One of their most beautiful
cars is the Type 57SC Atlantic,
built in 1938. Only three such
cars were made of similar body
and grille work. One is owned
by Jewish clothing magnate
Ralph Lauren. With its ham-
mered armature that goes from
the back to the front, the sleek
roadster resembles a black hel-
met on wheels; it could achieve a
speed of 135 m.p.h.
The most famous of all Bugatti
automobiles is the Type 41
Royale. Intended for, but never
owned by royalty, the car was the
largest, most expensive passenger
car of all. Only six were built.
The silver elephant sculpture by
Rembrandt on the hood, the
ovoid shape of the grilles and the
engineering feats of Ettore and
Jean combine the artistry of three
generations of Bugattis.
The fabled car's 300 horsepow-
er engine is three times as power-
ful as that of current Cadillacs; it
could accelerate from 3 m.p.h to
more than 100 m.p.h in high
gear. Weighing in at 6,000
pounds, it cost $30,000 in 1929,
more than $150,000 in today's
currency.
One Royale was first pur-
chased, for $43,000, by Dr.
Joseph Fuchs, an eminent
German Jewish psychologist who
fled the Nazis and brought it to
the United States in 1935. During
the war years, the car languished
under a tarpaulin behind Fuch's
Long Island home. It was found
in a junkyard in 1943, bought for
$350, restored at a cost of
$10,000 and given in 1959 to the
Henry Ford Museum and
Greenfield Village in Dearborn,
Michigan, its present home.
The end of the Bugatti empire
came with Ettore's death in 1947.
(His son, Jean, was killed in a
test-drive accident in 1939 at age
30). Bugattis have won more
races than any other car built. I
A "Bugatti" exhibit featuring
the work of three generations of
Bugattis runs at The Cleveland
Museum of Art through Sept.
19. For more information on
the museum and its concurrent
exhibit, "Israeli Masterworks
from the Israel Museum,
Jerusalem," please see page 74.
Concours
d'Elegance
Chairman
Larry
Moss: 'My
interest in
cars started
when I was
a kid deliv-
ering news-
papers in
Oak Park."
cially taken with Morgans, now dri-
ving one to work on days when he
wants a break from his Lincoln. In
line with the theme of this year's
Concours, he has a 1946 Packard in
his personal collection, and he and his
wife, Patty, enjoy taking it out for dri-
ves. The couple also have a 1965
Corvette, 1960 Jaguar, 1970 Mustang
and 1971 Dodge Challenger.
When the couple plan trips — even
their honeymoon — they find places
that have some relationship to cars.
"I took my wife to England for our
honeymoon, and we visited a Morgan
car factory," Moss recalls. When we
went to Holland, a Morgan club was
having a special event. On a recent trip
to Florida to visit her parents, I went to
drag racing school. In August, we'll be
going to the car show in Pebble Beach.
"I met my wife in Maine. I
belonged to car clubs and took her to
an event. If she got along with car
people, I knew we'd do just fine, and
we've been married for 12 years."
The couple, members of Temple
Israel and Tam-O-Shanter Country
Club, where Moss has organized a car
show as well, recently decided to
move their vintage cars into storage
so their everyday cars could be shel-
tered in the garage. Actually, Patty
Moss, who drives an Aurora, thinks
of this arrangement as a gift.
"By going to car shows throughout
the year, we build relationships and
can invite people with [vintage] cars to
Meadow Brook," she explains.
Unique gifts, accessories and
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Art Galleries Co.
The Meadow Brook Hall
Concours d'Elegance takes place 9
a.m.-4:30 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 1, on
the grounds of Oakland University
in Rochester. $20 Adults/ $10
Teens/Free to Children 12 and
Under. For information on all of
the Concours events, including
historic races and a classic car auc-
tion, call (248) 370-3140.
409 E. Jefferson Ave. Detroit, MI 48226
Fine Arts Appraisers and Auctioneers Since 1927
Tel: 313.963.6255 Fax: 313.963.8199 Website: www.dumouchelles.com
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7/30
1999
Detroit Jewish News
71