HÜCKE, Uwe. (Otto*). .A banker from Nettelstedt who, after Hugh Conway, was perhaps the most important Bugatti enthusiast in Europe in recent times. His family’s firm produced high quality textiles and he studied their manufacture at Minden. His interest in Bugattis dated from the late fifties and he built up a collection from the sixties onwards which he housed in a small museum in his home town. 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 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 success. In 1976 he moved to Roquebaune in the South of France with his cars 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 led the family to a home 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 "Bugantics" 34/2/30), a 22 (918), a type 18 (471), 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 35C (4833), 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), a type 56 (56106), 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 initiated various bizarre projects included a "Royale Speedster", an Atlantic-inspired Type 68 and a special with a 1915 8-cylinder aero engine. 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 referred to his fascination with the Bucciali brothers, Veterans and early Hispanos.
Cars mentioned below added to above list. 20090104
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