Bugatti's amazing white elephant
turns into the Wagon Rapide.
A King on a shopping spree considers
a Bugatti Royale T41 Coupé de Ville Napoléon.
Dutch version.
Hans Arend de Wit
The internet wasn't even a dream, but long before the Second World War, news traveled fast in royal circles. So the King was among the first to learn that Ettore Bugatti was planning to a new automobile especially for royal houses. It was to be an enormous automobile capable of moving with the parade pace of a horse drawn carriage.
His friend George had sent him, by special courier from England, a portfolio of photos. In the enclosed letter George told him that he was personally bound to buy no other car than a Rolls-Royce, but, he added, if he were free he'd think of a Bugatti.
The King wasn't in the least tempted to buy a new car. He was satisfied with the stately Minerva, the car he drove, or, rather, in which he was driven. What's more, owning his own racing car, for a Bugatti is in its essence a pure racing car, was completely out of the question. The wonderful Minerva, the royal family's state coach, could proceed at a quiet walking pace in the lanes of the woods around the palace. But then, he mused, the Bugatti, pulled by no less than three hundred race bred horses, would be able to make up for any lost time rather briskly at the royal command. George's photos showed the first two examples of the new Bugatti Royale, the Fiacre or "Carriage." The design had many elements taken from a horse-drawn fiacre, but this was an automobile of the highest order, with qualities that strongly appealed to the King. The door handles resembled those on his ceremonial coach. The two-toned color scheme accentuated the carriage style, making the automobile a bit too flamboyant, the King thought. While he did not appreciate that aspect, color, he realized was negotiable. Prussian blue, royal blue, noble Burgundian red, perhaps. Even if this became a serious matter the Queen would let the King go his own way. But in his growing enthusiasm he showed her the photos.
"I assume George sent them," she said, "But tell me, how long have we had the Minerva? It can't have been longer than five years. What's so special about this new machine?"
"The Minerva is the ideal car to drive into town, being so quiet and above all, inconspicuous, on informal rides. But this Bugatti is more our cup of tea, more a driver's machine."
"Your own tea, you should say. By the way, I've never heard a word from you about that horse you said you were going to buy for my birthday."
"I've been thinking," said the King. He pulled another photo from the envelope, a sporty two seater Bugatti T35.
"This was an additional suggestion from George: two cars! His and hers automobiles."
"So, it was George."
"Bugatti calls his new model the Coupé Napoléon, an imperial automobile for monarchs, a bit over the top I'd say, don't you agree?
"The bodywork was not designed by Ettore Bugatti but by his son Jean. His brother Rembrandt sculpted the elephant for the radiator cap. I wonder whether that's his real name. Look at these simply amazing wheels! You know, my dear, I am considering an incognito visit to the factory in Molsheim."
"I suppose you 've already made your plans," the Queen said, "I trust you will go alone, with Charles."
So it happened, as we can now read after all these years in Charles' autobiography. The King departed with Charles, his equerry, the following Monday. He hadn't changed his mind; he definitively wanted to check out Bugatti's new creation. Charles already had done some research in preparation for the trip, made notes and, unknown to the King, started a journal of the trip.
They arrived in Molsheim at the Hotel Le Pur Sang, located on the property of Ettore Bugatti. After reading the equerry's secret journal we now know that the King met one of the fascinating women of the era, Hellé Nice, who was also staying in the hotel. Hellé was a well-known dancer and surrounded herself with racing drivers and others in the jet set of the thirties.
Miss Nice was waiting, Charles wrote, for the delivery of a T35 that she had ordered. She was taking advantage of the wait to get coached for the racing program she had planned for her new car. Nowadays a Google check confirms her celebrity as a racing driver, world speed record holder and friend of such notables as Bugatti's son Jean and Philippe de Rothschild, to name a few.
Some years earlier Charles had been hand picked from the royal cavalry as the King's aide-de-camp, mostly for his comprehensive understanding of rolling stock. In his notes we find: "...drum brakes with diameter 457 mm (!), lightweight cast aluminum wheels with a diameter of 61 cm. thus far, the largest ever used on a passenger car. When Bugatti introduced the T35 in 1925, it was fitted with the most enigmatically beautiful wheels ever seen. For the Napoléon, he designed enormous wheels that seemed to be impressive beyond simply majestic. The engine has a near 12.7 liters engine (apx. 1.4 m long x (1.1 m) high), is one of the largest automobile engines ever made, producing 205 to 223 kW (275 to 300 hp). Its cylinders, bored to 125 by 130 mm, each displaced more than the entire engine of the contemporary Type 40 touring car. It has 3 valves per cylinder driven by a single overhead camshaft. Nine bearings were specified for reliability, but only a single custom carburetor was needed."
Before they set off for Molsheim Charles had cautiously suggested to the King that, "Perhaps, Majesty, in the shadow of the crash of '29 one might want to consider the reaction of one's people to the acquisition of a means of transport at a price that might possibly be seen as, shall we say, unconscionable." He added that, "Driving around in such an automobile could possibly have adverse consequences."
