Now for those of you reading this who think a Buggati is variation of a French Baguette, you would be about 1/8 right: The Buggati in question is Italian, he was a designer and producer of cars. But I suggest the use of the noun ´car´ may be a misnomer. Each car, which was lovingly designed and manufactured, was nothing short of a creation of technical genius and artistic beauty - and here´s me the mofa mensch talking!
So the ´1/8 right ´bit. Well the cars were made in what was then Germany, but after World War I became part of France.
And how did I become a born again Buggati fan I know you all ask in astonishment? Well on holidays recently in the Markgräflerland region of S.W. Germany, we were very near Muhouse in France. On a very wet day we were in need of a `plan B` which that day was a visit to the Schlumpf Museum in Mulhouse.
The creation of the Schlumpf Museum is a great story in itself. The museum was built around the the private collection of cars of excellence lovingly AND SECRETLY collected by the brothers Schlumpf.
Wikipedia states ..A team of up to 40 carpenters, saddlers, and master mechanics were
assembled to carry out the restoration work, who under a confidentiality
agreement kept their work and the scale of the collection a secret -
Many, including members of Bugatti clubs around the world, knew of the
collection. The scale of the enterprise surprised almost everybody.` To read more of this intrigue go to: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cit%C3%A9_de_l%27Automobile
THIS ... is what I am talking about!
The Royale a Bugatti that was designed with the royal customers in mind. One of these beauties sold in the U.S. in 1991 for $8,000,000 give or take. If you are confused on the naughts, that´s 8 million!
Other cars that tickled my fancy included ...
And fair dues, either Mr. Bugatti or one of the brothers Schlumpf at least, was clearly a supporter of the Kilkenny hurlers - what when they finished four different models that I saw in the Kilkenny colurs!
This one was my favorite for the drive to Croak Park for the All-Ireland hurling final next September.
This one was my favorite for the drive to Croak Park for the All-Ireland hurling final next September.
Up the Kilkenny Cats!
Not a Bugatti, rather a Mercedes Benz. It was the one car both Romeo H and I both agreed we would bring home.
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| This was a favorite of Romeo H´s. Can´t say it excited me. |
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| It was one of the very few cars that did not. |
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| Something to do with movies on T.V. as a child... Mmm won´t have that parked outside my home any time soon. And of course it is NOT a Bugatti! |
It this just amazing or what!
Or just for days that one feels that one just wants to fly solo - how about this Bugatti beauty...
Nothing sloppy about this gem of genius or wha!
On a reality check Romeo H pointed out the world might be a safer place if I drove - the Oeuf! :( - Built in 1948 by an architect, it was still driving on the streets of Paris in 1992! 
And I kid you not, this guy´s second car was this! Serious. He designed and built this car too. All this on the side, in his day job he worked as an architect.
And on the other extreme: the car or `no choice´in the former DDR.
No this is not some young fellah´s upgrading of his old V.W.!
This is the real deal; a man who worked for Mercedes Benz designed this car. He later went to work for, yes, you´ve guessed it, Volks Wagon. In 1931 the designer founded his own car company. His name: Ferdinand Porsche.
So in fact this trumped up looking car has an EXCELLENT pedigree!
Two wheel specialties were not neglected:
On the day we were in the museum there was a crowd of people and all sorts of thrills and spills to be had - nice food and lots of photographers too ---- for the unveiling of this!
Have know idea why it is so special (see makers name below), but there was lot of people making a lot of fuss over it.
All the cars, AND motor bikes at the Schlumpf Museum were so well cared for: Each and every vehicle in the museum was lovingly polished and dusted. Fair dues when I think of how hard it is for me to keep my bike and mofa to `an acceptable level` of `clean`!
Yep, after a visit to the Schlumpf Museum, I have made and executive life decision that my next Mofa is going to be a .....
Bugatti Type 41, with a straight-8 engine, a 4.3 m (169.3 in) wheelbase and 6.4 m (21 ft) overall length.
- or at the very least ..... a Fiat 500!
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Now some information and practical stuff:
1) To see more picutures of cars at the museum, go to:
https://www.google.de/search?q=bilder+schlumpf+museum&client=firefox-a&hs=hT&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&channel=fflb&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=ynnOUb2WH6374QTM-YDIAQ&ved=0CCwQsAQ&biw=1047&bih=458
2) The Schlumpf Museum in Mullhouse, France is well worth a visit if ever you are fortunate enough to be in the area. It is well laid out, the staff are very helpful and it was clear they enjoyed working in the museum - though they could have done with more personnel at the front desk; there was only one person there dealing with the bus load of tourist - in line in front of us.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cit%C3%A9_de_l%27Automobile
3) The story of Ettore Bugatti is interesting too in its own right: He was born in Milan, Italy, and the automobile company that bears his name was founded in 1909 in the Alsace region of what is now France. His father, Carlo Bugatti was an Art Nouveau furniture and jewelry designer. You can find out lots more on the internet, starting of course with my buddies Wikipedia.
4) And then there is the story of Nadia. Nadia deserves a blog posting all to herself. So more on herself in a future blog posting no doubt.
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