Mephistophelgatti Special

barttore · **Joined:** Wed Jul 15, 2009 5:38 pm **Posts:** 642

"specials" by John Bolster is one of my favourite books.
On page 124 & 125 is described a car called "Mephistophelgatti":

The work of A.T. Norton being the chassis of a 1923 type 30 with a Lombard front axle with front brakes on it plus a 1937 Lincoln 12cyl. Zephyr engine of 4380cc, with 8 SU carbs. It retained its Bugatti suspension and rear axle.
Does anybody know more, a picture maybe ?

Though it may seem sacriligious :twisted:

now, there (once) were many more.
Maybe I will make a list of them sometimes. My focus for now is on the Specials containing "mayor" Bugatti ingredients.

It is not in anyway related to the famous Fiat Mephistofeles, which in Bugatti's eyes must have been like just another "fast truck" :lol:

So I hope anyone knows more on this "Mephistophelgatti" Let's find a picture !

And if you don't ... There will be another queste on another Bugatti hybrid on this forum soon. (This is not a threat. I hope the outcome will enjoy us all

). So if the info stops (like on the Invicta-Bugatti topic), it is time for a new one.

GCL-Wales · **Joined:** Thu Jun 26, 2008 5:17 pm **Posts:** 348

Tom Norton was an ebullient character who competed at Prescott with a variety of cars (including from memory, an ERA, a supercharged V twin Cooper Jap and a supercharged Lotus 18). There is a picture of him in "Bugantics" Vol. 24/3/49.

I think he came from Birmingham. He died on 6th November 1963.

Picture of Mephistophelgatti in 1946 see "Bugantics" Winter 2004/5 Vol.67/4/31.

barttore · **Joined:** Wed Jul 15, 2009 5:38 pm **Posts:** 642

Thank you for your info and reply.
Is it possible to scan the picture and post is (if copyrights allow)
I would very much like to see it : a complete set of bugantics is still on my wish-list for christmas and will be there for a long time I guess....

best regards, Bart

rivaaquarama · **Posted:** Tue Dec 01, 2009 9:29 pm

Below the picture...

Herman · **Posted:** Tue Dec 01, 2009 10:44 pm

great athmosphere. Lots of smoke, lots of water draining from the cooler, and lots of people having a great time.

GCL-Wales · **Joined:** Thu Jun 26, 2008 5:17 pm **Posts:** 348

Attention Jeroen

The Champs Elysees seems like a distant memory now ! But can you can remember your enquiry about the braking system fitted to car 2275 (a bright blue type 13) ?

The above special has the same "Perrot shaft" system which confirms that the front axle came from another car.

Owners of early cars with no front brakes frequently undertook this conversion. You could actually buy a complete kit specifically for a Bugatti.

Some Bugatti Specials :

Bert Raven's 37/44 special
Tom Rolt's Phoenix Special
Ivan Dutton's Geronimo and Bilko
John Barton's Bugatti-Jaguar
John Barton's Bugatti-Riley
The BHW
The Chorlton special
J. Earl's Bugatti-Anzani
Davey-Milne's Bugatti Corvette special
R.L. Baker's Bugatti-Holden special
The Perkins Grand Prix "Aubergine" special. B.41/4/10
Uwe Hucke's "Royale" super-sports special
D. Donnan's Bugatti-Alvis
The LMB IFS 37A.
The Gillow Bugatti-Riley
The Stubberfield specials
The Bugabu special (Buick engine).
The van Ramshorst 49/57 "Canon".
The B. Laming 35 Bugatti-BMW 328 special.
Nuttbug - Austalian type 38 special.
The Snag type 37 special.
The CV Special - type 37-based.
Pittaway's Fraser Nash-Bugatti special
Bunny Phillips 35B-Miller V8
Charles Cheyne 57S GM modified Bugatti-Buick.Bug.43/4/51.
Model A Ford-engined GP (USA).
Bob Peacey's hill-climb single-seater B.55/4/11.
Arnold's lightweight type 51 sprint-special.
The Bastard LGC 429 - 441072 -B.42/3/18.
Ron Chamber's supercharged "Brescia" XU 8943 -1936-303 - B.43/1/28
The Aubrey Esson-Scott single-seater type 51 (2 litre).
Alfa Romeo-engined GP acquired by Foulkes-Halbard.
Twin-camshaft Brooklands Brescia special (1100cc).
Single-seater GP 8-cylinder in USA. 37228
Kellog's LHD 57 based "type 59" special. BC 128.
Bruce Stopp's 44-engined GP
Trans-Sahara type 46. Combe. 46331
McDonald's single-seater 57 (USA) 57522.

brooklands marshal · **Posted:** Wed Dec 02, 2009 12:00 am

wasnt there a yellow bugatti with a riley engine that used to appear at prescott until the owner had a misfortunate accident and passed away, wheres that car now? and has it been reunited with its engine??

