Flowers for a lady

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Flowers for a lady and a winner’s kiss! And she deserved it too, because she just won the race in her Bugatti. Click the photo for more detail (the car, of course). Her racer is a Bugatti Type 52, the ultimate children’s status symbol of the twenties and thirties. Originally designed by Ettore Bugatti, for his second son Roland, it’s a faithful replicated half-scale version of the racing Type 35 (ddavid.com). Powered by a single 12 Volt electric motor with an integral 4-speed gearbox, the Type 52 was capable of a speed of ten to twelve mph. Braking was done by way of expanding wooden shoes in rear drums. Even then very expensive. Originals are now very highly sought after (photo collection Jaap Horst).

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