Bugatti Royale
Encyclopedia
The Bugatti Type 41, better known as the Royale, was a large luxury car with a 4.3 m (169.3 in) wheelbase and 6.4 m (21 ft) overall length. It weighed approximately 3175 kg (7000 lb) and used a 12.7 L (12763 cc/778 in³) straight-8
engine. For comparison, against the modern Rolls-Royce Phantom, the Royale is about 20% longer, and more than 25% heavier.
Ettore Bugatti
planned to build twenty-five of these cars, and sell them to royalty. But even European royalty was not buying such things during the Great Depression
, and Bugatti was able to sell only three of the six made. Today a Bugatti Royale is both one of the largest and rarest cars in the world.
, the Type 41 is said to have come about because he took exception to the comments of an English
lady who compared his cars unfavourably with those of Rolls-Royce
.
The prototype had a near 15-litre capacity engine. The production version, its stroke reduced from 150 mm (5.9 in) to 130 mm (5.1 in) had a displacement of 12.7 litres. The engine was built around a single huge block, and at (apx. 4.5 ft (1.4 m) long x 3.5 ft (1.1 m) high), is one of the largest automobile engines ever made, producing 205 to 223 kW (275 to 300 hp). Its eight cylinders, bored to 125 mm (4.9 in) and with a stroke length of 130 mm (5.1 in), each displaced more than the entire engine of the contemporary Type 40 touring car. It had 3 valves per cylinder
(two inlet:one exhaust) driven by a centrally positioned single overhead camshaft. Nine bearings were specified for reliability, but only a single custom carburettor was needed. The engine was based on an aero-engine design that had been designed for the French Air Ministry, but never produced in that configuration.
The chassis was understandably substantial, with a conventional semi-elliptic leaf spring
suspension arrangement at the front. At the rear the forward-facing Bugatti quarter-elliptics were supplemented by a second set facing to the rear. Massive brake shoes were mechanically operated via cable controls: the brakes were effective but without servo-assistance required significant muscle power from the driver. The car's cast "Roue Royale" wheels measured 610 mm (24 inches) in diameter.
Reflecting some tradition based fashions of the time, the driver was confronted by a series of knobs of whalebone, while the steering wheel was covered with walnut
.
All Royales were individually bodied. The radiator cap was a posed elephant
, a sculpture by Ettore's brother Rembrandt Bugatti
.
asserted that "this year King Alfonso
of Spain will receive his Royale", but the Spanish king was deposed without taking delivery of a Royale, and the first of the cars to find a customer was not delivered until 1932. The Royale with a basic chassis price of $30,000, was launched just as the world economy began to sour into the 1930s Great Depression
. Six Royales were built between 1929 and 1933, with just three sold to external customers. Intended for royalty, none were eventually sold to any royals, and Bugatti even refused to sell one to King Zog of Albania, claiming that "the man's table manners are beyond belief!"
All six production Royales still exist (the prototype was destroyed in an accident in 1931), and each has a different body, some having been rebodied several times.
, using a further 186 engines, the last of them remaining in regular use until 1956 or 1958. Sources differ. The railcar turned the Royale project from an economic failure into a commercial success for Bugatti. The engines were derated to produce only about 200 hp, but even in this form they provided excellent performance. One of the railcars took a world average speed record of 122 mi/h for 43.9 miles (70.7 km).
The Schlumpf brothers so liked the original Dr Armand Esders coupe body on chassis 41.111, using original Bugatti parts they had a replica made of the car. It now resides with the two originals they purchased at the Musée National de l'Automobile de Mulhouse.
The late Tom Wheatcroft
commissioned Ashton Keynes Vintage Restorations to build an exact replica of Bugatti's personal car, the Coupe Napoleon (chassis number 41.110), for his Donington Grand Prix Collection
in England
. It has since been sold and left the collection. So good was the replica, that when the Kellner car needed a replacement piston, its then Japanese owners commissioned South Cerney Engineering part of AKVR to provide a replacement.
On May 24, 2008, His Royal Highness Prince Joachim of Denmark
on the day of his wedding to Princess Marie (formerly Marie Cavallier) had Wheatcroft's replica waiting outside Møgeltønder Church to drive the newly married couple to Schackenborg Manor.
The much smaller Panther De Ville
(produced between 1974 and 1985) consciously resembled the Type 41.
.
