Bugatti Type 52
" Bébé - Bugatti " Type 52 (1929 )
Bugatti Type 52 which is selling the unofficial model designation for a children's vehicle of the French car maker Bugatti sports car as Bébé Bugatti.
Company founder Ettore Bugatti was first developed in 1926 for his youngest son Roland Bugatti ( 1922-1977 ). By 1936, about 100 more Bébé Bugatti created for good customers; according to some sources up to 250 examples were built.
Technology
The vehicle was a "real" car in miniature, held at a scale of 1:2. It was a miniature version of the Grand Prix race car Bugatti Type 35 with the 12 -volt electric motor with forward and reverse gear the " Bébé - Bugatti " about 20 km / h was fast.
The chassis was a lead frame made of steel plate girders. The engine was sitting on the rear axle and drive through gears at the right rear wheel. The rigid front axle was a replica of the great idol and hung on two semi-elliptic leaf springs, the rear axle, however, was unsprung. Even the famous flat- spoke aluminum wheels have been duplicated. Was slowed by handbrake which interacted with the cast in each rim brake drum via a cable and wooden brake shoes. A spare wheel was available on request. The speed was regulated by an electrical resistance which was operated by a pedal.
The wheelbase was initially 1200 mm. Later there was also a slightly larger version with ( depending on the source ) 1300 or 1350 mm more legroom for the young drivers. The length was 1825 respectively. 1970 mm, the track 625 mm. Uniformly were the width 680 mm and height 570 mm.
A version with a gasoline engine and one each forward and reverse gear was available.
Ambitious parents should have led their offspring to race on the pavement trendy summer resort places like Deauville or Nice.
The Bébé Bugatti in 1926 presented on the stand at the auto shows in Paris and Milan and performed between 1927 and about 1936 in the official sale catalog, but always without the designation "Type 52". According to the prospectus was the Bugatti Bébé " thought children between six and eight years " for. This may be traced back to the recognized experts Bugatti Hugh Conway.
Approximately 30 " Bébé - Bugatti " should be preserved. A replica was decades later available in the UK. It cost about 1983 DM 12,000.