Period designs for Bugattis, not executed
Years ago I found the above drawing of a Torpedo Sport body on a 5-litre Bugatti chassis. A rather light sporty body, including enclosed front wheels, where the fenders will probably swivel with the wheel, and really tiny and raked windscreens. The drawing was framed, and I found it in a small antique bookshop in Belgium. Together with maybe 40 other designs all with the name "René Villemer" and most signed "B.E.A.C.". It comes from a René Villemer prospectus for special car paints, this one being in the "Pétunia Clair" colour of the "Radiose" series "Email à froid pour carosseries" (or cold-drying paints for car bodies). René Villemer had them designed by B.E.A.C. which stands for Bureaux d'Études de l'Auto-Carrosserie. There are the most fantastic designs there, not just for automobiles, but also for buses and trucks. Searching the Internet for René Villemer gives quite some examples.
As for the colour "Pétunia Clair", it may be that the one I have is rather faded, because I found also a different scan of the same drawing, see above right. This seems very purple to me, the correct shade may be somewhere inbetween.
As this is only one example of such a drawing, I started collecting others, and found quite a few designs. Some were, like this one, made for René Villemer or another French manufacturer of car-body paints. There were also others, which were made by specific carrossiers.
Finally, there are some examples of post-war (WW2 that is) designs, for example for the Bugatti T101 and T252, of which Michelotti made a series of designs.
Problems with most of these designs, as is the case for the one above, is that they are usually not dated. Thus we do not know if the design above predates the T57S "Roadster Jean" (Chassis 57385), which was shown at the Paris car show in 1936, and also had fenders swiveling with the wings.
Below, I will show all the designs I have or which I have found on-line. In case you have any more, please let me know, and I will add them to this page. In most cases, the full-drawing including info can be seen by clicking on the image.
Torpedo Sport design by G. Laborey on Type 30 (?) chassis.
Torpedo 3-places on Type 38A chassis. Design by B.E.A.C. for Ferrures et Cuivreries (Ironworks and Copperworks) des Etablissements T. Lafon
Design by Léon Goethgeluck, Bugatti project (on T46 it seems) Carrosserie D'Ieteren, Brussels
Gouache by unknown artist of a Henri Labourdette body on Bugatti Type 46.
This is chassis 46165, see photo on the right. The car does not exist anymore.
Bugatti project design (on T46 it seems) Carrosserie Willy Vanden Plas, Brussels, Cabriolet Transformable
Torpedo Sport by Figoni on Type 55 chassis. Drawing by Riegel for Nitrolac, the proposed colors were called "Noir Iris" and "Blanc Léda".
This of course is the famous Figoni Type 55, chassis number 55221. It originally had a Le Mans body, and was rebodied in 1933.
Cabriolet on Type 57 chassis. Design by B.E.A.C. for René Villemer. Colour: "Vert Antique"
Coach on Type 57 chassis. Design by B.E.A.C. for René Villemer
Cabriolet by van Vooren on Type 57 chassis, 1934.
Cabriolet by Antem on Type 57 chassis, designed by Albert Marestaing, who also was the first owner in 1935. Drawing by Riegel for Nitrolac, the proposed colors were called "Noir Iris" and "Rouge d'Armagnac".
This car really has existed, chassis number 57200.
Cabriolet on Type 57 chassis by Tüscher, Zürich, Switzerland. The drawing is signed just right of the rear wheel, but I can't decipher it.
One Bugatti by Tüscher is known to exist, but that is not this design.
Cabriolet "Dandy" on Type 57 chassis by Henri Chapron.
Bugatti type 101 coupé 2 places - design by Michelotti for Ghia Aigle. May 1952. The wheelbase is 2.75 m, thus much shortened from the T101's 3.30 m.
Bugatti type 101 coupé 4 places - design by Michelotti for Ghia Aigle. May 1952. The wheelbase is 2.75 m, thus much shortened from the T101's 3.30 m.
The T101-like Type 57SC, chassis 57561 (right) was built by Ghia Aigle in 1952. Similar to, but not identical, to the coupé 4 places above. The 2 seater is more attractive though!
A few 3/4 front views of the Michelotti designs for Ghia Aigle.
In 1955 Michelotti continues to design Bugatti's. This time for the Type 252. Above two slightly different versions for a Spyder 2 places Grand Sport. Wheelbase is 2.46 m, which is slightly more than the T252's 2.30 m.
Interesting also the adjustable windscreen, similar to that of the Austin Healey.
Below yet another version of the Spyder, slightly different.
Further designs for the T252 by Michelotti, exact date unknown. The lower drawing was made by Paul Kestler, and was published in his book "l'evolution d'un style".
Paul Kestler would later make a whole series of "what if" designs. Designs for Bugatti's that might have been, if they had continued making automobiles. They were published in the magazine of the EBA, Enthousiastes Bugatti Alsace.
Interesting article on Giovanni Michelotti and his 30,000 cardesigns, see: speedholics.com/post/giovanni-michelotti-the-antistar-of-style
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