<< Prev Page 2 of 2 In addition to the gondola chassis, Hucke's pile of parts also included an oil tank designed specifically for this chassis, axles, and a correct Type 57 S engine. While it is impossible to say that this engine was at one point fitted in the Torpedo Competition, it did come with an unusually large, Type 50 derived supercharger. This boosted the power of the dry-sump engine to around 240 bhp compared to the 175 bhp of the standard Type 57 S straight eight. Although Hull had all these components since 1981, it took him until 2005 to put them together. From various other sources, he collected the remaining parts to at least construct a rolling chassis.
Hull was determined to proof that the Torpedo Competition and the Aerolithe for that matter could have been constructed from electron. He found the one source in the United States for the material, which was an off-shoot of the company that would have most likely supplied the raw material to Bugatti back in the 1930s. To shape the metal, he called in the help of coach-builder Jerry Weeks, who had to learn how to work with the very difficult material. It could be formed at only a very specific temperature and was prone to crack. As a result, the project was very time consuming and the body was not ready until 2013.
No drawings of the Torpedo Competition existed, so all Weeks had to go by were a handful of period photographs. While the body was created, the rest of the car was properly assembled by restoration experts Phil Reilly & Co. To preserve the electron, the body panels were later nickel plated as magnesium will corrode very quickly if left untreated. Following the final assembly, the resurrected Type 57 S Torpedo Competition was sent to England where it was properly sorted by Bugatti expert Tom Dark. As a finishing touch, Hull applied the original 57222a chassis number to the car, which is a variant of the serial used by Bugatti for various experimental models in period.
Very open about the exact origins of the car, Jim Hull first revealed the Torpedo Competition to the world at the 2013 Monterey Motorsports Reunion, where he immediately took it racing. While it may forever be impossible to proof whether the original components that form the core of Hull's reconstruction were actually used for the original car in period, it is safe to say that his Torpedo Competition is the closest thing to the actual car. << Prev Page 2 of 2
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Type 57 S Torpedo Competition
In addition to the gondola chassis, Hucke's pile of parts also included an oil tank designed specifically for this chassis, axles, and a correct Type 57 S engine. While it is impossible to say that this engine was at one point fitted in the Torpedo Competition, it did come with an unusually large, Type 50 derived supercharger. This boosted the power of the dry-sump engine to around 240 bhp compared to the 175 bhp of the standard Type 57 S straight eight. Although Hull had all these components since 1981, it took him until 2005 to put them together. From various other sources, he collected the remaining parts to at least construct a rolling chassis.