Bugatti Rally

This important and pleasant assembly came to Britain again this year. It started in N.Wales, had some 80 entries, from America, Germany, Italy, Holland, France, Sweden and Canada, and took in such touring attractions as Snowdon (the ascent by steampowered rack railway curtailed by mist), Portmeirion, Ruthin Castle, etc, before going via the Horseshoe Pass, South to the MMM, Cheltenham and the BOC’s hill at Prescott.

The line-up at the MMM, where the Sunbeam ‘Tiger’ was in pristine condition after its recent 157 mph run, was very impressive. Alan McNab came in well ahead of the others in his ex-Posner T44 with T38 chassis and gearbox, pleased with a successful run as the car had been finished only two weeks beforehand. Next in was Rune Muller’s nice T40 two-door saloon (he told me he also has other cars including the only complete surviving aircooled SARA). Next came a 1939 T57 Gangloff drophead coupe, followed by three Brescias, of which Richard Day’s was delightfully spartan sans windscreen, having been finished only three weeks prior to the Rally.

The GP cars naturally caused the most attention, one with masses of luggage strapped on the near-side, and both occupants of Bart Rosman’s yellow T37 in black flying helmets. Gerrit Blokhuis was taking no chances in traffic, having an external electric fan before the radiator of his T44, and clearly the driver of a Grand Prix Bugatti from Milan, wearing a crash hat, meant business. Bernard Kain now has the correct blown T43 engine in his well known T43A, replacing its former T44 engine, a job that had waited nearly 50 years, and John Wilson was tightening up a loose lamp on his most impressive black and yellow elephant mascoted T46 sports saloon. Drawn up neatly on the smooth turf of one of the Museum lawns the Bugattis made a grand sight, the only ‘other make’ a six-cylinder Riley Lynx tourer with single SU carburettor. After lunch at the Museum (well worth a visit whether or not you are in a Bugatti), the long cavalcade moved off in heavy rain, to take part in a goodbye ‘Conga’ up Prescott on the Sunday.

WB