Rabag, Lic. E. Bugatti, der Vollblüter

The Bugatti Brescia, was probably one of the best small sport cars of the early twenties. 

The 4 cylinder with 16 valve engine was very powerful and reliable. After the First World War, Bugatti had licence arrangements with Diatto in Italy, Crossley in England and Rabag in Germany.

The Rheinische Automobilbau AG, “Rabag”, was founded with a capital of 13 million marks on 3 December 1920 by the Funke Brothers. The head quarter was in Düsseldorf with a factory located in Mannheim where they built, under licence, Bugatti Type 22 and Type 23.

The Rabag were relatively popular in Germany and often seen in sport events.

In June 1925, the firm merged with AGA (Autogen Gas Akkumulator A.G.) from Berlin-Lichtenberg which produced the Dinos cars. But economic situation of the new society was not good, and in November 1925 it was declared in bankruptcy.

The car in the photograph is registered, IV-6760 in Chemnitz (Kreishauptmannschaft), Sachsen.

Bugatti T35

Something a bit different today with the icon of the racing cars from the late 20s : the Bugatti T35.
With its straight eight engine, two carbs (note the non standard holes in the bonnet) or the supercharged version (the T35B), the alloy wheels, the Bugatti was, without doubt, the best racer from its period.

This one, registered in Paris in 1928, seems to have a nice racing career. Note the "slick" tyres.
May be a Bugatti expert could identiy the chassis number of this one?

Le Gotha de l'Automobile Française

This book, written by two enthusiasts, two experts, is a tribute to the French luxury cars through the most beautiful models produced by the automobile manufacturers of France, from the very beginning of the 20th century to the late `50s.

The authors gave free rein to their passion for us to share their admiration and enthusiasm for this great adventure too little known of the luxurious French automobile. They chose several hundred of sumptuous photos, of great variety, most of them never published, among the thousands that passed through their hands. They have selected reproductions of the most luxurious catalogues made by French master printers.
These illustrations could totally stand by themselves. However, for those who want to know more about what France has given to luxury cars, these pictures are discussed using precise and varied text, excerpts of period motoring press or catalogs manufacturers, texts from contemporary writers.

Today, while cars are designed and built-in by computers, it is good to evoke time when it was the men who drew and built them with their hands. This is a mural of more than a century of sumptuous cars, real objects of art and mechanical perfection, bodies of sublime beauty that unfolds before our eyes throughout these pages, showing that if the automobile industry was born in France, this country has also invented the concept of the luxury car.

Le Gotha de l'Automobile Française

Claude Rouxel, Laurent Friry

Publisher : ETAI, 2010

ISBN : 2726888879

Grand Prix Bugatti by Louis Dubos

This outstanding car is indeed a Bugatti Grand Prix, a Type 51 (chassis #51133) originally owned by Louis Chiron.
André Bith bought it in June 1936 and he decided to transform his Grand Prix Bugatti into a coupe. In April 1937, Bith ordered a new body from Louis Dubos, a coachbuilder who had his workshop at rue de Sablonville, Paris. Dubos was a coachbuilder working mainly on medium range cars (Citroën, Peugeot, Delahaye …) and also busses.
The design of the coupé has been drawing by André Bith himself, being definitely inspired by the famous Bugatti Type 57s Atlantic. The cost of the body was of 20,000 French francs, for comparison a Citroën Traction Avant 7cv was priced new 22,500 FFR.
Painted in Bugatti racing blue, Bith participated to the Paris-Nice rally of 1937, see the picture.
Few weeks later, the T51, repainted in a darker blue, was presented by Jacqueline Ganet, Bith’s girl friend, to the concours d’élégance organized by the newspaper L’Auto, in June 1937.
The car was sold by Bith in Fall 1938.
Today 51133 with its original body can be seen in the Nethercutt collection in California.