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Irreplaceable Bugatti history is coming home!

Reading time 6 Min.

Irreplaceable Bugatti history is coming home!

A collection of the most extraordinary, unrestored Bugatti vehicles has been carefully cared for and researched for many years in a spacious house in Switzerland. But now this collection, which Hans Matti has lovingly built up over decades, has found a new keeper and the first journey under its new owner has taken the vehicles to Château Saint Jean in Molsheim - the home of Bugatti Automobiles. The return of these vehicles to their place of origin is a fitting introduction to the latest chapter in their lives. Hans Matti dedicated his life to building this collection, bringing together original photographs, magazine articles, books and factory communications about the vehicles. He not only collected the vehicles, but fully researched their history. As the archivist of the Bugatti Club Suisse, Hans Matti is one of the world's most knowledgeable experts on Bugatti Grand Prix cars.

Type 49 faux convertible

Irreplaceable Bugatti history is coming home!

The extraordinary collection includes a Bugatti Type 51, considered one of the most original surviving models, a remarkably well-preserved Type 37A, a short-chassis Type 49 faux cabriolet with bodywork by Jean Bugatti - the only surviving example in the world -, a Type 35B and a Type 35A with the only surviving engine, chassis and rear axle from the Type 36. Understandably, Hans Matti was reluctant to part with this unique collection. Talks about buying the collection went on for two and a half years and even Caroline Bugatti, Ettore Bugatti's granddaughter, was involved in the negotiations.

Irreplaceable Bugatti history is coming home!

The Type 51 - a Grand Prix works racer - has never been restored or repainted and bears the marks of 90 years of racing and driving pleasure. Here the original artistry of Ettore Bugatti's team is visible and the car proudly displays the traces of its eventful life. The Type 49 was Jean Bugatti's personal vehicle and bears the initials "JB" on the doors. Models of the Type 49 with bodywork designed and built in the Bugatti factory, like this example, are extremely rare and no other Type 49 in existence features the unique faux-cabriolet bodywork. Even more incredible is that this Type 51 and Type 49 were transported together in the same van to their first private owners. Their reunification closes a circle that began in the 1930s.

one of the last Type 35B ever built

The Type 51 in the collection began life as one of the last Type 35Bs ever built, a Grand Prix works racer driven by Louis Chiron, the namesake of Bugatti's latest hypercar. In the course of the further development of the Type 35 - considered the most successful racing car of all time - Bugatti developed a new advanced engine with double overhead camshafts and a new vehicle to be powered by this engine: the Type 51. The new drive was used in these Car installed, making it one of the very first Type 51s, fitted with engine number 1 and raced by Achille Varzi and other motorsport heroes of the time. Varzi is still honored at Bugatti today. A special Centenaire Edition Veyron “Achille Varzi” was launched to celebrate the brand's 100th anniversary. With participation in Monaco and Monza, the Targa Florio and many other races, this car has an impressive racing history. Another important connection is that the Grand Prix engine fitted to the original Type 35B version of this car was fitted to another Type 35B from this collection before it was sold new.

Irreplaceable Bugatti history is coming home!

One of the outstanding racetracks of the early racing era was Montlhéry in France. The track was known for its high-speed banked corners, but also for its extremely uneven surface. Bugatti's meticulous design approach led to the development of a new model for the Montlhéry races: the Type 36. With its rigid rear axle, this car would better cope with the difficult conditions of this particular circuit. Two variants were built. The later model was supercharged and is widely considered to be the first supercharged Bugatti. However, their racing career was short-lived and the only two Type 36s built were destroyed. All that remained was the engine, transmission and rear axle of one of the two cars that are now in a Type 35A in this collection - another one-off from Bugatti's history.

Irreplaceable Bugatti history is coming home!

Completing the five Bugatti vehicles in the collection is a Type 37A from the long line of supercharged Bugattis that presumably began with the Type 36. This car is also completely in its original condition, with corresponding serial numbers of the components and all owners, and its extensive racing history - which is still ongoing - has been traced back in detail to the first owner in 1929. The Type 37 was considered by many of its drivers to be the top car for the Voiturette class, but with the addition of a supercharger - making it the Type 37A - the powerful four-cylinder engine was able to increase top speed from the previous 144 km/h to over 193 km/h. Only 76 models were equipped with a supercharger by Bugatti. They were represented at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the Mille Miglia, the Targa Florio and many other races.

Vehicle collection enters the third era

This unique vehicle collection is now entering its third era. The first started with the sale of new cars and the second spent the vehicles under the careful care of Hans Matti. Now they are preserved in their original, unrestored condition as important testimonies to Bugatti's history. When they were all gathered at the Château Saint Jean – a place Ettore Bugatti bought to receive his customers and which remains an integral part of the Bugatti legend – it almost felt like they were never been away. A sense of history surrounds the château, steeped in almost a century of Bugatti tradition.

Irreplaceable Bugatti history is coming home!

Christophe Piochon, President of Bugatti Automobiles, said: “We are a brand that constantly draws on the genius of our founder for inspiration. For Ettore, the most important aspect of a Bugatti was that it was incomparable. He must be in a class of his own. Perhaps nothing brings us closer to Ettore's vision than seeing his creations in the state in which they left the factory. The original rivets, the paintwork and especially the meticulous construction that made these vehicles and ultimately their success. This collection and the stories behind the vehicles are priceless and we are honored to welcome them to the home of Bugatti Automobiles. As we move into a new Bugatti era, these groundbreaking models will serve as inspiration.” Many thanks to Rock N Roll Classics and the owners of the cars for bringing them to Molsheim.

Irreplaceable Bugatti history is coming home!

Of course, that wasn't the end of it. Our tuning magazine has tens of thousands of other tuning reports in stock. Do you want to see them all? Just click HERE and look around. Or are you especially interested in our Tuning classics category? Then the following excerpt is tuned Young and oldtimers definitely the right place to browse.

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Irreplaceable Bugatti history is coming home!

Irreplaceable Bugatti history is coming home!
Photo credit: Bugatti
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About Thomas Wachsmuth

Thomas Wachsmuth - He has been an integral part of tuningblog.eu since 2013. His passion for cars is so intense that he invests every available penny in them. While he dreams of a BMW E31 850CSI and a Hennessey 6x6 Ford F-150, he currently drives a rather inconspicuous BMW 540i (G31/LCI). His collection of books, magazines and brochures on the subject of car tuning has now reached such proportions that he himself has become a walking reference work for the tuning scene.  More about Thomas

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