Its high standards were already evident in its name. It was to be a car for kings, a luxurious driving pleasure for all those who could afford a "Bugatti Royale" - provided they had the blessing of its creator, as the eccentric Ettore Bugatti did not sell to just anyone.
The wickedly expensive luxury car, which was intended to provide stiff competition for Rolls-Royce, Mercedes-Benz and Cadillac, was only built six times from 1926 onwards, and the "Royale" - officially the Type 41 - became a legendary flop in automotive history. At Retro Classics in Stuttgart from March 17 to 20, 2022, the rare classic will be the focus of a special show by the Museum Schlumpf Mulhouse in the central forum.
Of course, the fascination for the designer and the brand goes far beyond mere sales figures. "Ettore Bugatti was a genius," says Bernard Jaeggy, Honorary President of the International Association of Friends of the Schlumpf Museum in Mulhouse and organizer of the Bugatti special exhibition, which features some particularly valuable examples from the museum's collection. "He built his first car in a small garage at his parents' house when he was not even twenty years old. For him, cars were not just four wheels to drive. They also had to be beautiful. This resulted in magnificent, expensive automobiles, which were very difficult to sell during the Great Depression."
Those who ordered one anyway were allowed to make special requests. Jaeggy explains: "The green Bugatti Royale roadster Armand Esders, for example, was designed for a textile manufacturer, but he didn't like the look of the headlights. As Esders didn't drive at night anyway, it was possible to remove them and place them in the rear. The showpiece of the special exhibition at Retro Classics Stuttgart is a reconstruction of this vehicle made entirely from original components, which the brothers Fritz and Hans Schlumpf started personally and which was later completed by the Schlumpf Museum. As it was possible to build on an original chassis, this is the 'seventh' Bugatti Royale, so to speak."
Other exhibits include a 16-cylinder Type 45 car, of which only two were built in 1930 (both now owned by the Schlumpf Collection), and a Type 35C from 1929.
And of course, this is just one of several special shows and special exhibitions that await visitors to Retro Classics Stuttgart in March. You can find out more on the website of the classic car fair.
