Important Bugatti contacts in Czech territory

Important people in this eastern European territory, for the history of Ettore Bugatti and the Bugatti factory were:

Alfred Hielle (1875–1949)
The wealthy family of a textile industrialist had its roots in northern Bohemia in Krásná Lípa. Alfred went to school there and later studied in Vienna, Halle and Stuttgart. He became an avid motorist, driving 100,000 km between 1901 and 1904.

In 1903, he bought a De Dietrich‑Bugatti car. He soon became friends with Ettore Bugatti and E. E. C. Mathis. In 1905, when Bugatti was making cars for Emile Mathis, he bought one car of this production the serial number 357.

Ettore Bugatti bought his factory in Molsheim in 1909, from which the first Bugatti T10 came out in 1910. Hielle was one of those who helped Bugatti financially. Between 1911 and 1913, Hielle ordered three cars from Molsheim. After the First World War, Hielle lived in northern Bohemia. Here he bought a lorry on which he delivered chassis with engines from Bugatti, for which Hielle’s employee Albin Liebisch built the bodies. Liebisch later built motorcycles Čechie‑Böhmerland with Hielle’s help. Hielle imported four Brescia cars to Czechoslovakia in 1922 and arranged for the sale of these cars to the businessman Rudolf Kögler. Kögler continued to import Bugattis to Bohemia until 1927. Hielle was the promoter and the first importer of Bugatti to Bohemia and after the First World War to Czechoslovakia.

In 1913, one of the eight 5-litre four‑cylinder cars, No. 473 s produced was shipped to Schönlinde, i.e. Krásná Lípa, for Hielle.
Ettore Bugatti at the wheel, Alfred Hielle next to him

Alexander Count Kolowrat (1886–1927)

Alexander Kolowrat as owner of the famous Sascha Film Alexander Kolowrat at the Alpenfahrt, 1910

Alexander “Sasha” Count Kolowrat‑Krakowsky was born in the USA, where his father Leopold stayed for several years after a forbidden duel. After returning to the monarchy, the family lived on their estates in western Bohemia, where Sasha grew up and where he began to ride his bicycle avidly. Another passion of his became the Laurin & Klement motorcycle, on which he rode many thousands of kilometres a year and took part in many races.

In 1906, he switched to Laurent & Klement cars, on which he achieved many great results not only in the monarchy, but also in Germany, France and Russia. His relationship with the Mladá Boleslav automobile company, today Šškoda Auto, was friendly, as was his mood. By 1914 he had completed five Alpine races, many hill races (Zbraslav–Jíloviště, Semmering, Exelberg, Gaillon, Chateau‑Thierry, Opčina), the Carpathian Ride, the Herkomer Ride, competitions in Russia and other events.

After the First World War he lived in Vienna, where he devoted himself to film, in which he became famous all over the world. Many of his company Sascha Film’s films were included in the golden fund of world cinema (he discovered, for example, Marlene Diettrich), but he continued, at least initially, to compete. Although he was close to Austro‑Daimler and the then technical director Ferdinand Porsche, he remained in contact with L & K. He died at the age of 41 of pancreatic cancer.

In the Tragatsch book he is pictured with Ferdinand Porsche and Ettore Bugatti. But their first meeting was at Semmering in 1903, where Bugatti rode a De Dietrich car licensed by Bugatti (he came 4th), Ferdinand Porsche drove a hybrid car with electric motors in the hubs of the wheels in the Lohner licensed by Porsche (he came 3rd) and Kolowrat rode L & K motorcycles with another factory rider Vondrich (Vondrich won the motorcycle category).

Left: Alexander Kolowrat at the wheel of the L & K, his brother Jindřich Kolowrat is a passenger. Right: Ferdinand Porsche, Alexander Kolowrat and Ettore Bugatti

Čeněk (Vincenc) Junek (1894–1928)
He was one of six children of a poor tailor in a small village on the border of the monarchy. His family could only afford him primary school, and he gained further education through his diligence, energy and persistent study.

