A Collection of Books

octagonfox · **Joined:** Wed Aug 23, 2006 6:05 pm **Posts:** 232

Good to hear that they arrived safely. Enjoy them.

Regards, Jeroen

Johan Buchner · **Posted:** Wed Sep 23, 2009 2:13 pm

Thanks Jeroen. I had no idea what to expect with Bugatti Argentina but paging through it during lunch I was suprised at just how much info is completely new to me. The book has a chapter called : "The Bugattis at Buenos Aires Zoo." With a title like that all I want to do is read, read, read and read some more.

Whitefly is an interesting company ; they go to enormous pains to produce very beautiful books but then they ignore e-mails from potential clients! Thank you for sorting this out for me Jeroen, as well as for the usual professional service and, lest we forget, a very reasonable price.

The Swiss Register? I will only mention a chassis number and two names : 51138 ; Gardner & Butti. I think there are now 3 owners all laying claim to 51138, I wonder which one has the original frame?

One and a half hour and then I will be home. Reading.

Thanks again Jeroen.

Cheers
Johan

PS. I will pay for the next two on Friday.

octagonfox · **Joined:** Wed Aug 23, 2006 6:05 pm **Posts:** 232

You're welcome. And don't flatter me too much, it's getting embarrassing. :oops:

Johan Buchner · **Posted:** Wed Oct 28, 2009 8:51 am

Another 2 arrived yesterday. Strangely enough, I used to have a copy of the Schlumpf Obsession but it was stolen (by someone who was, I repeat, was a friend) so I asked Jeroen to find a replacement for me and now it seems strangely dated. The book hasn't changed but I have, I'm 20 years older now, but it sure is good to welcome this old friend back home.

Kind Regards
Johan Buchner

Herman · **Posted:** Wed Oct 28, 2009 9:43 am

Good to hear. The Schumpf obsession is a nice book to have. A bit biassed, but it does tell a nice story.

But which is the other book?

Johan Buchner · **Posted:** Wed Oct 28, 2009 11:09 am

Hi Herman

It is Bugattis in Australasia by Bob King, book no.35 on the list at the start of this thread. I spent last night reacquainting myself with the Schlumpf book so this one scarcely got looked at. That will change tonight.

I'm going through a count my blessings faze and I realised something last night ; in 2007 I set myself the challenge of collecting as fine a Bugatti library as possible, finances permitting, and as 2009 draws to a close I can safely say I've gotten off to a good start. I keep two lists, one for the books I've received and one for those still to be ordered ; the second list has only 4 books remaining. Like I said, a good start.

Cheers
Johan

Herman · **Posted:** Wed Oct 28, 2009 1:18 pm

You have a very fine library. With only 4 books still on your wish list, things are definately not bad.

I hope those books can be added to your library. I also hope those books are a bit more difficult to find. This adds to the joy when finding them, and will relieve financial pressure somewhat.

This post does remind me that I should make a similar post with my complete library. If not for other people, at least for myself, so I know what I have...

Johan Buchner · **Posted:** Mon Nov 02, 2009 7:56 am

A most odd thing this love of books, 4 books joined my collection during the last 2 months ; Bugatti Argentina, The Swiss Bugatti Register, Bugattis in Australasia & The Schlumpf Obsession. I've barely glanced at the first three but I've read and re-read The Schlumpf Obsession (and looking at the pictures!) constantly since it arrived. What a wonderfully entertaining book, a really good read. I tell you the brothers Schlumpf, not to mention dear Maman, were a very strange lot and I have a suspicion that were I one of their workers I would have taken part in The Revolution with great enthusiasm. Of course being a person of taste and discernment I would never have burned that car, utterly unforgiveable that, no, no I would have set fire to the brothers themselves.

The correspondence surrounding the acquisition of the Shakespeare Collection alone is worth the price of entry ; Fritz Schlumpf demanding to know from Hugh Conway whether Mr. Shakespeare is an honourable man!?! An ambitious man Fritz, in another letter to Hugh Conway he enquires as to whether the Royal family ever sells their Rolls-Royces. The esteemed Mr. Conway's reaction is not elaborated upon. Fritz and Hans Schlumpf were perhaps not very nice people but their flawed legacy still has the power to move the observer. And now that the cars are safe (and quite a few having been restored back to working order) I can really enjoy those photos taken during the crazy days of 1976/7 of those magnificent cars all covered in dust and placards indicating the anger and frustration of a betrayed work force. A story that cannot possibly be made up.

I really must take a look at Bugattis in Australasia, if memory serves correct there is a photo of that gorgeous T57(C?) Gangloff coupe of which the body is no more ; it survived intact until at least the 1950's. And as for Bugatti Argentina well there is just so much that is new .................... by the way did you know that the 1937 Mercedes Benz racer in the Schlumpf is the car converted for hill-climbs once the 1938/39 regulations made it obsolete? I have a photo somewhere of this car fitted with twin rear wheels (at least I think it's this car) haring up a pass somewhere, really must look for it.

