The delicious Bugatti adventure
By H. Kishie Singh

BUGATTI is a name that conjures up visions of speed, luxury, beauty and class. Powerful engines, often over 100 horse power, speeds of up to 150 miles an hour, huge wheels and a long low bonnet which houses the engine -- that is Bugatti for you.

The marque today is probably more sought after than even Rolls-Royce or Mercedes. Part of the charisma and aura around this name was the man himself.

Ettore Arco Isidore Bugatti was born in Milan on September 15, 1881. He was a Virgo, slightly eccentric, dedicated to perfection with a mind and vision of his own. He was trained in sculpture, and he learned to visualise 3- dimensional objects. His father was cabinet-maker.

Ettore built an engine which was a sheer beauty. And that’s what the Bugatti is all about. The Bugatti was a lifestyle. It was then, in the beginning in the 20s and through the 50s till today. It is a breed apart. If Rolls-Royce built magnificent cars, Bugatti built gorgeous cars. They both had another quirk in common. They built only engines and then put them on a chassis. Said Royce once: "We are engineers. We build engines and the chassis. The carpenters do the rest!" And they did a brilliant job — works of art to almost equal the brilliance of the engines. Like tailors measure for a suit, each Bugatti was one of a kind in the body work. They were simply identified as Bugatti type 13, type 43, type 55 or type 57. A Bugatti owner, after driving around in a Sedan for a few years, would have the body removed and replaced by an open touring body.

Bugatti had built his first engine at the tender age of 19. It was his dedication and perseverance that is responsible for the fact that the name Bugatti is like a foundation stone of automobile folklore.

As mentioned, Bugatti gave birth to a lifestyle. Following that lifestyle today, almost a hundred years later, is the Bugatti Motoring Adventure 97-99. This is a very select band and breed of adventurers. Some climb Everest, some drive around the world in vintage Bugattis! C’est la vie!

Macko Laquer in his white type 46-S 1930 Bugatti is accompanied by his friend Bob Myers in a 1933 blue Bugatti. Following them in a jeep is Milos Kaposi. They are on a around the world jaunt.

Both cars have the same straight eight 5300 cc supercharged engines. But entirely different bodies. The 1930 white Bugatti has an open body whereas the blue Bugatti is a two-seater. It has no doors.

This is to give extra strength to the body. Bob Myers has to scramble over the side after climbing onto the running board. Not a very elegant way of getting in and out of a Bugatti!

The Bugatti Motoring Adventure 97-99 started about four years ago. An idea was born and the two friends, Macko and Bob, decided to go around the world in their vintage Bugattis. The preparation took some time and the drive started in Milhouse, France, home of the Bugatti museum. More than 300 Bugattis can be seen here under one roof!

From Milhouse, the cars were resent to Amsterdam, from where they were shipped to South America. Macko and Bob drove up through Argentina, Chile and Peru. The cars were shipped to Japan from Lima.

During this time, Bob and Macko flew back home to Europe to attend to business and family.

They caught up with the cars in Japan and spent a month driving in Japan. The cars were then shipped to China.

The last stretch the two adventurers did was Beijing to Delhi via Lhasa. They reached Delhi in October last year and left the cars and again flew back home for Christmas and New Year.

The cars were in need of maintenance and repairs. And Delhi was the place to do it. K.C. Anand took charge of the white Bugatti, and it spent the winter in K.C’s garage. K.C. is probably one of the world’s greatest car aficionados. He knows of every single vintage and classic car in the world and he knows their owners.

The cars were ready for the road by March and the two — Macko and Bob — flew back to Delhi to resume the drive to Europe.

The route was to be Delhi- Wagah-Lahore-Islamabad-Gilgit.

"Well", said K.C. to Macko, "on your way to Wagah you can come up to Shimla for a few days!" And they did.

The cars were parked in front of an elegant hotel on Shimla’s Mall Road. They belonged to each other.