Note: I only realised Herman has allready provided a better answer (with photos!)after I did the copy and paste thing. Thanks Herman!
Thank you Steve
Finally a request I can answer! As to how many Royales - there are 6 chassis numbers and 6 surviving cars. May I suggest you open up the Bugatti Trust homepage, go to photo gallery 11 and I will include the photo numbers in my answer.
1) 41100 : This is the famous Coupe Napoleon, now in the Schlumf Collection. The first Royale was fitted with the Packard body (1 - 27) you mention, because, so I understand, Ettore was in a hurry and did not want to wait for the coachbuilders. Next it was fitted with the first of two fiacre bodies.( 28 ) A rather ungainly two door, it was soon replaced by a 4-door saloon (29 & 30) and then Weyman fitted a supremely elegant 2-door coupe body.(31-42) It was when fitted with this body that Ettore crashed it. (39-39A) The popular rumour is that the accident was caused by Ettore falling asleep behind the wheel; I am of the opinion Le Patron was as drunk as a skunk.
There are still a few things about this car I am not completely sure of. The chassis was completed in 1927, but I do not know the dates when the first 4 bodies was mounted, nor am I sure when the car was crashed. I have also read that this car had an engine capacity of 14 litres, instead of 12 litres like the "production" cars. It would appear that a new (shorter) chassis frame was used during the rebuild following the accident.
The fifth, and final, body on 41100 is the Coupe Napoleon,(43-54) credited to Jean Bugatti. This car stayed with the Bugatti family until purchased by the Schlumf brothers. To recap: 2 chassis frames, 5 bodies but it's totally original!
2) 41111 : Coupe de Ville by Binder, now with Volkswagen. This was the first customer Royale, sold to Armand Esders (a couturier) in 1932. Originally fitted with the most extravagant 2 seater roadster body,(55-66) but not equipped with headlights at the request of Mr Esders.(He also owned a Rolls Royce PII without headlamps) The famed journalist Jenks, called this the ultimate cad's car! A replica of this car was started by the Schlumf brothers, completed by stylist Paul Braque (Spelling?) and owned today by Volkswagen.(One of two)
During the late 1930's 41111 was re-bodied by Binder (68-104) with a similar, though not identical, body as the Coupe Napoleon. I have heard rumours that this car was re-bodied for the King Alphonse of Spain, but this may be an urban legend. Can somebody provide confirmation? After the war this car was obtained by famed Nevada collector, Bill Harrah, and restored to a close approximation of the original appearance. The car may be on its second body, but at least the chassis and running gear are original.
3) 41121 : Sold new to Dr Fuchs in 1932, it was fitted with a most beautiful cabriolet body by Weinberger.(109-124) In 1937 he took the car to Shanghai, then to New York where it ended up in a scrap yard, before being rescued by Charles Chayne. I believe that when Mr Chayne acquired this car its engine block was cracked, but otherwise complete, if scruffy. The restoration that followed resulted in a compromised and non-original disaster, but, lest we forget, it survives. Charles Chayne gifted this car to the Henry Ford Museum in 1959, where it has been ever since. I hope they restore this car soon, it will look much better in black than it does in the current ivory.
4) 41131 : This was the only Royale delivered new to Great Britain. Owned by Capt. Foster and bodied by Park Ward with a rather elegant limousine body.(128-142A) After the war it ended up with American collector Shakespeare, who sold his entire collection of some 30 Bugattis to the Schlumfs and it has remained in their collection ever since.
5) 41141 : This car was retained by the Bugatti family until L'Ebe Bugatti (second daughter) sold it to Briggs Cunningham in the early fifties. Fitted with a two door saloon body by Kellner,(143-156A) this is probably the most original of the Royales. Mr Cunningham never restored this car and hardly ever used it, so that by the time it was sold in 1987 it still wore its original paint and upholstery. I do not know if any of the many owners since has felt the need to restore this car, but I believe it received a sensitive mechanical rebuild in Japan. I do not know who owns this car.
6) 41150 : I really have no idea why this car does not carry ch.no. 41151; not that it matters, this is the second Royale sold to Briggs Cunningham. Unlike 41141, he soon sold it and eventually it became Bill Harrah's second Royale. Fitted with a rather curious Berline De Voyage (158-163) body by Bugatti (Historian Doug Nye described it as looking like an accident between a steam locomotive and two stage-coaches) this became the first Royale to be sold at auction (1986), following the break-up of the Harrah Collection. It too survive.
To sum up: Six Royales, seven chassis frames and eleven bodies.
If I do not start doing some work I will be fired, and I need the money!
Regards
Johan Buchner
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