The strange story of an electric Bugatti Type 40

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We recognize an interesting story when we see one. And it was the case when we read about a Bugatti Type 40 in an old little 1970s booklet named ‘Les véhicules hors série’. This little-known publication tells the story of a woman mysteriously named ‘Madame P’, who supposedly was a garagiste from the outskirts of Paris herself.

As the proud owner of a Bugatti Type 40 Roadster registered ‘3513-RB 3’, the story goes that she managed to modify this car to electric power when fuel became scarce at the dawn of WW2. She took out the Bugatti engine and bolted off the Bugatti body, keeping only the chassis and all the rest of the mechanicals but now adding a string of batteries and an electric motor of unknown origins. Next, the light body of a ‘camionette’ was fitted, making a top speed of 15 km/h available. Not very fast, but enough to overtake a 3-tonnes Ford lorry over a 10 km stretch at one time, or so they say!

Apparently, Madame P was also known in French movie circles at the time and she used the unlikely little car throughout the War to help producers hide and store their materials and banned film rolls from the German occupiers. The now-electric car was also used to power cameras, transport supporting actors (who recognizes the movie these jolly girls can be seen in..?) and carry weapons during the liberation.

It didn’t end there. When War was over the original engine was reinstated to the chassis but unfortunately all the original body parts had gone lost. The pick-up bed suited the owner well though, but in order to return the car into something slightly more handsome than the simple camionette shape it came in, it was decided to fit the front of a Citroën 11CV. All that is a long time ago by now and we really wonder what became of the car afterwards. Anyone?

Words Jeroen Booij. Pictures ‘Les véhicules hors série’.

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