:?: do any body know why The T 251 at Reims GP 1956 had 2 diffrent cars with the same start number 28 or why the cars had the same number

Per Hjeds

I hesitate to argue with Lazarus but I always thought that the car listed in Wiki as 251 001 was the first car built and also the car used in the Grand Prix.

Surely the picture showing the car passing the overflowing pits was taken on race day ? I can dig out Motor Sport and check.

only one car was entered and Trintignant had to decide which was best to use.In the event he decided on car 2 with engine 1 so the engine was taken out of the mule the night before the race and fitted into car 2.both cars having been prepared to race and both having the same race number.I will take this opportunity to dispose of a falacy in Borgesons article on this subject.The suggestion that the car was shortened in a "panic operation" before the race is ridiculous.Apart from the obvious difficulties in cutting the chassis tubes and rewelding them straight,there was the question of three tubes being used for water from front to back ! and one for oil.As well as this the car could not be shortened at any point where there were radius rods because they would have had to be shortened as well.which leaves the area in the centre where the driver sits.So the driver had to be shorter not to mention the two petrol tanks [one each side of the cockpit.And all this in a panic before the race.I think not.My car is built to columbos original drawing and I have some difficulty squeezing into the driving seat,I would not like to try making it smaller.

Lazarus, there has been more then enough suspense in our lives thanks to the attacks on Wiki.

Show us the money !!! Or better still, the information.

Regards, Jeroen

Oh well if you insist ! The "mule" was the test vehicle.It has no chassis number.It's engine was taken the night before the race for the "first car" which raced at Reims [T251 001 ].The mule was used after Reims by Roland Bugatti and Marco to try the new leaf spring suspension.It is in the schlumph museum and it is the car with the body removed for display.The car that raced has the number T251 001.There is no T251 002.T251 001 still has the odd crossover suspension.If a certain well known Bugatti scribe had bothered to study this period in the 1960's there would be less confusion today.