On the occasion of the 42nd Rétromobile in Paris, which opens its doors from February 8 to 12, 2017, Lukas Hüni AG will compare two of the greatest designers using selected vehicles.
20 cars will recall memories of the work of Ettore Bugatti and Walter Owen Bentley and highlight the fact that the two designers had similar visions despite very different results.
Bugatti - between art and mechanics
Ettore Bugatti's cars immediately show that artistic talent met profound mechanical understanding. In a Bugatti, every detail, every component is just right and even an engine block looks like a work of art.
Bentley - the serial winner
The fact that Walter Owen Bentley served his apprenticeship at the Great Northern Locomotive Railway Works in Doncaster can sometimes be seen in his vehicles. They were robustly built and could hardly be stopped, as evidenced by five victories in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1924, 1927, 1928, 1929 and 1930. The performance of the four-cylinder three- and four-and-a-half-liter engines was legendary, as was the superior smoothness of the 6.5- and 8-liter models.
Many parallels
A comparison of the Bugatti and Bentley CVs reveals many similarities: Both achieved their first racing victories with lightweight vehicles, for Bugatti it was his two-cylinder three-wheeler with Prinetti & Stucchi engine, for Bentley a selection of Quadrant, Rex and Indian motorcycles. Both initially worked for other car manufacturers before setting up their own business. Bugatti worked with de Dietrich, Emile Mathis and Deutz, W. O. Bentley ran the Doriot-Flandrin-Parant sales unit. Both Bugatti and Bentley designed aircraft engines, Bugatti's was an in-line eight-cylinder and a 16-cylinder engine, Bentley developed a nine-cylinder radial engine. However, while Bentley was trained in the railroad industry, it was ultimately Bugatti who was allowed to develop railroad designs himself.
An impressive selection
At the Rétromobile, important vehicles from both designers will be on display at the Lukas Hüni AG stand:
Bugatti is represented by the 16V Brescia, but also by Grand Sport and Super Sport models, including the Bugatti 35C ex-Trintignant, the Type 59 driven by Dreyfus. An unrestored Type 55 Jean Bugatti Roadster and a Type 57 are complemented by two 57S examples.
On the Bentley side, examples of the 4.5-liter supercharged racing cars will be on display, such as the 1930 Le Mans car ("Old No. 2") and GP401, which was driven by Bentley Boy Captain Woolf Barnato. Other sporty Bentleys from the Derby and Crewe eras will also be on display.
You can be sure that the special show "Bugatti meets Bentley" will include a few more attractive vehicles. Which ones these will be will only be revealed at the Rétromobile. That alone makes a visit worthwhile.
Further information on the Rétromobile can be found on the exhibition website.