Straight-8
The straight-eight engine or inline-eight engine is an eight-cylinder internal combustion engine with all eight cylinders mounted in a straight line along the crankcase...
engine. For comparison, against the modern Rolls-Royce Phantom, the Royale is about 20% longer, and more than 25% heavier.
Ettore Bugatti
Ettore Bugatti
right|thumb|Ettore Bugatti in 1932Ettore Arco Isidoro Bugatti was an Italian-born and French naturalized citizen automobile designer and manufacturer....
planned to build twenty-five of these cars, and sell them to royalty. But even European royalty was not buying such things during the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
, and Bugatti was able to sell only three of the six made. Today a Bugatti Royale is both one of the largest and rarest cars in the world.
Design
Crafted by Ettore BugattiEttore Bugatti
right|thumb|Ettore Bugatti in 1932Ettore Arco Isidoro Bugatti was an Italian-born and French naturalized citizen automobile designer and manufacturer....
, the Type 41 is said to have come about because he took exception to the comments of an English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
lady who compared his cars unfavourably with those of Rolls-Royce
Rolls-Royce Limited
Rolls-Royce Limited was a renowned British car and, from 1914 on, aero-engine manufacturing company founded by Charles Stewart Rolls and Henry Royce on 15 March 1906 as the result of a partnership formed in 1904....
.
The prototype had a near 15-litre capacity engine. The production version, its stroke reduced from 150 mm (5.9 in) to 130 mm (5.1 in) had a displacement of 12.7 litres. The engine was built around a single huge block, and at (apx. 4.5 ft (1.4 m) long x 3.5 ft (1.1 m) high), is one of the largest automobile engines ever made, producing 205 to 223 kW (275 to 300 hp). Its eight cylinders, bored to 125 mm (4.9 in) and with a stroke length of 130 mm (5.1 in), each displaced more than the entire engine of the contemporary Type 40 touring car. It had 3 valves per cylinder
Multi-valve
In automotive engineering a multi-valve or multivalve engine is one where each cylinder has more than two valves. A multi-valve engine has better breathing and can operate at higher revolutions per minute than a two-valve engine, delivering more power.- Multi-valve rationale :A multi-valve design...
(two inlet:one exhaust) driven by a centrally positioned single overhead camshaft. Nine bearings were specified for reliability, but only a single custom carburettor was needed. The engine was based on an aero-engine design that had been designed for the French Air Ministry, but never produced in that configuration.
The chassis was understandably substantial, with a conventional semi-elliptic leaf spring
Leaf spring
Originally called laminated or carriage spring, a leaf spring is a simple form of spring, commonly used for the suspension in wheeled vehicles...
suspension arrangement at the front. At the rear the forward-facing Bugatti quarter-elliptics were supplemented by a second set facing to the rear. Massive brake shoes were mechanically operated via cable controls: the brakes were effective but without servo-assistance required significant muscle power from the driver. The car's cast "Roue Royale" wheels measured 610 mm (24 inches) in diameter.
Reflecting some tradition based fashions of the time, the driver was confronted by a series of knobs of whalebone, while the steering wheel was covered with walnut
Walnut
Juglans is a plant genus of the family Juglandaceae, the seeds of which are known as walnuts. They are deciduous trees, 10–40 meters tall , with pinnate leaves 200–900 millimetres long , with 5–25 leaflets; the shoots have chambered pith, a character shared with the wingnuts , but not the hickories...
.
All Royales were individually bodied. The radiator cap was a posed elephant
Elephant
Elephants are large land mammals in two extant genera of the family Elephantidae: Elephas and Loxodonta, with the third genus Mammuthus extinct...
, a sculpture by Ettore's brother Rembrandt Bugatti
Rembrandt Bugatti
Rembrandt Bugatti was an Italian sculptor, known primarily for his bronze sculptures of wildlife subjects.- Early life :...
.
Production
In 1928 Ettore BugattiEttore Bugatti
right|thumb|Ettore Bugatti in 1932Ettore Arco Isidoro Bugatti was an Italian-born and French naturalized citizen automobile designer and manufacturer....
asserted that "this year King Alfonso
Alfonso XIII of Spain
Alfonso XIII was King of Spain from 1886 until 1931. His mother, Maria Christina of Austria, was appointed regent during his minority...
of Spain will receive his Royale", but the Spanish king was deposed without taking delivery of a Royale, and the first of the cars to find a customer was not delivered until 1932. The Royale with a basic chassis price of $30,000, was launched just as the world economy began to sour into the 1930s Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
. Six Royales were built between 1929 and 1933, with just three sold to external customers. Intended for royalty, none were eventually sold to any royals, and Bugatti even refused to sell one to King Zog of Albania, claiming that "the man's table manners are beyond belief!"
