Photos by David Gooley
Letter from the Editor: A Taste of Luxury
August 3, 2004
August in America is a car enthusiast’s delight, with all eyes focused on
Monterey, Calif. It is here that every vehicular taste is sated: Italian cars en
masse, vintage racing of the highest caliber, and auctions that deliver on that
inalienable American right—instant gratification. The event around which all
this excitement revolves is the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, where the
grandest of automobiles are shown, each so impeccably presented that “Pebble
Beach” has become synonymous with the highest achievable level of
restoration.
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The Bugatti Type 41—a luxury benchmark from another age—was the most
formidable automobile of its era. Strong chauffer recommended. (Click image to enlarge)Some of the cars featured in this month’s Collection Classics are recent “Pebble” participants and winners. Each—in its day—epitomized elegance and luxury in the extreme. An affluent connoisseur of coachbuilt vehicles could not have been more coddled in comfort, prestige, and performance than with a new Duesenberg, Talbot-Lago, or Bugatti.
Last year’s events at Monterey were highlighted for me by a rare opportunity to experience that great icon of luxury—and automotive excess—the Bugatti Type 41. Everyone knows the Royale, and of the six built between 1927 and 1933, one was shuttled to the West Coast in connection with Bugatti’s sales launch of its poor snakebit Veyron. The 1931 Royale is the precious property of Volkswagen, parent of the resurrected Bugatti marque, and its owners thought it the perfect counterpoint to showcase the company’s upcoming supercar. I was privileged to take a memorable ride along the scenic roads of the Santa Lucia Preserve, chauffeured by the Royale’s caretaker, an affable mustachioed German bear who had to weigh 300 pounds if an ounce. And a good thing, because Bugatti’s beast looked to be a handful. Steering effort, gearchanges, and braking are not for the faint of heart, and while this car represented the height of opulence during its era, it gave ample proof of how much our concept of elegance and automotive luxury has evolved since.
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