Mystery Bugatti body

What is it?: Mystery Bugatti body. This mystery Bugatti body recently came out of a long-term storage, from the owners of the chassis that it’s supposed to belong to. The body is of a 1927 Type-40 Bugatti. This body was found at the location of the original owner of the chassis over 50 years ago. It’s former owner was at the time, due to age and health, unfortunately not able to tell the story of this car and body anymore.
After the current owners had the chassis and body for over 50 years, they recently sold the pair and I came in possession of this fine piece of automotive history. Since the coachbuilder is unknown to me, I would like to ask the experts on this website and share what I already think I know. Knowing that the car has been bought new in the Lille area of France, this body has very likely been built somewhere between Molsheim and there, leaving us with a wide range of possible coachbuilders. Our most probably bet is that it is a Pourtout body. The reason for this is that they have constructed a famous Lancia Belna with the same door style, same rear end with spare wheel and the same narrow fender setup. The style of the door seems to be quite rare. With the hinges at the front-side and this typical shape.
Pourtout made much more cars with the similar rear, like this Lancia Belna Eclipse, which have the narrow space above the rear-fender, sweeping all the way down to the end. Another feature that Pourtout bodied cars had more often was the disappearing top. This Bugatti body has a soft-top that folds away behind the rear seats, completely out of sight when folded down. Although the famous Eclipse roof, which Pourtout called it, was designed by Georges Paulin for Pourtout in 1935 (8 years after my body was built), there are examples of earlier soft-top foldaway roofs to be found from this coachbuilder. If anyone has any information about my body, please share. I do not know for sure if I’m searching in the right direction with Pourtout, so anything is appreciated.
Article written by Jos van Genugten (images from Wikipedia: Carrosserie Pourtout )

Pubblicato:

domenica gennaio 29th, 2017

Sconosciuto

30 Gennaio 2017, 20:46

Without any doubt this body is not vintage. And as the production of Bugatti type 40 ended in 1930 it can not be original on the chassis. I agree on the dating to mid 1930-ties, and with the design of the doors and of the cut out in the body tub for the rear wings it can also not be an altered original body. As an owner of a beautiful designed Bugatti chassis designed to be seen I would without any hesitation decide on a more period, restrained and good looking body for my car.

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Sconosciuto

30 Gennaio 2017, 11:49

Peter Maguire, the car has rear-end damage on the left side, that's why the body is loose there. The wood on the underside is rotten away so far that the wing and backplate have no support anymore, that's why it's hanging. I can take more photo's later, I don't have any ready at the moment.

Colin Swinbourne, John Chevers, It is a 1927 car. In the middle 30's, the body has been replaced with a 2 door roadster body that has been on the car until the 70's, when that got replaced again. This body was on the car before that, so most likely original.

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Sconosciuto

30 Gennaio 2017, 11:37

In my view this is a 1930's rebody, hence the similarity to the bodies shown. The door and wing shape do not look vintage to me.

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Sconosciuto

30 Gennaio 2017, 10:46

It looks a fantastic body, but is it the cars original from 1927?
It looks more likely to be from the period 1933 to 35 - Could it be that the T40's owner had the car re-bodied to keep with a more modern styling?

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Sconosciuto

30 Gennaio 2017, 09:32

From the photos, my feeling is that this body is one that has been altered very considerably. However, more photos, especially of the internal framing and the front and rear edges of the wings, especially at the back and inside as they appear to me to have been cut there. There is also the question as to why the top rear of the body is separated from the rest.
So, please, more photos.

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Mystery Bugatti body

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