[my gallery of Bugatti Royales (1/24 scale)]

First, of all, Francois, your work is fantastic.

I know very little about the Royales and have found the reading I've done to be rather confusing. Am I to assume that with all those variants and only six chassis built, that some of the chassis had been re-bodied at one point or another, or, as the recently-restore car was, built using leftover parts?

I'd love to see all of the above in 1/24-25 scale. Those are beautiful machines and you've done them justice.

Hand-painting those interiors....??? That's one thing I'd actually want a decal for!

Charlie Larkin

thanks for your very friendly comments

There're only six truely original Bugatti Royales in the world:

chassis # 41100 "Coupé de Ville Napoléon" designed by Jean Bugatti (stayed in Bugatti family and now in the french national museum cars in Mulhouse)

# 41111 "Roadster Esders" designed by Jean Bugatti for Armand Esders, without headlights. sold in 1938. new body of "Coupé de ville" by parisian Henri Binder designer. first body is destroyed during war. the roadster had been rebuilt with an authentic Bugatti chassis from museum stock and a railway Bugatti engine (same as others Royales engines) and new one body. exposed in Mulhouse museum. Binder "Coupé de Ville" is now property of VolksWagen group.

# 41121 "Cabriolet Weinberger". chassis bought by german Dr Joseph Fuchs and body design by german Ludwig Weinberger of Munich. moved in N.Y. before war. sold as a wrech to Chayne, futur GM staff member, restored and customized after war (repainted in oyster withe). now in Dearborn Ford Museum, Michigan.

# 41131 "Limousine Park Ward" designed by english designer Park Ward (now in Mulhouse museum)

# 41141 "Coach Kellner" designed by parisian Kellner designer. (sold in 2001 for 10 billions £ to unknown private owner)

# 41150 "Berline de voyage" designed by Ettore Bugatti (now in BlackHawk museum, CA, repainted in withe)

that's it!

If you want to see more, go here! (sorry, it's a French blog)

http://le.tchouk.free.fr/galerie_T41.htm

about interior painting, i believe russian facturer make printed tissu for. I'll search in case!

[Jaguar XJR 6 Silk Cut]

Big work you're doing on this hard to build kit!

[Mercedes 300 SL cabriolet (1/16 Italeri kit)]

about tissue parts, it's back seets and carpets

about the nose badge i'll try use some Mercedes 1/24 sticks

i scratched some engine details

about the windsheld shape, i saw, but don't know how to modify the kit part...

thanks for your comments

[my gallery of Bugatti Royales (1/24 scale)]

Caroline Bugatti is certainly right up there with other Bugatti designs.

Rigth! She look pure and not faschion addicted! the deep spirit of Bugatti design "far ot time"! also the show was produced by Louis Vuitton corporation...

[my gallery of Bugatti Royales (1/24 scale)]

Is she the old man's granddaughter? I like her design, too...

It's cool to see a car like that actually being driven! And at more than 5 mph!

Jean Bugatti was her daddy! She's certainly a modern wife, according with contemprary life! I agree with you to see a so expensive and old car driven in modern traffic!

[my gallery of Bugatti Royales (1/24 scale)]

Instead of 2 motorcycles, it should have been escorted by a brigade of Humvees.

(I know about the dangers of the French. I was tear-gassed by the riot police during the student demonstrations in 1968 - just an innocent bystander at a sidewalk café)

of course. we are "latin" culture, so emotions have big part in our collective life, and police wasn't very fair. these manifestation surprised everybody, no one took attention of young people at this moment. all the country was locked during days. Government tryed strong police repression. it was a "revolution" in public opinion, and a transform in the modern area.

about the Bugatti Royale in Paris streets: i know the course of the Bugatti royale in Paris was kept secret, the car has been transport in a special truck from Mulhouse.

first time Caroline Bugatti (Ettore Bugatti grandaugther) drived the car. She said: "I remembered my grand father and father driving this car.It's a dream i'm going to do now. the car look very big, but after a moment, it is a wonderfull pleasure to drive, very sweet and easy I heard the engine noises many time durind children, now i m proud and touched to drive it!"

for future people who don't know the story of Bugatti cars, remenber it is a very French cars manufacturer!

