Bugatti 64la voiture de Monsieur JeanBy Jean-Philippe Müller
The first book about the Bugatti 64, a car that really deserves more attention. The interesting history, the technical solutions, the version with gullwing doors and the turbulent circumstances at Bugatti in the late 1930s are analyzed and presented in detail in this book, both in words and pictures. In 1937, due to declining demand, Bugatti produced the last chassis in the Type 57 series. This series, which was very successful in its own right and of which the Bugatti Atlantic is probably the best-known model, was getting on in years and a successor was needed. Jean Bugatti had begun this successor project with his closest employees under the name Type 64 and under strict secrecy. It was to be a powerful, 4-seater Gran Tourismo car. In addition to its highly aerodynamic shape, this model featured a chassis made of duralumin, which saved over 100 kg in weight. The gullwing doors, patented by Jean Bugatti and used for the first time, were spectacular, but unfortunately had to be replaced later by traditional doors due to their unreliability. The prototype was completed in 1939 and everything was set for series production. The accidental death of Jean Bugatti and the outbreak of World War II dealt the project a fatal blow. It would have been the first all-aluminum production car. Only the one prototype and four chassis produced for stock remained. The prototype has been preserved and is on display at the “Musée National de L'Automobile, Collection Schlumpf” in Mulhouse. The author, Jean-Philippe Müller, has carefully researched the history of the car and the difficult circumstances at Bugatti at the time, documenting it in words and pictures. Many of the 123 illustrations contained in the book were previously unknown. It was also possible to correct false assumptions about the motorization. It is the first book about the Bugatti 64, a car that still fascinates today and, fortunately, can still be admired.
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