In the war he was hit in the right hand and threatened with amputation, but Junek refused, and his hand was saved. He worked in the banking industry, where he proved himself, from Olomouc via Brno he soon began to work in Prague.

In 1922 he was already competing with a Mercedes in the Zbraslav–Jíloviště hillclimb race, in the second race in Karlovy Vary he crashed it in training. After that he raced exclusively in Bugatti cars. In the 1920s it was, with one exception, hillclimb races. He won every time. Only once, in 1927, he drove a classic race at Karlova Studánka, where he won, and in 1928 he retired due to an accident at Karlova Studánka. Junek became a well‑known driver, collecting first prizes thanks to the make of his car and certainly thanks to his spirited driving. However, he had virtually no experience of circuit racing.

In July 1928, he entered the Second German Grand Prix at the Nürburgring in a Bugatti T35 B, No. 4868. However, on the sixth lap he skidded, crashed and died on the spot. The car changed hands several times and is now on display at the Musée National de l’Automobile in Mulhouse.

Left: 1923 Zbraslav–Jíloviště hillclimb – Čeněk Junek (Bugatti T29/30). Right: Čeněk Junek at the Zbraslav–Jíloviště hill climb, 13th April 1925

Left: The Juneks in their "Swift-footed Tortoise". Right: Last photo of Čeněk Junek before his tragic crash

Eliška Junková (Elisabeth Junek) (1900–1994)
The young girl (née Alžběta Pospíšilová) joined a Prague bank branch in 1917 in her native Olomouc. Her boss was Čeněk Junek, an ambitious, energetic young man six years her senior.

He soon fell in love with the young clerk, but it didn’t go so fast. First Eliška wanted to see the world, she spent time in France and Switzerland. The wedding took place in June 1922. By then Junek had already made his first start, winning the Zbraslav–Jíloviště hill climb. Eliška was also energetic, she knew what she wanted in life. She showed her husband her driving licence, which she had obtained secretly. On 16 September 1923 she took part for the first time in the Lochotín–Třemošná race near Pilsen as a co‑driver.

At that time, the Junek family already had their first Bugatti T 29/30 and Bugatti Tank T 32 cars. Junek had a lame right hand after the accident and Eliska was shifting gears…

She first raced in September 1924 in the uphill race Zbraslav–Jíloviště and won the touring car category with the T 29/30. In 1925 she raced five times in a Bugatti T 35C and won every time. In 1926, she even made world motor sport history when she became the first woman to win an international race, in this case the very well attended Zbraslav–Jíloviště hill climb race.

By 1927 she had already competed in ten races, including the first German GP at the Nürburgring (she won the 1.5 to 3 litre category), and the women’s 50 km race at Linas‑Montlháry (she also won). At the 1927 Targa Florio she retired due to fuel supply failure. She experienced the peak of her career at the 1928 Targa Florio, racing a Bugatti T35B. She finished 5th overall, winning the privateer category. Two months later, Čeněk Junek died at the Nürburgring and Eliška Junková gave up racing.

Left: Eliška Junková at the Linas-Montlháry, 1927. Right: Eliška Junková in the company of Czech‑ born Ferdinand Porsche and Tatra designer Hans Ledwinka at the Brno Grand Prix, 1934

Ing. Vladimír Gut (1897–1979)
An important personality associated with the Bugatti brand. After high school and a short study of chemistry, he arranged for the representation of French cars Buchet and Bignan. In November 1926, he also negotiated the Bugatti. Not only did he speak French, he had great manners and business sense and refinement.

He also negotiated correctly with the Bugatti dealer Kögler, who did business in northern Bohemia, while Gut from Prague covered practically the whole republic. Bugatti cars were among the most expensive on the market. We know that the Bugatti T 40 chassis No. 780 from 1929 cost CZK 52,000 with duty and all fees, the roadster body about CZK 25,000, the total price was about CZK 75,000. That’s what a decent family home cost at the time. The average monthly wage in 1930 was 790 CZK, a bicycle cost about 600 CZK. When the Bugatti business ceased in 1937, Gut joined the Prague aircraft engine manufacturer Walter as head of the testing department. In this position he flew for the company’s foreign customers.