[my gallery of Bugatti Royales (1/24 scale)]

to explain a part of the video, they said: "1929 concept. no key to start but botton. Ettore Bugatti granddaugther drived first time the car few hours ago. 300 hp power, 200 kms/hour speed; only 3 speeds. a "unique" car, only six chassis in the world. glass roof designed to see stars in night sky. the car stayed in Bugatti family. "go on! push the second speed! quite a monster! no assistance driving but such a pleasure to drive: an engine build like a sculputure. 8 cylinders on line, 12,7 liters cylinder capacity, special bugatti carburator. out of competition in Saint-Cloud "concours d'élégance" (as Pebble Beach show). 24 inches wheels with specials rims to freeze breakes. It is a 1929 french car... (and surely not German VW modern copy!)

[my gallery of Bugatti Royales (1/24 scale)]

Stunning. It must be amazing to see something like that on the street. Surprisingly quiet.

sure! it's probably the most expensive classic collector car in the world. but we like dangerous life in France!

[my gallery of Bugatti Royales (1/24 scale)]

Since your ID is a bit unusually stated...are you from the Brittany area of Paris or from Bretagne? And is your name Gasnier Francois or Francois Gasnier?

Just curious. But whatever, your work is very superior.

i'm from Bretagne, northwest France, and i did not converse my name, so effectevly you can say "François Gasnier",

"François" is my first name.

[my gallery of Bugatti Royales (1/24 scale)]

To see what a spectacular job he did on the Napoleon - especially recreating the correct passenger interior pattern (painted with a brush!) - check this out.

http://onlycarsandcars.blogspot.com/2010/09/bugatti-type-41-royale-coupe-napoleon.html

thanks, outdoor pictures are about the true "coupé Napoléon" during a special Parisin show. but indoor pictures are a (good) copy of the original car.

I tnink it's during 2008 show, with Ettore Bugatti granddaugther:

[my gallery of Bugatti Royales (1/24 scale)]

First of all - CONGRATULATION, CONGRATULATION !!!! The models are wonderfull made and I`m sure the following ones will be too. Your project to build the other Royales is a big one and I wish you all the necessary patience and perseverance. I know how great is this project - I`ve made all ever made 11 body variants of Royale but in only 1:75 scale. And it needed more years.(well, I built some other models in that period too) You can see some of this little models in this forum and shortly I shall continue to post the last ones.

so great work you did! appreciate your special support!

[my gallery of Bugatti Royales (1/24 scale)]

Thanks for the info on the kits. The Esders chassis wasn't destroyed - it was rebodied as the Binder Coupe de Ville. The Esders roadster in Mulhouse is a recreation using genuine Bugatti parts.

it's quite true. I should say "body parts" were destroyed. sorry for my approximative knowledge of your langage...

thanks all to appreciate my work and support it. project will be a long way to issue, so be patient!

[Bugatti Royale roadster Esders 1/24 conversion]

Very nice job on the conversion so far.

The avatar controls are somewhere in the settings/preferences area.

Charlie Larkin

thanks, it worked, but the way is unsual (click on the frame)

[Mercedes 300 SL cabriolet (1/16 Italeri kit)]

This is the second building of this kit. first one was difficult because front and rear parts are divided in two pieces. but with time and more experiences, I find easyer way to build it!

i choose an unusual paint color, but this is an official color of Mercedes Museum in Stuttgart, a beautifulll orange color. because, perhaps your TV infos speak about, in Europe we suffering a great despress, A bad consequence of your bank system crisis.. perahps you know, but all happen in States have large effects in all the world!

so this a respons of crisis! in fact this car was built for american market, because people didn't support very small interior of the 300 SL coupé with "wings" doors.

now I'm working in interior, with parts of tissus

engine is on the workshop!

[Bugatti Royale roadster Esders 1/24 conversion]

Pleas, someone can told me how to put a picture for my identification, i dont like be without face!

[Bugatti Royale roadster Esders 1/24 conversion]

Formidable, what a project. I am looking forward to seeing your progress on this build. I love Bugattis but have never built a model of one.

try it; you 'll be a fan! this cars are really the best of auto art!

[Bugatti Royale roadster Esders 1/24 conversion]

Great to see this after your other T41 builds

I think that I have some blueprints for the Esders body (I was going to use them for a 1:16 conversion) - will check on my home computer later. If you'd like a copy, please send me a message with your email address

Well, it'll be a great help! PM on road!

[Bugatti Royale roadster Esders 1/24 conversion]

Bugatti Royale is one of favorite subject. So i'm trying to build the famous (and expensive) "roadster Esders", one of the Bugatti Royale destroyed and rebuilt by the french museum of Mulhouse. Specialists consider this car as the masterchief piece of Jean Bugatti design.

for this very singular project, i use a "Victoria" Lindberg 1/24 kit and a "Coupé Napoléon" Testors-Italeri 1/24 kit.

