The ex-Varzi type 54 (57 201 ??) ran up Prescott in the pouring rain but the brave pilote looked very white at the end of his run.

Francophile Brescia owner Ed Hallums is said to have been taken ill (and or died). Does anyone know if this is true. Ed is best known as the author of a controversial book concerning Ettor's atistic inspiration.

Controversial? It's not controversial; it's goofy. Pico

Ch.nr.54201 was the first T54 , factory racer for Archille Varzi. After a year it was sold as new to Prince Jiri Lobcowicz in Czechoslowakia. (This prince had owned a T35, and still owned a T51)
At his first race on Avus Berlin he crashed in the first curve, and was killed. The T54 was given, together with the T51 to his friend Zdenek Pohl, who put the car back in order, and also raced it. After a few years Pohl had a a new roadster body for the car made by O.Uhlik.

In 1970 the car was sold to Peter Hampton in England, who had the roadster body removed. (The roadster body ended up in the USA with Peter Mullin, and was put on a T55 chassis by Ray Jones)

Peel made a new GP body, as far as known from the scuttle onward. Crostwaithe and Gardiner technically restored the car, and renewed the dashboard as it had the wrong holes.

After Peter Hampton´s death in 1991 the car was auctioned and bought by A.Kogan. This buy was arranged by Chris Gardner. The car is now bought from Kogan by a Dutch collector, which makes that now 2 of the 3 the existing original T54´s are in the Netherlands. The amount mentioned in the former newsitem on this, is not correct, by the way. The 3 original T54s (Chassis and engine number matching) are:

54201 GP : this car
54205 Roadster Bachelier Louwman, at the Nationaal Automobile museum in the Netherlands
54210 GP Anthony Wang New York

54201 is now owned by a dutch collector, don't know if he drove up the hill himself. Do you have any photographs?


I can imagine that he arrived white at the finsh, the T54 is just a too dangerous car, too much power for the chassis. It is the real Bugatti widowmaker.

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My files do not show a T51 for Lobkowicz, only the T35C #4949. Do you have more details?

Below #4949 after Lobkowicz's crash at the Gaisberg hillclimb 1930, double petrol fillers, but magneto in the center of the dashboard.

51131 eng. #12 delivered aug. 1931 via Bucar, now in the Prague Technical Museum in not very nice condition.
Regards, Bugwrench