In America, there was time in the late ’70s and early ’80s when some misguided industrious souls decided to recreate few of the most iconic shapes in motoring history. Kit cars with shapes emulating classic Delahaye, Bugatti, Auburn, Mercedes, Pierce-Arrow, Bentley and Rolls-Royce designs flourished, many poorly made and based on cars like the Lincoln Town Car or Buick Regal. With the originals selling for six, seven or even eight figures, it was not surprising that anyone would want a budget alternative, but the offerings were more of an insult to the originals than a tribute.
Delahaye USA is offering modern interpretations of some of those classic designs which represent the opulence apart from being engineering marvels. Their latest creations is the “Bella Figura” Bugnotti Coupe that buys its inspiration from the 1937 Bugatti Type 57S.
The company is showing off a 1/4-scale model right now, you should be prepared as the company launch a full-size version for the first time this fall. Offering everything from the custom-built heated as well as cooled carbon-fiber, Delahaye USA plans to offer a turnkey version of the coupe on a custom chassis with an alloy body for $450,000 because it is set to debut at Retro Auto Aug. 13 to Aug 15, in Pebble Beach, during the annual classic car festivities in Northern California.
So, what do you say about this new vehicle?
