Bugatti memories

Brian Sewell was right to question (The Independent, 6 April 2004) the attempt to resuscitate the revered name of Bugatti in the 21st century. Surely the untimely end of Ettore Bugatti in 1947 aged 66, and of his son Jean, killed testing new Bugattis in 1939 is enough pretext upon which to close the file on a brilliant chapter of automotive history. One could buy Bugatti blue pullovers in Kensington Church Street in the 1980s, which was acceptable. But then, in 1932, there was the Type 55.

This 'little creature' in Sewell's words, was a mere 13 feet long, a minimal Bugatti. Let us close the story even more firmly, with the Type 57 Galibier Paris Show Bugatti, of 1939, consigning this embarrassing piece of badge engineering to the bin where it belongs, with its absurd Veyron nomenclatura. It stands under the auspices of Volkswagen. Skoda would have handled the relaunch better, given the revival of their 'Superb' saloon name from the 1930s. And they are still making their own brand. Don't spoil our Bugatti dreams.