Bugatti Type 46 Napoleon Coupé Recreation 1986

1930 Bugatti Type 46 Napoleon Coupé

Chassis number: 46065

Registration number: DC110-PX

Engine No. 47 (From Chassis 46166)

Re-Constructed in the late 1970's & Early 1980's from the remains of a type 46 Chassis found near Toulouse & an original type 46 engine from a car destroyed during the war in the Voseges region.

The car was a labor of love for the builder taking 10 years & over 4000 man hours to complete along with various specialists being enlisted to help. The Body, a .87 scale of the Coupe Napoleon Royale was made by Fred Pippiat & UK based Stephen Langton. Templates were taken from the original Royale & scaled down to fit the shorted wheelbase of the type 46.

Numerous parts were sand cast from scratch as exact copies of the originals. The radiator carries at its base the name of the craftsman who made it "Lebret bodybuilder from Forges-les-Eaux" in France as an exact copy fabriacted from original drawings.

The famous Bugatti light alloy wheels were moulded in Suresnes from an existing set in Grenoble that served as a model, to a diameter of 0.845m, including tyres. The Smith-Barriquand carburetor heater ball, a very delicate piece, was missing & had to be specially moulded and machined from scratch. The exhaust pipes were fabricated coated, inside, with heat resistant material and enamelled in an oven, in the Lyons region.

The blue and black bodywork is entirely aluminum on wood frame. The passenger compartment features a faithful copy of the cabinetry of the Royale coupe with clock and speedometer in a fruit wood dash board. The front seats and panels are black leather with blue velvet to the rear quarters. Paintwork was applied in two tone with no less then 12 coats to achieve the deep lustre the car exhibits.

This beautiful Type 46 reconstrauction made its first runs at the end of 1986 before being exhibited at the "Auto Festival" the same year. The "Auto Retro" magazine of October 1987 highlights the car in a 6-page article. The English magazine "The Automobile" used the car for its front cover and two long articles reported by the journalist Toby Ross in December 1987 and January 1988.

Avialble now, the car is in perfect running condition & indeed was driven to & won its class at the 2019 Schloss Schwetzingen Concours D'Elegance in Germany.