Bugatti Rinascita
Jean Bugatti’s Aérolithe (meteorite) concept debuted in Paris in 1935. Made from light but highly flammable aeronautical grade magnesium alloy called Elektron, the body panels were riveted externally which was safer than welding the volatile material.
Built on a new chassis (T57) and a new double overhead-cam engine, the Aérolithe was the most advanced car of its time. The public didn’t get it.
Ettore Bugatti was disappointed and the Aérolithe disappeared without a trace. Perhaps a casualty of war, scrapped for parts by the Germans who held the Bugatti factories, or hidden forever.
This Aérolithe is a one-off recreation with meticulous attention to period accurate methods using original parts, materials and built on the oldest known existing T57 chassis. Incredible, considering all they had to work on were just 11 existing photographs.
(via bestwheelbase)
