have just bought an auction catalogue via ebay. it was for my opinion the
most interesting sale of bugattis, at monaco consisting mailny of cars belonging to bugatti- pope uwe hucke: T18 racer, T29/3o indianapolis, T53 ,T55, T56.

most of the parts of the black T18 come from the peter hampton collection and have been built up by arnold-foster. peter hampton himself was
one of the greeatest bugatti owners/collectors of all time. he did?nt only buy bugattis as new ( T57sc corsica atalante f.e.) but owned the second oldest T13, a second one and a running chassis of a third, T18 black bess, a T30,
T52, T55 and T54. but he did`nt have only bugattis in his collection, a large mercedes SS, the famous mercedes 6ohp racer from 19o4, two bebes, one of them with closed bodywork and the famous hospano J12 soutchik roadsder.

can anyone bring some light in biographical facts on the life on them two, hampton and hucke?

HAMPTON, C.W.P. (Peter).

The UK head of an international firm of land agents. He lived at the Old Barn House, Effingham Common, Surrey in the thirties and was subsequently a long term resident of Bolney, Sussex and the owner of a selection of desirable Bugatti models including a type 13 (670 with engine 322 and reg. no. NJ 13), a type 15 (366 with engine 16) which had belonged to Ettore’s wife Barbara before being sold to Col. Dawson in the UK, and numerous others. It is reported that he owned 25 Bugattis. He competed at Prescott in five of his cars between May, 1939 and August 1952 with best times as follows : type 13 (62.25), type 15 (80.70), type 18 (63.07), type 30 (74.28) and type 57SC (58.36). The latter was chassis no. 57602 which was fitted with a two seater coupé body built by Corsica, London to a Vanden Plas design. He also owned a 1934 type 57 tourer (57235) fitted with a 4 seater body by Corsica. The car had engine no. 137, and UK reg. no. DLD 471. Hampton sold it to M.H.H.Scott, who, in the early fifties, advertised it for sale for £650. It is now painted blue and owned by W.J.Cooke. The fastest car in his collection was the type 54 (54201 fitted with an engine ex-50133) which he kept until the time of his death. He also owned other makes of cars including a 1921 Delage DE which he advertised for sale in May, 1950. He was a contributor to “Bugantics” and to Hugh Conway’s definitive book “Bugatti – Le pur-sang des automobiles” and was acknowledged by him in the Foreword to the original edition published in 1963, the year the Bugatti firm was sold. One of his last appearances was at the wheel of his early type 13 (UK reg. no. NJ 13). Other cars owned include a Bébé Peugeot (see B.12/4/3, B.14/6/38 & B.17/1/10), a type 44 with the chassis no. 44533 and UK reg. no. UW 4171 circa 1942 and a type 40 (40483) fitted with a type 55 FHC body.

HÜCKE, Uwe. (Otto*).

A banker from Nettelstedt who, after Hugh Conway, was perhaps the most important Bugatti enthusiast in Europe of recent times.His family’s firm was a major manufacturer of high quality textiles and he studied textile manufacture at Minden. His interest in Bugattis dated from the late fifties and he built up a collection from the sixties onwards. He attended the 1969 International Bugatti Rally in Cheltenham with his wife Monika and faithful head mechanic Hans Polke with three Bugattis from his collection and a Rolls Royce tender car. He is remembered as a talented trumpet (or cornet*) player by participants in the rally after his performance with trombonist Hans-Wolf Schneider and other professional jazz musicians at the Pitville Pump Room in Cheltenham. Two years later he underwrote and organised a similar event in the spa town of Bad-Oyenhausen which is remembered as an outstanding event. In 1976 he moved to Roquebaune in the South of France with his car kept in a garage in Monaco. He was instrumental in launching the historic events over the Monte Carlo circuit and was the prime mover in the running of the Bugatti Grand Prix held there in 1984. His children Angela and Jens inherited his enthusiasm for Bugattis and their desire to live in the UK lead the family to purchase Tower Farm, near Moreton-on-Marsh, conveniently close to Prescott and the Bugatti Trust with which their father was deeply involved. He owned a wide range of models, including three eight valve cars (485, 678 with engine no. 329 and 807, a type 13 (1187 with engine no. 456 , see B.34/2/30), a 22 (918), a type 23 (2804 with engine 804 from car 2044), a 29/30, a type 30 (4053 with a type 22 chassis and engine no. 54), a type 35A (4775 with engine no. 97A), a type 37 (37254 with engine 207), a type 40 (40925), a type 43 (43211 with engine no. 50), three type 44s (44465 with engine 463(?), 441141 and 441193 with engine no. 898), a type 51 (51158 with an engine ex-51130), a type 53, a type 54 replica from Ray Jones with a type 50 engine (stamped no. 25), two type 57s (57151, 57536 with engine 411 ex-57569 and 57629), a type 57S Atlantic based on a type 57C chassis (picture B.34/2/35) and the 1937 Le Mans type 57G “Tank”. He also purchased a large amount of historical artefacts, mainly from the Roland Bugatti estate, and carried out extensive research into all aspects of the Bugatti story resulting in various publications and he was a contributor to “Bugatti Type 40” (published in the UK by Veloce Publishing PLC). He died on 19th April 2002 aged 62 after a long illness during which time he consoled himself with his love of oil painting and the various engineering projects he had undertaken. His obituary in Classic and Sportscar magazine said “The dedicated Bugatti enthusiast Uwe Hucke died last month after a brave fight against cancer. German-born Hucke was a passionate and knowledgeable collector and, as well as the Bugatti marque, he was fascinated by the Bucciali brothers, Veterans and early Hispanos. His last projects included a fantastic Royale Speedster and an inspired Type 60 Atlantic. He was also instrumental in resurrecting the four-wheel-drive Type 53.