All six production Royales still exist (the prototype was destroyed in an accident in 1931), and each has a different body, some having been rebodied several times.
41.110 - Coupe Napoleon
- The first car is chassis number 41.110
- Known as the Coupe Napoleon
- This car was fitted with the larger 14.7 litre prototype engine
- The Coupe Napoleon was used by Ettore Bugatti, and in his later life became his personal car. It remained in the family's possession, housed at their ErmenonvilleErmenonvilleErmenonville is a small village in northern France. It is designated municipally as a commune within the département of Oise.Ermenonville is notable for its park named for Jean-Jacques Rousseau by René Louis de Girardin...
chateau until financial difficulties enforced its sale in 1963. It subsequently passed into the hands of Bugatti obsessive Fritz SchlumpfFritz SchlumpfFederico "Fritz" Schlumpf was a French Industrialist of Swiss origins and collector of automobiles. He is best known for the Schlumpf collection housed at the Musée National de l'Automobile de Mulhouse....
. - It originally had a PackardPackardPackard was an American luxury-type automobile marque built by the Packard Motor Car Company of Detroit, Michigan, and later by the Studebaker-Packard Corporation of South Bend, Indiana...
body. It was rebodied by Paris coach builder WeymannWeymann Fabric BodiesWeymann Fabric Bodies is a patented design system for fuselages for aircraft and superlight coachwork for motor vehicles. The system used a patent-jointed wood frame covered in fabric...
as a two door fixed head coupe. The Weymann body was replaced after the car was crashed by Ettore Bugatti who in 1930 or 1931 fell asleep at the wheel travelling home from ParisParisParis is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
to AlsaceAlsaceAlsace is the fifth-smallest of the 27 regions of France in land area , and the smallest in metropolitan France. It is also the seventh-most densely populated region in France and third most densely populated region in metropolitan France, with ca. 220 inhabitants per km²...
necessitating a major rebuild. - At various stages it was also fitted with other bodies.
- Bricked up with 41.141 and 41.150 during World War II at the home of the Bugatti family in ErmenonvilleErmenonvilleErmenonville is a small village in northern France. It is designated municipally as a commune within the département of Oise.Ermenonville is notable for its park named for Jean-Jacques Rousseau by René Louis de Girardin...
, to avoid being commandeered by the Nazis. - Sold by L'Ebe Bugatti in the early 1960s to the brothers Schlumpf
- Resides in the Musée National de l'Automobile de MulhouseMusée National de l'Automobile de MulhouseCité de l’Automobile, Musée national de l’automobile, Collection Schlumpf is located in Mulhouse, France and houses the Schlumpf Collection of classic automobiles...
, alongside 41.131 that the Schlumpf brothers had acquired from John Shakespeare.
41.111 - Coupe de Ville Binder
- The second car built, but the first to find a customer, is chassis no.41.111
- Known as the Coupe de Ville Binder
- Sold in April 1932 to French clothing manufacturer Armand Esders. Ettore's eldest son, Jean, fashioned for the car a dramatic two-seater open body with flamboyant, full-bodied wings and a dickey seat, but no headlamps. In this form it became known as the Royale Esders Roadster.
- Purchased by the French politician Paternotre, the car was rebodied in the Coupe de Ville style by the coach builder Henri Binder. From this point onwards, known as the Coupe de Ville Binder
- Never delivered to the King of Romania due to World War 2, it was hidden from the Nazis by storing it in the sewerSanitary sewerA sanitary sewer is a separate underground carriage system specifically for transporting sewage from houses and commercial buildings to treatment or disposal. Sanitary sewers serving industrial areas also carry industrial wastewater...
s of ParisParisParis is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region... - Briefly found its way to the United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
after World War 2, and was then acquired by Dudley C Wilson of Florida in 1954. On his death in 1961 it passed to banker Mills B LaneMills Lane (banker)Mills B. Lane, Jr. was a banker in Atlanta, Georgia.He was born in Savannah, Georgia, and after graduating from Yale University in 1934 took a job as a clerk at a Citizens & Southern National Bank branch in Valdosta, Georgia...
of AtlantaAtlanta, GeorgiaAtlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
before in 1964 taking up residence in The Harrah Collection at Reno, NevadaReno, NevadaReno is the county seat of Washoe County, Nevada, United States. The city has a population of about 220,500 and is the most populous Nevada city outside of the Las Vegas metropolitan area...