After the war he devoted himself to the family business – flower gardening. After the communist coup in February 1948, the new regime “nationalized“ his horticulture business, i.e. robbed him of it, but through inconsistency let him continue to work in the horticulture business. Gut worked there until his death in 1979.

Ing. Vladimír Gut behind the wheel of Bugatti T37 chassis No. 37300 at the Konovíz–Olšany hillclimb, 1928

Jiří Kristián Lobkowicz (1907–1932)

Jiří Kristián (on the right) by the Type 54 Bugatti before the AVUS race

Jiří Kristián Lobkowicz was a descendant of an important Czech noble family. After grammar school he studied farm management in England, then did not complete his law degree in Prague.

In 1925 he obtained his driver’s license, and in 1929 he bought his first racing car Bugatti T37A chassis No. 37366. The following year, 1930, he acquired Bugatti T35C chassis No. 4949, Louis Chiron’s previous car. He raced this car for just over a year. In September 1931 he acquired a Bugatti T51, chassis no. 51131. This was again one of the factory cars that took part in the Monaco Grand Prix in April. Lobkowicz took part in a single race with it, coincidentally his first race at the Brno Grand Prix circuit. He finished fourth behind Chiron, Varzi and Bouriat. Until then, he had competed in hillclimb races only.

In November 1931, the factory offered Lobkowicz Bugatti T54 chassis No. 51201. This was the car that Achille Varzi drove in the Monza Grand Prix in September. As is well known, the power of the engine exceeded the handling characteristics of the chassis. Ing. Vladimír Gut, as the brand’s representative, repeatedly tried to prevent the sale. He was aware that Lobkowicz’s experience was not sufficient for such a car. It was a futile effort. Lobkowicz entered in an international race at Avus on 22 May 1932. What should not have happened happened: a crash occurred in the first corner of the first lap, which Jiří Lobkowicz did not survive. The car was then acquired by Lobkowicz’s friend Jiří Pohl and had Oldřich Uhlík build an elegant sports body for it. The car ended up in England in 1970. The new owner had the original racing body built on the chassis, the body by Uhlík ended up in the USA on another chassis. Sad fate for Lobokowicz, sad fate for the car.

Left: Jiří Kristián Lobkowicz next to his Bugatti T46 (chassis No. 46409) as photographed by Zoltan Glass in Berlin before a race. Open sliding doors can be seen on the left. Right: The racing five-litre Bugatti T54 after Lobkowicz’s fatal accident

Oldřich Uhlík (1888–1964)

Photograph of Oldřich Uhlík from the entry card for the car show

Oldřich Uhlík was one of the best Czech coachbuilders, if not the best at all. He trained as a wheelwright, studied at a vocational college, worked in Bohemia, gained experience in Vienna and Paris, and no sooner had he started his own business than the First World War broke out. He survived it with minor injuries, returned to Prague and founded his own company specializing in bodywork.

He created a number of extremely successful coachbuildings, many of them for Bugatti chassis, but also for Triumph, MG, Mercedes, Rolls Royce and other famous brands. In 1928, he completed a new factory, employing up to more than 100 craftsmen. Carbon insisted on controlling all the work in‑house, so he employed all the trades and equipped himself with all the necessary technology. Uhlík also became chairman of the body builders‘ association, supported aspiring colleagues, and organised regular trips to car shows in Paris.

During the war, the factory learned to work with aluminum and duralumin sheets. As a result, in 1947 they created a unique body on the Healey chassis, which delighted the English and they ordered a 200-unit production run. But then in February 1948 the communist coup took place, Uhlik’s body shop was “nationalized”, i.e. stolen from the Uhlik family, and its owner was imprisoned for a time.

After his release, he was exiled to the state border with a minimal pension, i.e. in the category of social cases. There he died, forgotten, on July 14, 1976.

Bugatti Type 46 chassis No. 46409 for Jiří Kristián Lobkowicz with bodywork by Uhlik

Article taken from the rally book of the 2023 Brescia Rally in Czech Republic.
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