 From left to right: Tipo 32 Tank, Type 57 Atlantic, and Type 59.
Product: Brumm’s latest special re-issue of famous Bugatti models is a case of two beauties and one beast. Yet all are unique, attractive high-value 1:43 models for your die-cast car collectors.
First some background on Bugatti, then Brumm.
Ettore Bugatti, an Italian, developed his car company in Molsheim, France, starting in 1909. Bugatti became famous for its beautiful, well engineered cars and for winning many auto races in the 1920s and ’30s, including the first Monaco Grand Prix in 1930, Italy’s Targa Florio five times and France’s 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1937 and ’39.
Today, the Bugatti brand is owned by Volkswagen and continues to crank out exotic speedsters, such as the Veyron, that cost more than $1 million each.
Brumm’s models celebrate Bugatti’s 100th anniversary, which was in 2009, with models in acrylic cases and black cardboard covers, but with special Bugatti blue cardboard sleeves made to resemble an early Bugatti hood, complete with louvers. Brumm itself is an Italian die-cast car maker that started in 1972 making carriages, then moving on to the European world of cars and race cars, including everything from Fiat 500s and 3-wheeled Morgans to Mercedes-Benz, Auto Union, Porsche, Jaguar, and of course Ferrari and Alfa Romeo race cars from F1 and Le Mans.
The three sample Bugattis are the famous Type 59 that Tazio Nuvolari raced at Monaco in 1934 and the sleek Type 57SC Atlantic sports coupe from 1938, both beauties, along with the odd 1923 Tipo 32 Tank, a racer that more resembles a kid’s metal pedal car.
Performance: All three are good 1:43 models with nicely detailed bodies; the slinky Bugatti blue Type 59 includes painted chrome window trim with wipers, painted door handles, gas cap and rock guards on the rear fenders. Its front pontoon fenders are beautifully shaped and include small chrome running lights along with chrome main headlamps with clear lenses and a chrome grille, with blackened center. The silver wire wheels on both this and the Type 59 are excellent.
The red Type 59 has attractive detailing too, such as plastic straps over the hood that resemble leather, a small clear wind screen and a bold white No. 28 tampo printed on both sides of the louvered hood. The black and chrome exhaust pipe also is sharply executed and represents part of the updating to this model from earlier Type 59s, something Brumm does from time to time to improve its models, and increase demand for some of its older castings.
Brumm’s yellow Tipo 32 is a simpler model because of its reverse wedge shape, but features many vent and rivet indentations in the body to give it an authentic look. There also is a plastic leather-look strap on the tail, painted gas caps, a gun-sight hood ornament and brass-look light extending from its narrow black grille. The wire wheels here are black.
All have simple interiors with plastic seats, but both the Type 59 and Tipo 32 have well detailed dashes with distinguishable gauges and gear shifts.
Marketing: If you haven’t looked into Brumm products yet, you may be missing a sizeable market. These are among the best 1:43-scale models available, for their price. Many good 1:43 models cost at least twice as much. So with Brumm you can offer high value and a massive lineup (more than 470 models) of European cars and historic racers from the past century for collectors of all ages and incomes.
The 100th anniversary of Bugatti collection is a prime example, and with their cool Bugatti blue sleeves to protect the case and highlight the cars in your display, this would be a great way to introduce Brumm models to your customers. Have a high population of Italian, German, British or French racing fanatics in your area? Specialize in those makes from Brumm.
You also could tie in these Bugatti models in with more modern Veyrons and other Bugatti models that are available from Autoart and others to create a “French Car” display. If you can wait until July, tie it into Bastille Day!
VITAL STATS
Product: Centenario Bugatti Collection
Maker: Brumm
Scale: 1:43
Stock No.: Type 57 Atlantic (No. R087), Type 59 (No. R174), Tipo 32 Tank (No. R468)
MSRP: $25 each
Availability: Contact Rio at [email protected] for sales info
BOTTOM LINE
High value; good exterior detail
Massive Euro-centric lineup
Bugatti is legendary |