Mystery hubcap – but on which Bugatti? UPDATE: Type 46!

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French auctioneer Stanislas Machoïr is selling off a collection of automobilia and parts (plus some cars) which used to belong to the ‘grand garage’ de Alexis Dreye in Cambrai. “A garage frozen in time”, writes the auctioneer. Until the late 1970s Alfa-Romeos, Mercedeses and DKWs were sold and maintained here, but the garage now only offers place to a coachbuilder plus an antique shop. Mister Dreye appears to have been hoarding anything motoring related in the last five decades or so, with a clear soft spot for French stuff. That does indeed produce an extraordinary sale. The majority of the lots date back to before the War, but there are some exceptions. You can find the full lot list here.

How about an aluminium Bugatti hubcap of unknown origins and date? That has to be post-War? But then, on which model did Bugatti ever use it? Or intend to do so? The Type 73A perhaps? Or that funny little Type 68? We searched for more pictures of Bugattis wearing hubcaps and found a few, although none of them came even close to the one found in monsieur Dreye’s collection. Interestingly, we did find another two similar caps, sold earlier in other auctions. This is the first, this is the second (and it’s back). Now, we know we have some Bugatti people among our readers – please let us know what this hubcap was used for.

UPDATE: And we have an answer. This hubcap was used in the center of the Type 46 cast alloy wheels plus presumably also on the Type 49. That does make it pre-War after all. Thanks Francis Rapailde, Bruce Woolley, John Barton, Wouter Molenaar. 
 
(Words editor, pictures Stanislas Machoïr / Artcurial)

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