The King waved the suggestions aside and picked up a photo of a cylinder block.
"I know, I know, and I agree. But I do not seriously regard this machine as a car, but as a work of sublime art, dear boy. Just take a look at this engine block. If I could not acquire this automobile, then at least I display this engine in my study."
"Imagine 12,763 cc! No less than 1.3 meter s long and more than a meter high! It takes an endless bonnet 1.5 meter s high to keep it out of the weather. In a wink of an eye this engine - think of it! - can accelerate with a royal suppleness to a speed of two hundred and five kilometers per hour. Not just on highways, but with equal grace on winding country roads. The car is so docile that the Queen might drive herself. I am fascinated watching elephants without the urge to own one."
Welcoming his visitors, Ettore Bugatti, Le Patron, enthusiastically explained the Royale concept, its unique blend of great power and exquisite comfort. Directly after coffee he proposed a trial run.
A Royale awaited them in front of the hotel. Charles stroked the elephant that topped the car's radiator cap and said: "The elephant has been made tiltable. If a tree branch sweeps against her, she won't break off but will sweep backwards, then raise herself again automatically."
Just as they drove off a young woman stepped out of the front door of the hotel and waved, with a big smile.
"Hellé Nice," said Charles, "I met her in the lobby, smart girl. Nice as well, always smiling."
The King and Charles took the seats in the enclosed rear compartment. Up front, in the open, Bugatti, wearing his brown bowler hat, took the wheel; next to him, a mechanic. Outside Molsheim the route followed a badly maintained secondary road winding through the hills. Inside the car the men barely noticed the rough pavement. With impressive acceleration Bugatti increased the Napoléon's speed. It swept past carriages whose drivers doffed their caps, not to the King, but to Le Patron. Before the Bugatti entered the road to Strasbourg, the King signaled that he wanted to take the mechanic's seat. Once on the highway Bugatti shifted to the highest gear, pressed on, and quietly let the massive car surge past two hundred kilometers per hour. The King beamed like a young prince.
When the men returned at the factory Charles caressed the elephant on the radiator once more and said: "Compared with this mascot the automobile looks like a mammoth, visually I'd add, but an agile and fast moving mammoth."
"This automobile," the King said, "is too nice a dream to be true. I had no idea that such performance was achievable. Monsieur le Patron, I salute you and I'd say that you ought to be decorated. But something troubles me . Is it suitable for a King to drive in an automobile conceived to carry someone with imperial status? Why is it called Napoléon? This makes me think of the Queen, and also of the emperor's clothes. The question is, would we look overdressed in these troubled times? It's merely a possibility that comes to mind. I also thought of giving my wife the little two-seater."
"I might say, your highness," Bugatti replied, "Several ladies told me about their enthusiasm for the T35, how they love the ride, so agile and fast. I've heard that her majesty loves horses. So I think you have an extraordinarily nice idea. Your queen clearly has a preference for moving about at high speeds."
The men went into Bugatti's office. On the walls, large photos posed various T35s with glamorous women behind the wheel or showing off the engines.
"These photos were a present from Jacques-Henri Lartigue," said Bugatti, "Aren't they brilliant?"
"Incroyable," the King said. "But who are these ladies?"
"The lady on the left," Bugatti said, "is Hellé Nice, who waved to us as we drove away from the hotel, a racing driver of extraordinary daring. On the right is Elizabeth Junek. In 1926 she was runner-up at the Klaussenpass, in Switzerland. She drove in the Targa Florio in Sicily, where stamina was as necessary as speed due to the length and roughness of the course. She was running in fourth place before she crashed out, garnering great respect from her contemporaries.
"Elizabeth is a gifted technical driver. She is often credited for being one of the first drivers to walk round a course before an event, noting landmarks and checking out the best line through the corners. She is a legend, and a client of whom we're very proud. Shortly after the Targa, she won the two-liter sports car class at the Nürburgring, in Germany, making her the only woman in history to have ever won a Grand Prix race. With her sights firmly set on winning the 1928 Targa Florio, she acquired a new Type 35B to put her on an equal footing with the top male competitors. At the end of the first lap Junek was fourth behind the famous Louis Chiron in one of our factory team cars. On the next lap she took the lead, and won. But then she gave up racing, sold her vehicles and returned to her first passion, traveling. I gave her a new touring car for her journey to Ceylon and hired her to seek out new business opportunities in Asia. We regret that we don't often see her anymore. She just happens to be back to talk business over. In the racing world she still is known as The Queen of the steering wheel. Because you travel back so soon, I can't resist asking how you experienced the ride in the Napoléon."