. - Sold in 1986 to CaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
n collector, home builder, and Air Force Reserve Major General William Lyon, he offered the car during the 1996 Barrett-Jackson Auction by Private treaty sale, where he refused an offer of $11 million; the reserve was set at $15 million. - In 1999, the new owner of the Bugatti brand, Volkswagen AG, bought the car for a reported $20 million. Now used as a brand promotion vehicle, it travels to various museums and locations
41.121 - Cabriolet Weinberger
- The third car is chassis no.41.121
- Known as the Cabriolet Weinberger
- Sold in 1932 to GermanGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
obstetrician Josef Fuchs, who specified coach builder Ludwig Weinberger of MunichMunichMunich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
to build him an open cabriolet. Painted black with yellow, the car was delivered to Dr Fuchs in May, 1932. - As political tensions rose in pre-war Germany, Fuchs, relocated to ItalyItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, then JapanJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
; before permanently relocating to New YorkNew YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
around 1937, bringing the Royale with him. - Admired in Dr Fuchs ownership by Charles Chayne, later CEO of General MotorsGeneral MotorsGeneral Motors Company , commonly known as GM, formerly incorporated as General Motors Corporation, is an American multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Detroit, Michigan and the world's second-largest automaker in 2010...
. Chayne later found the car in a scrap yard in New York, buying it in 1946 for $400. - Chayne modified the car to make it more road usable, with the completed car featuring from 1947 onwards: a brand-new intake manifold with four carburetors, instead of the original single carb setup; a new paint scheme of oyster white with a dark green trim and convertible roof
- In 1957, after running the car for ten years, Chayne donated the car to the Henry Ford MuseumThe Henry FordThe Henry Ford, a National Historic Landmark, , in the Metro Detroit suburb of Dearborn, Michigan, USA, is a large indoor and outdoor history museum complex...
, located in Dearborn, MichiganMichiganMichigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
, where it still resides. The associated placard, in its entirety, reads: "1931 Bugatti Royale Type 41 Cabriolet, Ettore Bugatti, Molsheim, France, Body by Weinberger, OHC, in-line 8 cylinder, 300 horsepower, 779 cu.in. displacement, 7035 lb (3,191 kg). Original price: $43,000, Gift of Charles and Esther Chayne."
41.131 - Limousine Park-Ward
- The fourth car is chassis no.41.131
- Known as the Foster car or Limousine Park-Ward
- sold to Englishman Captain Cuthbert W. Foster, heir to a large department store in Boston USA, through his American mother, in 1933. Foster had a limousineLimousineA limousine is a luxury sedan or saloon car, especially one with a lengthened wheelbase or driven by a chauffeur. The chassis of a limousine may have been extended by the manufacturer or by an independent coachbuilder. These are called "stretch" limousines and are traditionally black or white....
body made for the car by Park WardPark WardPark Ward was a British coachbuilder founded by William M. Park and Charles W. Ward in 1919. They had worked together at F.W. Berwick Ltd., the makers of Sizaire-Berwick cars.Their business operated from Willesden, North London.-History:...
, created in the style of a 1921 Daimler he had once owned. - Acquired in 1946 by British Bugatti dealer Jack Lemon Burton who was forced to replace the huge tires with ones from an artillery piece, necessitating the need to remove the skirting from the fenders.
- Sold in 1956 to American Bugatti collector John Shakespeare, becoming part of the largest collection of Bugattis at that time.
- Facing financial problems, in 1963 Shakespeare sold his entire car collection, and he found a willing buyer in Fritz SchlumpfFritz SchlumpfFederico "Fritz" Schlumpf was a French Industrialist of Swiss origins and collector of automobiles. He is best known for the Schlumpf collection housed at the Musée National de l'Automobile de Mulhouse....
- Part of the Schlumpf Collection
- Resides in the Musée National de l'Automobile de MulhouseMusée National de l'Automobile de MulhouseCité de l’Automobile, Musée national de l’automobile, Collection Schlumpf is located in Mulhouse, France and houses the Schlumpf Collection of classic automobiles...
