild of automotive restorers, david grainger and his team save the worlds rarest classic vehicles. Parmigianis bugatti aerolithe was unveiled last week in milan, when bugatti introduced their new lifeline collection. Jean bugatti produced many magnificent vehicles that now fetch double digit millions when auctioned.
Type 57s used a twincam 3,257 cc engine based on that of the type 49 but heavily modified by jean bugatti, unlike the single cam engines of the type 49. Painted silvergray, fitted with chrome wire wheels and dunlop whitewall tires, it completely overshadowed 57222. That bugatti, like several other works present, were oneoff models. It is a roadgoing version of the type 51 grand prix car. First, its extensive history is thoroughly documented and.
The bugatti type 57 and later variants was an entirely new design created by jean bugatti, son. To modernize the boutique automaker, jean created the type 57, which would be built in standard and lowered chassis, and would serve as the basis for everything from luxury touring cars to racing cars and show cars, like the stunning 1935 bugatti aerolithe concept. Sn 57260 fulfills two vital elements of a topechelon collector car. The concept has been created for the year 2025 and draws inspiration for its name from the legendary bugatti electron aerolithe prototype, unveiled at 1935 paris motor show. It was hightech, futuristic and really cutting edge, grainger said. With those rules established we set about the task of building the crown jewel of bugattis 1935 salon collection.
In the early 1930s, the depression had impacted the luxury automobile market in france. The 1935 bugatti aerolithe was an absolute masterpiece when it came to its design. History admission parking guidelines accessibility directions and. Please practice handwashing and social distancing, and. It was created by jean bugatti, a french automotive designer and engineer who was part of the companys founding family. Bugatti aerolithe on the paris salon 1935 the aerolithe broke cover at the paris salon of 1935.
The history books may officially say the 1938 buick yjob is the auto. The atlantic was an automobile derived from bugattis prototype aerolithe electron coupe that caused a sensation when it was unveiled at the 1935 paris auto salon. The bugatti aerolithe legend is one that has been told and retold. This 1936 bugatti aeroatlantic coupe, chassis 57453, has been missing since 1938. The calibre pf335 is an automaticwinding, flyback chronograph movement, ensuring precision and reliability as well as a comfortable user experience. Automobiles ettore bugatti was a french car manufacturer of highperformance automobiles, founded in 1909 in the thengerman city of molsheim, alsace by the italianborn industrial designer ettore bugatti. Myself, on the other hand, merely read some books and then, quicker than you. Type 57s used a twincam 3,257cc engine based on that of the type 49 but heavily modified by jean bugatti, unlike the single cam engines of the type 49. Watch the full episode to learn more about the aerolithes history, and to find out what its like to drive.
Mythical because this magnesium car completely unusual back the days remained at a prototype stage and lasted for a very short period. Hugh conways excellent book, bugatti le pursang des. The car you see here is basically a recreation of a bugatti aerolithe, a concept car displayed at the paris auto show in 1935, a prototype announcing the atlantic, and. But unlike the others, the aerolithe was shown once and then never seen again. The cars were known for their design beauty and for their many race victories. The remaining vehicles are laid out along a ushaped path, beginning with a fetching 1936 peugeot 402 darlmat coupe and ending with a reproduction of a 1935 bugatti aerolithe. History of the 1946 alfa romeo 6c 2500 speciale by pinin farina duration. There are only about 11 meaningful photographs of the car and no specifically aerolithe blueprints or plans, aside from that of the radiator and. Bugatti a racing history venables 40 seventh royale don stanwood 10 great marques bugatti 5 amazing bugattis 15 elizabeth junek my life 1972 czech excellent dustjacket 60 bugatti vhs video set in box with book 25 bonhams bugatti hardback auction book 25 bugatti racing 192039 german 75. As a precursor to the legendary atlantics, the 1935 bugatti aerolithe seemed like a natural candidate for such recreation. Due to the racing successes, ettore remained committed to his singlecam engine, only adopting the more advanced doubleoverheadcamshaft method of valve actuation, after much persuasion by his eldest son jean, on the type 50 of 1930.