"My answer will probably surprise you," the King said. "An overpowering ride, is my immediate impression. As we drove along, I tried to compose a more sober report to my wife. I indeed want to buy a T35 for her. For official events, informal rides and shopping when I want to move in a less conspicuous way, I will keep using the Minerva, a magnificent car that still surpasses the Rolls-Royce. Oh, and yes, just by the way, we'll also take a Napoléon. For special events I decided to make use of the Napoléon. That is, I believe the scale is too large, in these current times with grave social difficulties. So in society I shall have to move cautiously. Undoubtedly the Napoléon will be compared with a private train. I think our country is too small for such a vehicle, and we've already got a private train. Our country is too small and we have no plans to expand. We're to move thoughtfully, and enjoy our rides a bit secretly."
Within a month the automobiles were delivered and the royal couple had made many swift but comfortable drives with the Napoléon - to family in Germany, to friends on estates in the country and to a fellow monarch in a castle near the coast. Several photos have been saved of these outings. At regular intervals the King drove to the factory in Molsheim to have the car serviced. On the way south he and Charles would sit up front in the open air, wearing goggles, adventurers chatting about political affairs, long- and short-term schemes, and the King's passion for wheels, among other, more personal subjects. Small boys intensely enjoying their tomfoolery, they delighted in the astonished expressions of drivers in other fast cars as the vast machine accelerated past.
The Queen granted the King these little pleasures. She knew that the responsibility of reigning over the country was not a light one, and she trusted that th ese days off had a relaxing effect on her husband.
On the way to his suite at le Pur Sang, the King almost collided with Hellé Nice, who gave him her famous smile. They introduced themselves, and the King said , "I hear you are waiting for the delivery of your T35. You must be excited. If I may ask, meeting you here in this stable of thoroughbreds, what attracts you so much that your life circles around racing?"
"Nothing can touch the exhilaration of the moment," she said, touching his right arm, "When car and driver fuse. And once is not enough if something can be done about it."
When in Molsheim the King often took drives with Hellé Nice in the backseats, and Charles driving. Queen Elizabeth Junek was never there at the same time, because Bugatti preferred to keep them apart. "La Reine Bugatti" as Mlle. Nice was called, had become a very successful racing driver and collector of famous men. It was understood that she had a promotional position in the Bugatti organization. She was also dubbed, "The fastest woman on earth".
Until the Second World War broke out she was often seen driving into the estates where the great parties were held. During the war her companions included drivers from the teams subsidized by Adolf Hitler, such as Hans von Stuck and Huschke von Hanstein, a member of the SS. Those contacts killed her socially after the wa r. At a big party Louis Chiron accused her of having been an agent for the Gestapo. Friends in high circles turned their back s on her, the friend she lived with left her and the Bugatti Queen died in poverty and grief.
On their journey home the King sat in the back most of the time, apparently digesting the meetings in Molsheim, fully trusting Charles at the wheel.
The public never saw the King's Queen behind the wheel of the T35. Nonetheless, the French blue racer was often spotted at parties to which the princes drove it. The King's second son was rumored to have had a mysterious accident after which he stayed abroad for a long time. During family gatherings both the T35 and the Royale are parked on the forecourt, as a Veyron and an EB110 GT come storming down the drive. By chance, we recently had the occasion to shoot them all.
Ettore Bugatti paid a high price for his idealism - his technical and artistic perfectionism. H e built works of art without compromise. The Bugatti Royale was launched just after the Wall Street Crash of 1929. This setback forced Bugatti to find a way to avoid imminent bankruptcy. He created a railroad locomotive, propelled by the Royale's powerful engines. He named it the Wagon Rapide. It was, in fact, very fast.
The Wagon Rapide had all the advanced technology, style and charm that was unique to the marque. Look at is as the predecessor of today's fast, suburban trains or, perhaps, TGV avant la lettre. The first version was introduced on May 1933, and reached a maximum speed of 172 km per hour. Its cruising speed of 116 km per hour was quite fast at the time. No less than four eight cylinder engines in line put out a total of 800 bhp. Its aerodynamic lines were unlike anything at the time. The driver's cabin looked like the cockpit of an airplane.
While the Wagons Rapides encountered technical problems in the beginning, Bugatti soon overcame them. Before the Second Wortld the French State Railways ran the Bugatti trains as long-distance expresses between Paris and Le Havre. During the summer months a service of Bugatti trains also ran between Paris and Deauville and on the Paris-Lyons Mediterranean line. In the 1930 these railcars saved the Bugatti company from financial ruin.
During the war the Germans took over the Bugatti factory in Molsheim. After the war Bugatti had to fight to get it back because according to the French he was still officially an Italian citizen.
Eventually, the Bugatti equipment was phased out for purely economic reasons. These Bugatti railcars were designed to run on a petrol/alcohol fuel mixture in plentiful supply in France in the early 30s. As this fuel became more expensive the French State Railways gradually switched over to electric locomotives.
The Royale was not a sales winner. Just six were built between 1929 and 1933, with only three sold to external customers, and Bugatti even refused to sell one to King Zog of Albania, claiming that "the man's table manners are beyond belief!" In the early 1960s L'Ebe Bugatti sold the Coupé de Ville Napoléon, that once was driven by Ettore Bugatti, to the brothers Schlumpf, and nowadays resides in the Musée National de l'Automobile de Mulhouse.