, alongside 41.110 that the brothers Schlumpf had acquired from the Bugatti estate.
41.141 - Kellner car
- The fifth car is chassis no.41.141
- Known as the Kellner car
- Unsold, it was kept by Bugatti
- Bricked up with 41.110 and 41.150 during World War II at the home of the Bugatti family in ErmenonvilleErmenonvilleErmenonville is a small village in northern France. It is designated municipally as a commune within the département of Oise.Ermenonville is notable for its park named for Jean-Jacques Rousseau by René Louis de Girardin...
, to avoid being commandeered by the Nazis. - Sold together with 41.150 by L'Ebe Bugatti in 1950 to American Le MansLe MansLe Mans is a city in France, located on the Sarthe River. Traditionally the capital of the province of Maine, it is now the capital of the Sarthe department and the seat of the Roman Catholic diocese of Le Mans. Le Mans is a part of the Pays de la Loire region.Its inhabitants are called Manceaux...
racer Briggs CunninghamBriggs CunninghamBriggs Swift Cunningham II was an American entrepreneur and sportsman, who raced automobiles and yachts. Born into a wealthy family, he became a racing car constructor, driver, and team owner as well as a sports car manufacturer and automobile collector.He skippered the victorious yacht Columbia...
, in return for US$3000, plus a couple of new General ElectricGeneral ElectricGeneral Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States...
refrigeratorRefrigeratorA refrigerator is a common household appliance that consists of a thermally insulated compartment and a heat pump that transfers heat from the inside of the fridge to its external environment so that the inside of the fridge is cooled to a temperature below the ambient temperature of the room...
s, then unavailable in post-war France. - After closing his museum in 1986, in 1987 the car was sold direct from Briggs Cunningham's collection by Christie'sChristie'sChristie's is an art business and a fine arts auction house.- History :The official company literature states that founder James Christie conducted the first sale in London, England, on 5 December 1766, and the earliest auction catalogue the company retains is from December 1766...
for £5.5 million or $9.7 million U.S. at the Royal Albert HallRoyal Albert HallThe Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall situated on the northern edge of the South Kensington area, in the City of Westminster, London, England, best known for holding the annual summer Proms concerts since 1941....
, to SwedishSwedenSweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
property tycoon Hans Thulin - The car was also offered for auction in 1989 by Kruse in Las Vegas where Ed Weaver bid the car to $11.5 million, which was declined by Thulin, reserve was $15 million. On collapse of his empire, Thulin sold the car in 1990 for a reported $15.7 million to JapanJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese conglomerate the Meitec Corporation, and it resided in their modern building basement before being offered for sale for £10million by Bonhams & Brooks by private treaty in 2001. - Ownership is presently unknown, but it has been shown in recent years by SwissSwitzerlandSwitzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
broker Lukas Huni.
41.150 - Berline de Voyage
- The sixth car is chassis no.41.150
- Known as the Berline de Voyage
- Unsold, it was kept by Bugatti
- Bricked up with 41.110 and 41.141 during World War II at the home of the Bugatti family in ErmenonvilleErmenonvilleErmenonville is a small village in northern France. It is designated municipally as a commune within the département of Oise.Ermenonville is notable for its park named for Jean-Jacques Rousseau by René Louis de Girardin...
, to avoid being commandeered by the Nazis. - Sold together with 41.141 by L'Ebe Bugatti in 1950 to American Le MansLe MansLe Mans is a city in France, located on the Sarthe River. Traditionally the capital of the province of Maine, it is now the capital of the Sarthe department and the seat of the Roman Catholic diocese of Le Mans. Le Mans is a part of the Pays de la Loire region.Its inhabitants are called Manceaux...
racer Briggs CunninghamBriggs CunninghamBriggs Swift Cunningham II was an American entrepreneur and sportsman, who raced automobiles and yachts. Born into a wealthy family, he became a racing car constructor, driver, and team owner as well as a sports car manufacturer and automobile collector.He skippered the victorious yacht Columbia...
, in return for US$3000, plus a couple of new General ElectricGeneral ElectricGeneral Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States...
refrigeratorRefrigeratorA refrigerator is a common household appliance that consists of a thermally insulated compartment and a heat pump that transfers heat from the inside of the fridge to its external environment so that the inside of the fridge is cooled to a temperature below the ambient temperature of the room...
s, then unavailable in post-war France. - On their arrival in the United States, Cunningham sold 41.150, which found its way into The Harrah Collection.The car was then sold at the 1986 Harrah auction where Jerry J. Moore paid $6.5 million for it, he kept it for 1 year and then sold it to Tom Monaghan for £5.7 million (US$8.1 million).
