Type 41 Royale 'Weinberger'

I did say in a recent post that I might pick up a 1:24 resin kit if I came across one of a model I'd like to add to the collection .... and I wrote in that same post that I was very keen to add a 'Weinberger' Royale to the collection, didn't I?

And what popped up on eBay, for €31.50 (plus p&p)?? 

I used to build resin kits of cars many many years ago, so it was a lot of fun to do that again. Here is my 'Weinberger' Royale!

No opening doors in a kit like this, but the hood is removable, so you can see the engine.

Type 41 Royale 'Weinberger' takes its place in the collection on #23

And just in case you're interested in seeing the build process ...

Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Vitesse WRC

Bugatti aren't buses, but still .... Read on; I'll explain!

The Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse is a roadster version of the Veyron, which comes with a removable roof. It was the first roadster to exceed 400kmh, and Bugatti decided to market that particular WRC (World Record Car) version, with its black-and-orange livery. Only 8 were produced.

I stumbled across a 1:24 model of this car as a (plastic) RC car on eBay for just £12.90 (plus p&p). Pictures on eBay showed it to have the roof on, and the thought crossed my mind to cut the roof off and so have it as a roadster. However, once I got the model, it was clear that there would be nothing inside (the windows were all black), so I quickly abandoned that idea. Roadster with roof on it is!

So, following hot on the heels of the black-and-orange Chiron Super Sport 300+ (see what I meant with buses?), another one ticked off the wish list: #22!

Chiron Super Sport 300+

The Chiron Super Sport 300+ is based on a special black-and-orange Chiron car that breached the 300mph barrier. Only 30 were made, all black-and-orange, and with a price tag of $3.9 million.

I am not aware of a diecast 1/24 model of a Super Sport, let alone a Super Sport 300+. But I did stumble across a 1/24 scale RC car, a fully plastic one, on eBay for just £14.99 ...

Now I hinted in my previous blog post that I might relax the 'diecast-only' rule if that would allow me to add further models to the collection. And I basically already created a precedent with my replacement GT Vision model ... 

So, without further ado, here is my Chiron Super Sport 300+ model!

Unlike most of the diecast models, nothing opens, though the lights flash if you put batteries in and drive it with the controller. Note that the Bugatti emblem on the grille has a black background, and not a red one, just like the actual car ...

A Chiron Super Sport was specifically on my wish list, so one model has now been ticked off that list; #21 in the collection!

State of the collection one year on, and a wish list

When I started my collection of 1:24 Bugatti models back in November last year, I thought I'd easily be able to get at least half a dozen models, possibly up to around ten or so. Now, a year later, the collection stands at 20 models. In rough 'date of production' order, these are a Type 35, the Type 41 Royale 'Coupé Napoleon', the Type 41 Royale 'Esders Roadster', a Type 50, a 'Baby', a Type 55, a Type 57 Atalante, a Type 57 Atlantic, a replica Type 55, an EB110, a Veyron, the 'Mirror' Veyron, the Vision GT, the Atlantic, a Chiron, the Chiron '42 seconds', a Chiron Sport, a Divo, La Voiture Noire, and a Bolide.

As I write this blog post, I am not aware of any other 1:24 diecast models of Bugatti cars currently on the market, whether classic or modern. That doesn't mean they don't exist, of course, but I've not come across them during the last year. 

Of course, I'd be very happy to add more models to the collection; here's a bit of a wish list ...

First of all, in terms of different versions of models which are already part of the collection, a further few Type 41 Royales, especially the 'Berline de Voyage' and 'Weinberger':

And then, on the modern site, I'd like to add an EB110 SS, a Veyron Grand Sport and a Chiron Super Sport:

Which brings me to my further wish list: classic Bugatti models which, as far as I'm aware, have never been on the market in 1:24 diecast form, but which I would very much like to add to the collection. I can dream!

First of all, the Type 10 'Petit Pur Sang'. 

Would be really nice to be able to add a model of the first official Bugatti to the collection, wouldn't it?

Next there are a pair of early Bugattis I'd like to have models of: Type 13 'Brescia' and Type 18 'Black Bess'

Currently, the oldest car in my collection is a Type 35, so a few clearly older models would be nice.

Guess the same goes for a Type 15.

Especially because I have actually seen this very car for real!

Moving to racing cars, I really do want at least one more classic racing car in the collection. A Type 32 Tank would really stand out. Not because of the beauty of their lines, though ...

And I'd welcome a Type 57 Tank; it sure has better lines!

A Type 59/50 would definitely add something to the collection as well.

Or a Type 251, often regarded as the last original Bugatti.

Changing gears (pun intended), what about this Type 50 with a Saoutchik body?

Totally different from a classic Type 50!

Another Bugatti that got a completely different body is the final chassis of the Type 101. I've always really liked this Ghia-designed Exner roadster body, but I guess it's not to everyone's taste.

Would Ettore Bugatti have liked or loathed it? We'll never know ...

Moving on to modern Bugattis. With all the modern Bugattis in my collection basically being super/hypercars (what's the difference?), adding a different type of car would be very nice. 

This EB112 concept car of a sedan never made it to reality.

And, similarly, this concept of a 4-door saloon, the Bugatti Galibier, never got beyond the concept stage; as far as I'm aware, plans for this car have been put in the fridge, but who knows what the future will bring?

Talking existing modern hypercars missing from my collection, the Centodieci was designed as a homage to the EB110. 

The Mistral could be the only modern roadster in the collection ...

And then, of course, the Tourbillon, the long-awaited successor to the Chiron, which was unveiled in June.

I came across this picture on the internet: a Bugatti F1 car. Despite their success in Grand Prix racing in especially the 1920s, Bugatti only participated in Formula 1 once, in 1956, and not with great success. I am not aware they have any plans to re-enter F1 (and why would they?), so I reckon this picture is merely the result of clever photoshopping ...

Real or not, a unique addition to the collection it would surely be. 

And what about Jean Bugatti's 1937 design for a car to break the Land Speed Record?

It never got off the drawing board, unfortunately ...

Let's briefly talk about Bugattis that aren't cars .... First of all, the Model 100P air racer, which never actually flew in Ettore's days (a replica did fly ... and crash, killing the pilot).

Models of this Bugatti plane at 1:24 scale do exist, but I've only seen them as resin kits, not as diecast models. And even these are far from cheap (think $100-200+).

Bugatti also designed and created a small number of speedboats, called 'Niniette'.

There is now a plan for a Bugatti luxury yacht, the Niniette 66: 

Clearly, the design is very Chiron-esque! Never seen a 1:24 model of either a classic Niniette or a Niniette 66, though ... 

Finally, staying with non-car Bugattis: a Bugatti-powered rail car

Models do exist, but I've not seen a 1:24 one anywhere ...

Back to Bugatti cars, I'd of course happily add any model I don't yet have to the collection, whether it's on my wish list or not (and in a year's time, my wish list may well be different). Realistically speaking the only cars I can actually see coming on the market as a 1:24 diecast model are the Centodieci, the Mistral and the Tourbillon. So I will definitely keep my eyes open for those ones. And if I stumble across a 1:24 resin kit of a Bugatti model I don't yet have in the collection, I may well relax the 'diecast-only rule' ...