Davids crew of automobile mavericks turn rust into gold and deal with all the dents along the way. Famous bugattis include the type 35 grand prix cars, the type 41 royale, the type 57 atlantic. Our shared vision ensured that we would be as faithful to the original aerolithe as it appeared on the bugatti stand at the palais royale as was humanly possible. Master restorer david grainger undertook an astonishing project. Jay visits with david grainger of the guild of automotive restorers for an indepth look at his amazing restoration on the earliest known type 57 chassis, bodied. The new parmigiani bugatti aerolithe features the characteristic lugs that perfectly resemble the old bugatti aerolithe car from 1935. Recreating the 1937 bugatti aerolithe classics on autotrader. The bugatti type 55 is a sports car produced by bugatti from 19321935. One of the most bizarre, elusive and expensive of cars is the bugatti type 57sc atlantic. Recreating the 1937 bugatti aerolithe engaging car news. Page from carnet nr 2 from mr pracht, administrator of the bugatti factory. Only 1 1935 bugatti aerolithe coupe was ever made and this exact replica is considered the most ambitious reproduction of a car ever, taking way in excess of the 7,000 hours when the counting stopped. Jean bugatti was the eldest son of company founder ettore bugatti, and by the early 1930s was penning most of the companys body designs.
It was based on the automakers type 57 chassis but. In the process they refuted some assumptions and answered questions. Its carefully researched, skillfully crafted replica enriches our. Parmigiani presents the bugatti aerolithe monochrome watches. The atlantic was selected from a field of 100 classics including a 1962 ferrari 250 gto, a 1929 alfa romeo 6c 1750 grand sport spider zagato mm, and a 1939 delage d8120 s coach sport. The jean bugatti style was a mixture of of the couzinet 70 which mermoz used to cross the atlantic and the 1934 mercedesbenz 500 k autobahnkurier which bugatti saw at the berlin motor show. The watch we have today is much more concrete and has some. The history books may officially say the 1938 buick yjob is the auto industrys first ever concept car, but the trend of designing oneoff experimental. Ettore bugatti and his son jean brought out the type 57 model in 1934 to. The rebirth of bugattis aerolithe is an inspiration on.
Although items might have ended up in a type 64 later. Magnesium in the 1930s was like carbon fibre is today. It was based on the 1935 aerolithe concept car designed by jean bugatti which was. Restored 1935 bugatti aerolithe the guild of automotive. When the aerolithe was unveiled at the 1935 paris motor show, ettore bugatti claimed that it was made of electron, a magnesium alloy. The bugatti aerolithe was a career landmark for david with the car winning numerous awards internationally the original aerolithe was built in alsace, france but was lost to the pages of history until the guild of automotive restorers took on the task of building the aerolithe from only a handful of original bugatti parts.
The photographs also appeared in the junejuly 1935 acsmagazine and in a book, bugatti automobiles and autorails. This video delves deeper than ever before into the backstory of the original. The aerolithe broke cover at the paris salon of 1935. American auto writer ken purdy quotes an english bugattiste, in his 1949 book. The bugatti aerolithe translates into sky stone or meteorite, was first unveiled in 1935 at the paris motor show. Bugatti aerolithe the single perfect replica autoevolution. The original aerolithe was a oneoff bugatti prototype for the paris show of 1935. Jay leno drives 1934 bugatti aerolithe replica made by hand. Jan 12, 2016 the bugatti aerolithe recreated by the guild of automotive restorers. Painstaking story of the quest to recreate the atlantic prototype. There are only two bugatti type 57sc atlantics in the world. Bugatti 57 aerolithe bugatti 57 aerolithe bugatti 57 aerolithe bugatti 57 stelvio bugatti 57 galibier kellner sedan bugatti 57 ventoux bugatti 57 stelvio. Courtesy of julius kruta, bugatti sas eb order book with the batch of 6 bugattis for london.