GCL-Wales · **Joined:** Thu Jun 26, 2008 5:17 pm **Posts:** 348

The car had a very interesting history in which Clive Jones, Crosthwaite and Gardiner, Alf Smith and John Barton played a part. The last time I saw the car Clive was driving home from VSCC Silverstone up the M6 in the pouring rain with the tail-lamps only just visible through the heavy spray. The eight-cylinder type 37 whcih now belongs to Michael Steele played the star role in the tale.

After Clive's death at the wheel of a Chain-gang "Nash" the car passed to his daughter Abigail who lived in Shrewsbury. I don't think she had any great interest in vintage cars and I suspect she might have sold it on, but I've never heard of it since.
His executor (Ken Painter I think) would probably know.

I drove past Clive's former home recently (Rednal Station) and it was boarded-up and looking very sad. When he was alive his sheds were alway full of interesting cars - most of them were built up "replicas" or "specials".

Lazarus · **Posted:** Wed Dec 02, 2009 11:24 am

GCL-Wales wrote:

The car had a very interesting history in which Clive Jones, Crosthwaite and Gardiner, Alf Smith and John Barton played a part. The last time I saw the car Clive was driving home from VSCC Silverstone up the M6 in the pouring rain with the tail-lamps only just visible through the heavy spray. The eight-cylinder type 37 whcih now belongs to Michael Steele played the star role in the tale.

After Clive's death at the wheel of a Chain-gang "Nash" the car passed to his daughter Abigail who lived in Shrewsbury. I don't think she had any great interest in vintage cars and I suspect she might have sold it on, but I've never heard of it since.
His executor (Ken Painter I think) would probably know.

I drove past Clive's former home recently (Rednal Station) and it was boarded-up and looking very sad. When he was alive his sheds were alway full of interesting cars - most of them were built up "replicas" or "specials".

Clive Jones and myself played a part in this story yes as i built the car for Clive.I do not remember C and G or a Mr Smith having any part to play whatsoever.

Lazarus · **Posted:** Wed Dec 02, 2009 11:26 am

brooklands marshal wrote:

wasnt there a yellow bugatti with a riley engine that used to appear at prescott until the owner had a misfortunate accident and passed away, wheres that car now? and has it been reunited with its engine??

The Riley engine in the yellow T37 IS the original engine!! I built the car and that is the engine that I fitted to it.

barttore · **Joined:** Wed Jul 15, 2009 5:38 pm **Posts:** 642

So much knowledge shared, so much info, so much specials !
And everything shared free, and in all honestly: much better than owners of dubious cars making fake claims...
This is why I like this forum

Thank you CGL-Wales, for coming up with additions of which I 've never heard of.
Can I add the BHW (Bugatti Hassan Wilkins) to this list : I've found a nice thread (with contributions by Doug Nye) on it on another forum: http://forums.autosport.com/index.php?showtopic=50889, including a story about a criminal record of a guy called Freddy Dixon.....
and a photo on another forum: http://forums.autosport.com/index.php?s ... 962&st=120 (about halfway, number 25)

Herman may I suggest a special Bugatti photo section on the Forum and on the Wiki ?
I would love to know how many still exist (and how many have been re-recycled to real Bugattis

)

Thank you very much !

barttore · **Joined:** Wed Jul 15, 2009 5:38 pm **Posts:** 642

Nice item on Dr. Bob King's Bugatti Anzani:
http://www.drive.com.au/Editorial/Artic ... 10387&vf=1

octagonfox · **Joined:** Wed Aug 23, 2006 6:05 pm **Posts:** 232

GCL-Wales wrote:

Attention Jeroen

The Champs Elysees seems like a distant memory now ! But can you can remember your enquiry about the braking system fitted to car 2275 (a bright blue type 13) ?

The above special has the same "Perrot shaft" system which confirms that the front axle came from another car.

Owners of early cars with no front brakes frequently undertook this conversion. You could actually buy a complete kit specifically for a Bugatti.

Hello Graham,

Of course I remember. I can still picture the Champs Elysees, including a lot of dusty Bugattis.

I recognise the front axle with the almost horizontal rods between the brake back plates and the radiator.

Regards, Jeroen

Herman · **Posted:** Thu Dec 03, 2009 8:45 am

barttore wrote:

Herman may I suggest a special Bugatti photo section on the Forum and on the Wiki ?
I would love to know how many still exist (and how many have been re-recycled to real Bugattis

)

Thank you very much !

There is an album "Bugatti hybrids" in the French Bugatti section on the photo server. Empty now, so feel free to fill it with whatever you have.

On the WIKI you can create as you feel neccesary.

bugatti69 · **Posted:** Thu Dec 03, 2009 3:01 pm

Bugatti Specials on the Wiki see:

http://www.bugattiregister.com/wiki/ind ... i_Specials

Christian

Mephistophelgatti Special

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