I used parts of the wings Lindberg kit and the Italeri kit for main part body.

Now i'm working on the paints, not the easyer point to do!

[my gallery of oldies]

others oldies i built:

RR Phantom II (Italeri 1/24)

Cadillac convertible phaeton (Italeri 1/24)

Mercedes 540 k roadster (Revell 1/24)

Alfa Giulietta spider (Italeri 1/24)

See my Bugatti Royales topic for others oldies!

[my gallery of sports model cars]

Very nice...my best/worse memory of building the Newman 956 was painting the body

yes, it was also a big challenge to paint the withe marks of the door! I wish Tamiya produce decals for this part.

[my gallery of Bugatti Royales (1/24 scale)]

Fantastic set of models, and great subject matter! The interiors look especially good. I know that the first two are Italeri, but who makes the cabriolet kit? I've always thought that it would be an excellent basis for building a model of the Esders roadster, or is that already your next project?

I built a Bandai / Entex 1:16 Binder Coupe de Ville kit several years ago, but the Coupe Napoleon is so much more elegant. One of the UK old car mags had a couple of articles years ago about someone who build a replica of the Coupe Napoleon, at about 5/8th scale, using a different model Bugatti chassis (I think it was a T50) as the starting point, but cant remember which Bugatti version provided the engine. Even that was a large car, which puts the huge size of the T41 in perspective...

thanks all for yours friendly comments

sorry to do not give you informations about the kits used. Coupé Napoléon and Berline de Voyage are Testors-Italeri 1/24 kits. Cabriolet Weinberger is a conversion of the "Victoria" (why these strange name?) Lindberg 1/24 kit.

in fact, this car was bougth by jew famous german doctor Joseph Fuchs, and body designed by Weinberger Munich. because war Dr Fuchs moved first in Asia, and last at N.Y. but the car was parked on the street, during strong winter, engine was damaged. a futur GM member staff bougth it to save, and start restore it after war.

my work is to gave back the first scheme (more elegant I think) of the car.

the car parked in N.Y. street:

My new project is the Bugatti Royale "Roadster Esders", destroyed but rebuilt recently by the french museum of Mulhouse.

I use Lindberg and Italeri kits to do it.

i'll post in the WIP menu

I wish to build all the Bugatti Royales in 1/24scale... big project!

[my gallery of Bugatti Royales (1/24 scale)]

Outstanding work, beautiful detail. How did you make the upholstery pattern for the first one?

it's brush painting; I used a Napoleon 3 tissu design for model. I believe is th reason why the name of the car: "coupé Napoléon"

it's withe sheets with pink flowers.

i also paint the wood desk, a friend asked to do a "ronce de noyer" wood

but the true one is in sample wood:

thanks for comments!

[my gallery of Bugatti Royales (1/24 scale)]

one of my favorite subject

first one Bugatti Royale "Coupé de Ville Napoléon", designed by Ettore Bugatti son's, Jean in 1929

i painted the original "Napoleon III" interior banquette

and corrected the dash board

detailled engine

the glass roof was designed so miss Bugatti can see sky and stars during nigth !

Other Bugatti designed by Ettore Bugatti himself, "Berline de voyage"

interior painted with the true "Art Deco" scheme

Very special building: the "cabriolet Weinberger" in his delivery scheme before moving and restauration in the States

[my gallery of oldies]

Delahaye 135 "coupé Chapron" (Heller 1/24)

Renault Primastella PG7 (Heller 1/24)

Rolls-Royce Phantom II Continental Coupé (Revell 1/16)

that's all today!

i'm working on:

- a new one Mercedes 300 SL cabriolet Italeri 1/16 with orange color

- very old Revell kit (1960) of Mercedes 190 sl

- Mercedes 540 K roadster (Heller 1/24)

- Porsche 356 C coupé (Fujimi 1/24)

- conversion of a Bugatti Italeri kit to make the Bugatti Royale "roadster Esders", never built in 1/24 scale

[my gallery of sports model cars]

before begin to show my WIP, some pictures of my last finished models car

Porsche 956 New Man Le Mans winner with french J.P. Beltoise pilot (Tamiya kit with Hobby Design PE)

Ford GT with Gulf Team livery (Simil'R 1/24 kit with Renaissance decals)

Porsche 917 Le Mans # 22 (from the movie with Steeve Mac Qeen pilot, Fujimi kit and Renaissance decals)

Mercedes 300 SL cabriolet (1/16 Italeri)