Coventry celebrates Bugatti connections

Above: Bugatti Type 35 outside the new Bugatti Trust Hyperstudio at Coventry University with Trust staff and (centre right) Dr Shaun Hides, academic dean of the University’s College of the Arts & Society.

Our friends at the Bugatti Trust displayed a magnificent 1930 Type 35 in a rare red livery recently at the official opening of a new facility at Coventry University.

The Trust’s connection to Coventry dates back to the involvement of former trustee Barrie Price, who in addition to his Bugatti interests was also an expert on one of Coventry’s long-lost marques, Lea Francis. Through Price, the Trust supported the early development of the renowned automotive design courses at Coventry University, which are based barely 100 yards from where the Lea Francis factory once stood. Those courses are celebrating their 50th anniversary this year.

The Bugatti connection has now been renewed with the naming of the Bugatti Trust Hyperstudio, a huge, flexible space designed for major creative projects. It is part of a new university building named after Delia Derbyshire, the Coventry-born electronic music pioneer most famous for her work on the Dr Who theme.

The Trust is currently working on digitising items from its extraordinary collection of over 27,000 artefacts, rediscovering numerous hidden treasures as it goes. We are keen to feature some of that marvellous archive material in future books – what Bugatti subjects should we cover? Let us know by filling in our 'Contact Us form (please mark the message for the attention of Andrew) '.

In the meantime take a look at our Great Cars book on a Bugatti Type 50 by Mark Morris and Julius Kruta, signed by the authors. There is also a stunning Limited Edition version bound in black leather with an embossed reproduction chassis plate on the front, plus gilt page edges and a grey cloth slipcase.