This is the first Bugatti I fell in love with, but I know almost nothing about it. Can anybody please tell me the history of this car and also how faithfull Bill Harah's restoration was. Was that wingline really that elegant originally? What colour was it painted, who was the original owner and what was the original registration number? How did it get to America and when? Why does Barrie Price call it a T46S?

Herman, I realise that the above may allready have been covered on this site. If so, I apologise for wasting everybody's time, but please point me in the right direction. I keep reading, but I have barely scratched the surface.

Kind Regards
Johan Buchner

Johan... you have an E-mail....

http://wiki.bugattibuilder.com/index.php?title=50146

Above is some basic info.

I will try and answer or at least explain about some of your questions:

-This car has been restored. Was the waistline so elegant at first? I have no idea. For some reason I have the feeling they have changed the car at some points. To be sure, however, I would really need to dive into my books. Nice subject though.
Some things that strike me: The angle of the windscreen. The Pocher kit (modelled after a type 50T which was being restored) has a different angle. Also the rear mudguards are different. For the rest? I think not too much is different.
If the 50146 has been changed, is not known to me.

About the type 46: It is the same chassis. Did Barrie Price call this car a type 46S? Could be either a mistake, or the engine has been changed. (50146 has had an engine change...). Perhaps Barrie has info on it that we do not have. Or it is just an error (errors happen, always keep that in mind when reading something. Funny things happen and have happened when someone thinks the error is true...)

Do not worry about asking. Of course the info might be somewhere, but this site is getting bigger and bigger, and it is always good to gather the info on one page.

About reading: There are so many books, on so many subject within "Bugatti". I am making a list of books, but it is getting longer and longer...

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Vive la Marque !!

About this car, which is now in the "Nationaal Automobiel Museum"in Raamsdonksveer, the Netherlands:

I hear that the restauration by Harrah was really a cosmetic one, too many parts under the bonnet were chromed, and the rumour is that some essential parts had been taken away, and the car didn't even run!

The Profilée bodies all seem to be slightly different, for the wing line and certainly for the windscreen. There are two versions, one with the very flat windscreen like this one (with an angle of 30 degrees from the horizontal, flattest windscreen of the era, I believe until the Maserati Boomerang), others with a windscreen at a more normal 45 degrees.

Many of the Bugatti bodies differed slightly, even when they were the same model. The T57 bodies seem to be an exception to this, though there were of course 3 generations T57!

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Do you happen to know which chassis number the Pocher model is modelled after? At least it has the more normal windscreen rake, less protruding rear mudguards, and these were closed on the sides as well...

_________________
Vive la Marque !!

Well this is becoming very interesting. One of the most photographed Bugattis and so much mystery and controversy over it's history. Here is some more: Barrie Price (T46 & 50) p36 - 37 identifies this car as 46546 and states it to be the only T46 bodied as a Profilee.

Mr Price also identifies the Full - Profilee T46 in the Schlumph Collection as bodied by Andy Rheault in the USA (46482). Mr Price further identifies Ken Purdy's red Million Guiet coupe as 50117 whereas this website (and others) claim 50117 to be the dark blue and pale grey Million Guiet coupe exhibited at Bagatelle a few years back. I remain confused.

As to the black and yellow T50T Coach Profilee used as basis for the Pocher kit, there is a very nice article about it in the June 1981 issue of Old Motor. On pages 36 & 37 Cyril Posthumus describes this car as being the "1933 car from St Dizier."; while Hugh Conway (Great Marques) identifies the owner as Mr M Seydoux. No chassis number though.

And while I'm at it; let's see if I understand the differences between T46, T50 and T50T: T46 single cam straight eight (5359 cc) and wheelbase of 3.5 m. T50 twin overhead camshafts (4972 cc - same block as T46) and wheelbase of 3.1 m or 3.5 m for the T50T. The "T" I believe stands for Touring and the engine was detuned slightly. All T50's have superchargers; only T46S has one. How am I doing? What did I leave out?

Last question: Will one of the current crop of superstar Bugatti Authors please write the definitive history of T50? Barrie Price tried; Barry Price failed. I have a copy. qed

Johan Buchner

I allways believed these to be 2 different cars. But having looked carefully at the photos, I suppose the wings could have been changed. Are you sure we are only talking about one car?

I wish I was still content to just look at the pictures and go: "Ooh what a pretty car!" I tell you, chassis numbers are a curse.

Regards
Johan

Found on internet !!!!!