I remember Peter Hampton many years ago. I was lucky enough to receive his diaries, and a large chapter on his excavation of the T54 from Z.Pohl in CZ in 1970. This hand written log of all of his thoughts, and the incredible deal of a life time that brought 54201 out of what was then a Soviet block country.
I swear someday I will write the story, with all the history including the police chase to the border. It is amazing , nearly oo7 James Bond stuff. In typical English gentleman fashion he was a serious adventurer, and as cool as a cucumber. After his death, I went to visit his house in Sprockets again.
In the garage were tracings of were his perfectly assembled collection had been laid out. All that was left was the ghost of what had been there a year before. It was sad. All that passion and work, dispelled and scattered in a few months. But, I can say, Bugatti was his world and for a long time. You don't find Alfa or Ferrari guys made of the Hampton stuff. Those guys, like Hampton are reserved for La Marque, Pur Sang, and a gentleman lifestyle that is an essence of Bugattism.

hello bugatti`s

great replies on two great guys. I do remember stories about getting cars out of the " iron curtain" in the 6o`s ( f.e. the mercedes racers), and it must have been a hard way for hampton , to get the pohl T54 out of the former
CZ. as far as I remember, hampton was handicapt, as I think caused by injuries during WWII, but I´m not aware, if that`s happened to one of his arms or one of his feet. I only can remember an article, that his famous mercedes SS was converted to easier handling for hamptons "fault".
he indeed had two bebe`s , one to usual open car, the other a closed coupe.
they had been on auction with the mercedes 6o hp, which brought a sensational auction price for those days, the mercedes SS and the T54.

uwe hucke for some years ran the " car museum " at nettlestadt, where he also had one T44, as I remember orange/black fiarce. he was not only responsable for investigating the bugatti history, but together with a long time french collector, serge pozolli, he brought out some light into the history of buccialli. I think, hucke owned the two seater buccialli coupe,
which for some times languished in the blackhack collection. Ive seen this car as an exibit in the schlumpf museum. he also recreated a legendary BUC- racer, one of the first cars made by the buccialli brothers.
he was also responsible for recreating the T50s, the T53 and , during his time, when he lived in france, collecting spares from everywhere.
one of his "recreations", the T15 opera coupe is now in the VW collection.
sorry.

as I remember, when hampton died, the family had to sell a lot of the cars, due to taxes in england, which seem to be very high ( the hampton collection is not the only one, which was dispersed due to taxes)
his T13, the second oldest bugatti in exitance, is now privatly owned and on display in the national motor museum (beaullieu) the second T13 is now in the renaud foundation in swizerland.

sorry about my "not so good english" but thanks for keeping up theese BUGANTICS alive

regards
mike

I have never heard a single bad word spoken about Uwe Hucke. Everyone who has had the pleasure of meeting this remarkable man, whether they be friend or a stranger newly introduced to Mr. Hucke, spoke about him in glowing terms. I remember a photograph of his Citroën CX which he had converted into a transporter. A most remarkable machine, it was used to deliver his T53 from France to England for a road-test by, I think, Motor Sport.

And when the Bucciali TAV12 was being reconstituted in America, Mr Hucke made his entire archive available to the restorers without a moment's hesitation. A gracious, charming & generous gentleman, he is now spending eternity in the Pantheon of the Gods. Where he belongs.

With Much Respect
Johan Buchner

Before another piece of misinformation is entered in WIKI I would like to point out that 54201 has and always had its original engine #1. There is no relation at all with an engine ex 50133.
54201 is very special in being the only one of the surviving T54's that never spent any time with Ray Jones.
Bugwrench

I can confirm that engine number 1 has always been with that 54201 car, and that the number 50133 was a number supplied to Conway by Hampton without Conway ever seeing 54201. It is a long story why he did that, but a clear and smart thing at the time of the escape from CZ.

So, for the record, you can delete all the referances to 50133, it has nothing to do with the subject of 54201 ( frame 3).

It is a pity that 54201 was so disconfigured by Croswaite and Gardiner in 1970. That would never happen today. Over 4200 hours of changing things around, Pity.

Peter Hampton was my next door neighbour when I had the manor in Spronketts lane.An absolute gentleman.He always allowed locals to cross his woodland.Unlike the present owners of Spronketts who have fenced and put signs all over the place.Uwe telephoned me one day and asked if I had any parts for T73c with the number 5 on them.As it happened I had a supercharger bellhousing and told him so.He said fine I will come over.He turned up and gave me the front axle for my car number 4,then a supercharger,and lastly he pulled out a block with heavy frost damage and said this is yours as well.Number 4.two out of 5 and both from Uwe.I had already chassis and gearbox number 4,and rear axle number 1.He was really the only person that I could talk to about the wartime cars which passion we shared.A really lovely man,He wrote a wonderful dedication in my copy of his book and then went up to Monica in her sickbed and she signed it as well.I miss him.It was incidentally Peters arm that was damaged apparently at Normandy.Some say in a tank but there was a naval commanders uniform in his house after his death so maybe a "Bond" type?

Hello Hortig

can you tell me from wich year the cataloque is?
i'm assuming that it's Christies?

I do have the 1990 cataloque from them wich has some great bugatti's in there aswell

yes, it is the 199o monaco sale catalogue, titeld: beautifull bugattis.

regards
mike

<a href="http://www.bugattibuilder.com/photo/albums/userpics/10003/2023/P1000146.JPG"><img src="http://www.bugattibuilder.com/photo/albums/userpics/10003/2023/normal_P1000146.JPG" alt="Christies - Beautiful Bugattis"></a>

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Vive la Marque !!