A Buggatisti is born

Johan Buchner · **Posted:** Mon Oct 01, 2007 9:28 pm

Joining this forum is the best thing I have ever done, bar none. Not only has it netted me the English translation for Laugier but also made me realise my obsession with Bugatti makes me part of a most fascinating group of people. That I probably know the least of all of you only serves to make this journey of discovery so much more enjoyable.

But first, as they say, a bit of history. My name is Johan Buchner, I am 44 years old and not only do I not own a Bugatti, I've never even seen one! Still, Bugattis is my obsession of choice and I hope I shall not ever be cured. I indulge this obsession of mine through slowly building up as fine a Bugatti library as possible, funds permitting. I have had to wait until now because for most of my adult life I have been in the clutches of clinical depression. To those of you familiar with this condition, you know. To those not familiar with it, be grateful. My personal nadir came in 2001 when I was finally institutionalised. There I was, 38 years old, jobless, penniless and quite possibly insane.

This being South Africa, it took me until 2005 to land a part-time job as a library assistant. Recognising this to be the last chance I'm ever likely to get I worked myself like a pack-mule and in June of this year I started as a full time librarian at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University. A real job, with medical aid and pension - the works! Oh yes, and the Prozac has kicked in real nice, thanks for asking. With both my life and finances stabilised I now set about spending as much money as I could afford on the aforementioned Bugatti Library. After all, what else was I going to do with it - live responsibly? Err, no.

The next step was to find a way to purchase books utilising foreign currency, but without the use of a credit card. (I have a morbid fear of debt - either I pay or I do without) You can probably imagine the response I got from on-line booksellers after receiving an e-mail from me that read: "Hi, my name is Johan , I do not own a credit card, but I can afford it, I promise." The silence was deafening. However after a lot of false starts I discovered Hortons Books in Britain. Mr Horton not only introduced me to the Pro Forma Invoice method of payment; he also introduced me to the work of one Pierre-Yves Laugier. By the time I made contact with Ben Horton I had already ordered Bernard Simon's The Bugatti Type 57S. So you can imagine just how persuasive he can be by getting me to order another book on the T57S, only this one cost four times as much and was written in French! By the time it landed here in South Africa it had cost me no less than 565 GBP. Although, a full 115 GBP was for postage - it still hurts!

Ben has now convinced me to pay 275 GBP (excl postage) for a book on Brescia Bugattis. I do not even know who the author is except that he is apparently an Australian gentleman. And should you wonder why I am prepared to do this so blindly; well, this is how I got Laugier! Pierre-Yves Laugier is the author I have been searching for my whole life, I just did not know it. You see, whereas Bernard Simon wrote about the cars, Mr Laugier wrote about the people too. He has opened entirely new horizons to me. I still can't believe just how utterly fascinating Bugatti people are, not a single bore amongst them. The exact opposite of the average South African Ferrari owner then. Boors and snobs - the bunch of 'em.

Should one of you meet with Mr Laugier, kindly inform him that there is at least one South African impatiently awaiting his works on both the T51 & T55. And seeing that this upcoming book about the T46 is personally recommended by Jaap Horst, Mr Laugier only needs write a masterpiece on the T50 plus Types 53, 54 and the various racing cars known as T50B's, of course!

Well, there you have it, another Bugattisti in the making. I doubt I shall contribute many posts to this website; after all, how often can you read: "Wow Thank You. I did not know that!" before boredom and irritation sets in? Rest assured though, I shall be reading voraciously, not only this website but also Mr Jaap Horst's Bugatti Page.

I wish to conclude by again thanking Herman for starting this inspired website and all the rest of you who have made me feel so welcome in such a short space of time. I've said it before, I'll say it again, I am alone no more.

With Much Gratitude
Johan Buchner

Herman · **Posted:** Tue Oct 02, 2007 7:13 am

Great to hear you like the website.

More is coming. I am working on some larger and minor improvements. Some things might be interesting for you (and all the others as well, of course). Hang on in there!

Herman · **Posted:** Tue Oct 02, 2007 7:43 pm

One other question:

WHY Bugatti. You have never seen one, you say. Most people see one, then fall in love...

J.J.Horst · **Posted:** Wed Oct 03, 2007 8:28 am

You don't necessarily need to see one to fall in love. I only made a plastic kit (the Heller T50), and read some of the history and that was sufficient to be infected! After that I just went looking for reading more, buying more miniatures (not easy in those days), and trying to see real ones, the first ones were in the car museum in Assen.

Herman · **Posted:** Wed Oct 03, 2007 8:42 am

For me it also started with the Type 50. This time the Pocher kit... I actually was looking for an Alfa...
I could have been an "Alfisti" as well...
Hmmm, www.alfabuilder.com...

Johan Buchner · **Posted:** Thu Oct 04, 2007 8:14 am

For me it was the photographs of the T50T Semi Profilee (now in the Louwman collection) in Ralph Stein's The Greatest Cars that did it. My Bugatti "thing", like falling in love, cannot be explained rationally.

One day I shall travel to France, rush to the Schlumph Collection and then I shall throw myself, weeping, onto the bonnet of the Coupe Napoleon! So my first visit to world's greatest Bugatti shrine may also be my last.

Kind Regards
Johan Buchner

Herman · **Posted:** Thu Oct 04, 2007 1:55 pm

Johan Buchner wrote:

For me it was the photographs of the T50T Semi Profilee (now in the Louwman collection) in Ralph Stein's The Greatest Cars that did it. My Bugatti "thing", like falling in love, cannot be explained rationally.

Seems like the Type 50T Profile is a popular subject to fall in love with...

Johan Buchner wrote:

One day I shall travel to France, rush to the Schlumph Collection and then I shall throw myself, weeping, onto the bonnet of the Coupe Napoleon! ....

...at which time it will make the alarms go off. Armed guards will enter the room, try to peel you off the hood of the Bugatti Royale Napoleon without scratching it (even more), and take you away. Like in a good democracy like France, you will be put before a jury, which decides to bannish you, and send you off to Elba, the island off the coast of Italy. This is where Napoleon Bonaparte was brought as well. How ironic....

However, crying for a Bugatti is not a bad thing. See this:
http://wiki.bugattibuilder.com/index.php?title=Jean_Prick

A Buggatisti is born

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