- In 1991, Tom MonaghanTom MonaghanThomas Stephen "Tom" Monaghan is an entrepreneur and Catholic philanthropist and activist who founded Domino's Pizza in 1960. He owned the Detroit Tigers from 1983-1992....
, founder of Domino's PizzaDomino's PizzaDomino's Pizza, Inc. is an international pizza delivery corporation headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America. Founded in 1960, Domino's is the second-largest pizza chain in the United States and has over 9,000 corporate and franchised stores in 60 countries and all 50 U.S....
, sold 41.150 for US$8,000,000, which was actually less than the £5.7 million (US$8.1 million) for which he purchased it in 1987 from Jerry J. Moore. - The car was sold to the Blackhawk CollectionBlackhawk MuseumThe Blackhawk Museum is a museum in Blackhawk, California, best known for its significant collection of classic cars.The museum houses about ninety classic cars. It also houses a display showcasing the work of the Wheelchair Foundation . The facility is located within the Blackhawk Plaza outdoors...
in Danville, California, where it has been on display at various times.
French National Railway SNCF
To utilize the remaining 23 engines after the final Royale was built, Bugatti built a railcar powered by either two or four of the eight-cylinder units. Seventy-nine were built for the French National Railway SNCFSNCF
The SNCF , is France's national state-owned railway company. SNCF operates the country's national rail services, including the TGV, France's high-speed rail network...
, using a further 186 engines, the last of them remaining in regular use until 1956 or 1958. Sources differ. The railcar turned the Royale project from an economic failure into a commercial success for Bugatti. The engines were derated to produce only about 200 hp, but even in this form they provided excellent performance. One of the railcars took a world average speed record of 122 mi/h for 43.9 miles (70.7 km).
Replica cars
In light of the rarity of the Type 41 and its associated price, it is unsurprising that some replicas have been made.The Schlumpf brothers so liked the original Dr Armand Esders coupe body on chassis 41.111, using original Bugatti parts they had a replica made of the car. It now resides with the two originals they purchased at the Musée National de l'Automobile de Mulhouse.
The late Tom Wheatcroft
Tom Wheatcroft
Frederick Bernard "Tom" Wheatcroft was an English businessman, who made his fortune through building and construction.-Biography:...
commissioned Ashton Keynes Vintage Restorations to build an exact replica of Bugatti's personal car, the Coupe Napoleon (chassis number 41.110), for his Donington Grand Prix Collection
Donington Grand Prix Collection
The Donington Grand Prix Exhibition, formerly known as the Donington Grand Prix Collection, is a museum of motor racing cars, based at the Donington Park motor racing circuit in Leicestershire, England.- Overview :...
in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It has since been sold and left the collection. So good was the replica, that when the Kellner car needed a replacement piston, its then Japanese owners commissioned South Cerney Engineering part of AKVR to provide a replacement.
On May 24, 2008, His Royal Highness Prince Joachim of Denmark
Prince Joachim of Denmark
Prince Joachim of Denmark, Count of Monpezat, , is a member of the Danish Royal Family. He is the younger son of Queen Margrethe II and Henrik, Prince Consort of Denmark....
on the day of his wedding to Princess Marie (formerly Marie Cavallier) had Wheatcroft's replica waiting outside Møgeltønder Church to drive the newly married couple to Schackenborg Manor.
The much smaller Panther De Ville
Panther De Ville
The Panther De Ville was a neo-classic luxury model from Panther Westwinds, the British specialty maker. Offered from 1974 to 1985, the De Ville was conceived by Robert Jankel to appeal to the taste of nouveau riche customers, including singer Elton John and actor Oliver Reed...
(produced between 1974 and 1985) consciously resembled the Type 41.
80th anniversary
In 2007 to celebrate the Royale's eightieth anniversary, five of the six cars were on display at the Goodwood Festival of SpeedGoodwood Festival of Speed
The Goodwood Festival of Speed, commonly abbreviated as FoS and referred within the United Kingdom as simply the Festival of Speed, is an annual hill climb featuring historic motor racing vehicles that is held in the grounds of Goodwood House, West Sussex, England.Typically held in late June or...
.