Cité de l'Automobile
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Cité de l'Automobile, Musée national de l'automobile, Collection Schlumpf is located in Mulhouse, France and houses the Schlumpf Collection of classic automobiles. It contains the largest and most comprehensive collection of Bugatti motor vehicles in the World.
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[edit] History
The museum has an interesting history. The original collection was secretly established within a textile mill by brothers Hans Schlumpf and Fritz Schlumpf.
Fritz Schlumpf began collecting the cars in earnest in the early 1950s. While an enormous variety of marques are represented in the museum, it is clear that the primary focus of the Schlumpf brothers was Bugatti. The collection was assembled with a great deal of secrecy. Many, including irate members of Bugatti clubs around the world, knew of the collection; although the scale of the enterprise became a surprise to almost everybody.
A team of up to 40 carpenters, saddlers, and master mechanics were assembled to carry out the restoration work.
The brothers amassed the collection with a singlemindedness often referred to as The Schlumpf Obsession.
Funding for the acquisition and restoration work came from the textile mills owned by the Schlumpfs. However, by the late 1960s, the textile industry was in decline. During 1977 the mill workers protested and threatened to destroy the cars. An unrestored Austin 7 was burned and the workers' union representative remarked "There are 600 more where this one came from".
The museum is dedicated to the Schlumpf brothers' mother Jeanne Schlumpf; there is a large shrine to her at the entrance to the museum.
The museum is now listed as a National Heritage site by the French Government.
[edit] The Collections
The collection includes over 500 vehicles. There are
1 ABC[disambiguation needed], 8 Alfa Romeo, 4 Amilcar, 2 Arzens, 1 Aster, 1 Aston Martin, 1 Audi, 1 Austro-Daimler, 3 Ballot, 1 Bardon, 1 Barraco, 2 Barre, 1 Baudier, 4 Bentley, 8 Benz, 1 B.N.C, 1 Bollée, 1 Brasier, 123 Bugatti, 1 Charron LTD, 1 Chrysler, 1 Cisitalia, 10 Citroën, 1 Clément de Dion 2 Clément-Bayard, 1 Clément-Panhard 1 Corre-La Licorne, 6 Daimler, 4 Darracq, 1 Decauville, 1 De Dietrich, 29 De Dion-Bouton, 3 Delage, 4 Delahaye, 2 Delaunay-Belleville, 1 Dufaux, 1 Ensais, 1 Esculape, 2 Farman, 13 Ferrari, 4 Fiat, 3 Ford, 1 Fouillaron, 3 Georges Richard, 1 Gladiator, 11 Gordini, 7 Hispano Suiza, 3 Horch, 2 Horlacher, 1 Hotchkiss et Cie, 2 Hotchkiss-Gregoire, Jaquot (Dampfwagen), 3 Le Zèbre, 1 Lorraine-Dietrich, 4 Lotus, 1 M.A.F., 1 MacLaren-Peugeot, 8 Maserati, 2 Mathis, 1 Maurer-Union, 7 Maybach, 1 Menier, 9 Mercedes, 22 Mercedes-Benz, 2 Minerva, 2 Monet-Goyon, 2 Mors, 1 Moto-Peugeot, 2 Neracar, 1 O.M., 19 Panhard & Levassor, 1 Pegaso, 29 Peugeot, 1 Philos, 1 Piccard-Pictet, 3 Piccolo, 2 Pilain, 6 Porsche, 1 Ravel, 18 Renault, 1 Rheda, 1 Richard-Brasier, 1 Rippert, 1 Rochet-Schneider, 14 Rolls Royce, 1 Sage, 1 Salmson, 1 Scott, 1 Sénéchal, 5 Serpollet, 3 Simca-Gordini, 1 Sizaire-Naudin, 1 Soncin, 1 Standard-Swallow, 1 Steyr, 2 Talbot, 1 Tatra, Toyota, 1 Trabant, 1 Turicum, 1 Vaillante, 7 Vélo, 1 Vélo-Goldschmitt, 1 Vélo-Peugeot, 1 Vermotel,1 Violet-Bogey, 3 Voisin, 1 Volkswagen, 2 Zedel.
In particular, the museum houses:
Three Type 41 "Royale"s are on display in the museum. Two of the original six royales and one which is a replica of the Esder Royale created at the Schlumpf brothers workshops from genuine Bugatti spare parts,
[edit] Gallery
 Serpollet Double Phaeton Type A 1902 |
 Peugeot VIS-A-VIS Type 26 1902 |
 Mercedes Double Phaeton |
 Lancia Torpedo Type Epsilon 1912 |
 Hispano-Suiza Coupe Chauffeur J12 1934 |
 Léon Bollée Tricar, 1896 |
 Arzens Ouef (Ei), 1948 |
 Ferrari Coupe 250 LM 1964 |
 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900 A Pinin Farina Berlinetta |
[edit] Information
Location 192, avenue de Colmar - BP 1096 - 68051 Mulhouse cedex
[edit] External links
[edit] References, and further reading:
- Jenkinson, Denis and Peter Verstappen. The Schlumpf obsession: inside a legendary treasure house. Hamlyn Publishing Group Ltd, 1977. ISBN 0385144091.
