1934 Bugatti T59 (Monaco GP, 1934): 1934 saw the introduction of the Bugatti T59 grand prix car, whose introduction coincided with a change in regulations for Grand Prix racing. In addition to weight restrictions, in 1934, all Grand Prix races were to be a minimum of 500 Km in length. The Grand Prix at Monaco was granted an exception and its 100-lap race of 318 Km on Monaco streets was considered the equivalent on time to 500 Km length races. In addition to Bugatti, Alfa Romeo with its Tipo B/P3 and Maserati with its 8C were the top contenders and in fact qualified Alfa Romeo, Maserati and Bugatti, Alfa Romeo, Bugatti for the first five positions in qualifying for the 1934 Monaco GP. The first race of the 1934 GP season, the new Mercedes and Auto Union GP cars did not arrive. The race day which started out wet, dried to perfect race conditions on a beautiful warm Mediterranean afternoon. Model by LE MANS MINIATURES 1/18 |
1934 Bugatti T59 (Monaco GP, 1934): Rene Dreyfus qualified his 3.3L straight-eight Bugatti T59 third on the grid and ahead of his teammate Tazio Nuvolari. The T59 used a modified T54 chassis with the engine sitting lower in the chassis to improve the cars center of gravity. The T59 was shod with unique and beautiful new disc wheels laced on the outside with piano wire. At the race start, Dreyfus was a close second to Louis Chiron in one of the five Scuderia Ferrari Alfa Romeos. Their close race lasted 40 laps when Dreyfus had to pit to remedy a slipping clutch, re-entering the race in third behind Guy Moll in an Alfa Romeo. At half distance he was passed by the Maserati of Whitney Straight going uphill towards the Monte Carlo Casino. The order was Chiron, Moll, Straight, Dreyfus and Nuvolari in the top five. Model by LE MANS MINIATURES 1/18 |
1934 Bugatti T59 (Monaco GP, 1934): The race continued in this order until the closing laps when brakes and tires both began to fade. Holding a comfortable lead, Chiron slid his Alfa Romeo into the sandbags at the Station hairpin and could not get going again before his teammate Moll had passed him. Not long after, Straight in the Maserati slid off course and was able to resume the race, but well down the order. This elevated Dreyfus into third spot where he remained the rest of the race, giving Bugatti not a win, but a very good result for the first race of the new T59. Guy Moll won the race and would be the youngest Monaco GP winner until Lewis Hamilton won the F1 race there in 2008. The finishing order was Moll and Chiron in Alfas, Dreyfus in the Bugatti and Marcel Lehoux in another Alfa, passing Nuvolari in the other Bugatti Teams T59 for fourth. While Dreyfus would win the Belgian GP in the T59 at Spa in the rain, but with the might of the Mercedes and Auto Unions in GP racing in 1934, Bugatti looked to sportscar racing instead. Model by LE MANS MINIATURES 1/18 |
1934 Monaco Grand Prix: In this Michael Turner print, Rene Dreyfus has passed the Maserati 8CM of Phillippe Etancelin (#14)for second place behind Louis Chiron in the Alfa Romeo P3. Chiron's teammate Guy Moll is pressing Etancelin in his Scuderia Ferrari Alfa Romeo (#20). Moll would go on to win the race, the first for the Bugatti T59.
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