Kind Regards
Johan Buchner

Lazarus · **Posted:** Mon Nov 02, 2009 9:32 am

[/quote] Dear Johan,As always I hesitate to rain on your parade.However the one vital book obviously missing from your collection is Arlette Schlumph's own book.Published a year or so ago.If there had been the slightest truth in the widely spread rumours of criminal behavior by the Schlumph brothers,they would not have WON their case against the french government.Nor would Arlette Schlumph have been awarded a very large sum of money indeed along with the 65 cars in the reserve stock at malmaspach.If ever a book in french needed to be published in english this is it.When the Schlumphs were escorted out of the country,their house was "protected" by the french police.Subsequently much property was found to be missing.Even cars in the reserve went missing,to be replaced by 2cv citroens etc.The Schlumphs were no different to other collectors such as Hurrah,and wheatcroft.If the Schlumphs had p.ss.d it all away like a lot of people would,the french and us would not now have this wonderful legacy which is the museum.

ard · **Joined:** Sat Sep 06, 2008 3:29 pm **Posts:** 95

As a lot of people know my son Arnoud and me are investigating the Schlumpf Affair and plan to write a book about it. The sabotage of the French Justice against us is huge, The archive in Colmar refused to give us the juridical stuff to which we have a right according the European laws. No problem, we can get that stuff through the lawyers of Schlumpf.

The director of the Schlumpf Museum gave us permission to see and photograph the reserve collection of the Museum. A few weeks later the major of Mulhouse refuses us the entrance. What are they afraid off?

There is obviously a lot to hide. We'll search on and we will get the truth. And than we publish it wether they like it or not.

Johan Buchner · **Posted:** Mon Nov 02, 2009 12:49 pm

Hi Ard.

How very nice to hear from you again! I think my enthusiasm for this book has completely erased any attempt to be objective on my part ; I should perhaps have made it clear that this book was very much a product of the time, a time when the Schlumpfs were blamed for absolutely everything. By everyone. And yes, I'm damn sure the French authorities will do what they can to prevent you from discovering the truth. After all, as long as the Schlumpf brothers are viewed as the villains no-one is going to question the French government's confiscation of their car collection are they?

I wish you the best of luck with your research Ard, the time has come for an objective investigation of the Schlumpfs, their business ventures, their cars and, yes, even (or should that be especially?) their morals. I do like the Jenkinson/Verstappen book very much, but I am aware that it cannot be described as the definitive history of the brothers Schlumpf. You and Arnoud are the right men to address this void.

Kind Regards
Johan Buchner

Herman · **Posted:** Mon Nov 02, 2009 3:24 pm

Although their finances seemed to be a mess (wasn't that the same with Bugatti?) please do remember that in the 60's and 70's about 95% of the manufacturers of fabrics and linen have disappeared. Not only in France, but thoughout Europe. Only suppliers of niche products have survived.

Of course a drama for the workers involved, and perhaps the Schlumpf Brothers were to blame partially, but taking into account the circumstances in which they operated, it must at least have been tough times.

Lazarus · **Posted:** Mon Nov 02, 2009 5:20 pm

Herman wrote:

Although their finances seemed to be a mess (wasn't that the same with Bugatti?) please do remember that in the 60's and 70's about 95% of the manufacturers of fabrics and linen have disappeared. Not only in France, but thoughout Europe. Only suppliers of niche products have survived.

Of course a drama for the workers involved, and perhaps the Schlumpf Brothers were to blame partially, but taking into account the circumstances in which they operated, it must at least have been tough times.

If the government allow the import of cheap foreign textiles,They are surely most to blame for the death of the French textile industry.One can hardly blame the Schlumph brothers.It is interesting that even at the "one franc" price that Schlumph offered his mills,there were no takers.It is surprising that he was able to offer jobs to so many for so long.

Johan Buchner · **Posted:** Wed Nov 25, 2009 1:57 pm

Dear Friends

Yesterday I received a copy of the Auto Totaal Bugatti book completely gratis! A fellow contributor, who prefers to remain anonymous, offered me a copy but I'm so broke at the moment (long, long story) that I had no choice but to decline so the gentleman simply posted it to me free.

Most of my books are written from a British/American perspective so I'm reasonably familiar with a lot of the cars but this is a Dutch language book, written by Dutch enthusiasts. Not only are most of the photos new to me but the entire approach, the tone if you like is slightly but noticeably different. Comparison with Conway's introductory work for the Octopus series is fascinating ; there is an entire chapter dealing with the Schlumpf collection after the very comprehensive overview for instance.

Speaking of which, now that my interest in the Schlumpf has been rekindled I am surprised just how different and differing opinions are about these brothers ; some believe them to be Satan incarnate while others believe them to be the innocent victims of a vindictive French Government. This much I do know; the value of the cars confiscated far exceeded any debts the Schlumpf may have had. On the other hand the Schlumpfs seems to have been their own worst enemies on occasion. I do hope Ard finish his history of them and their cars soon, with everything I've read about them I realised just how little is known about what made these men tick. About the only thing I am reasonably sure of is that they were not Nazi collaborators, they did rather grudgingly co-operate with them, but admirers of Hitler they were not.

I wish to thank publically this very generous gentleman - I love this book, a quite unexpected treasure. And I'm very grateful to you.

Kind Regards
Johan Buchner

bugatti91 · **Posted:** Wed Nov 25, 2009 2:04 pm

you have got a book photos?

A Collection of Books

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