Legendary racing driver Jean-Pierre Wimille getting the Type 59/50B in position for a practice run at Prescott hill climb, July 1939 under the watchful eyes of Robert ‘Le Grand Robert’ Aumaître, lead works mechanic.
We are delighted to announce that the incredible and unique works 59/50B ‘Wimille’ Bugatti will make its historic return to Prescott 80 years on as the centrepiece of the Trust’s 2019 Summer exhibition, and the Trust will be open all day at Pre-War Prescott. The car is on loan from the Cité de L’Automobile – National Museum – Schlumpf Collection at Mulhouse, France. The 59/50B had without doubt the most powerful engine built by the Bugatti factory and the car was fitted with twin rear wheels specially for Prescott. However, it was so wide with the twin rear wheels that it could not use the return road!
This year marks the 80th anniversary of the Bugatti Owner’s Club’s first ever international meeting on Sunday July 30, 1939, and Bugatti entered this works monoposto Type 59 fitted with an 8-cylinder supercharged 4.7-litre type 50B engine and was driven by the legendary pre-war Grand Prix driver Jean-Pierre Wimille.