The world’s finest model makers, Amalgam Collection, today announces a special Man and Machine edition perfectly capturing Bugatti legend Jean-Pierre Wimille and the Type 59 he raced at Spa-Francorchamps in the Belgian Grand Prix on 14th July 1935.
This special edition at 1:8 scale is limited to just five model and figure pairings, three of which have already been purchased by distinguished collectors. The model can be ordered in pristine, clean, pre-race condition or patinated to reflect the post-race dust and grime.
Jean-Pierre Wimille Figure
The figure of Jean-Pierre Wimille accompanying each model in this special edition stands around 22 centimetres (eight inches) tall. It has been digitally sculpted, 3D printed and exquisitely hand-painted by a small team of artists in Venice, Italy. After a deep dive into the archives, sourcing historical photographs and descriptions of Wimille’s likeness, the team in Venice have created a figure that accurately represents his physicality and character at the time of the race.
Sandy Copeman, Director of Brand at Amalgam, commented: “We have long wanted to create driver figures that will match the quality of our 1:8 models and sit or stand well alongside them. Our research into his appearance during the race has been deep and extensive. The type of suit he wore, his shoes, his physique and complexion have all been very carefully considered and rendered into this fine figure of J.P. Wimille.”
Bugatti Type 59 Model
The Bugatti Type 59 model results from around 5000 skilled design and development hours. The extensive process began with a detailed digital scan of an original Type 59, chassis 59122. Exercising outstanding skill and artistry, Amalgam’s team set about reworking the CAD before 3D printing and hand-working hundreds of patterns.
Moulds were made, and every part was cast in prototyping resin, then fettled, fitted, painted, and assembled into these impressive artworks. The original prototype only received the approval of the historians at Bugatti once they were delighted with its accuracy of representation. Each subsequent 52-centimetre (20-inch) piece takes 500 hours to cast, fit, fettle, paint, and assemble.
Every visible detail of the car raced at Spa in July 1935 has been captured and perfectly replicated using archival imagery and data shared by Bugatti and the Bugatti Trust. The model features an entirely removable engine cover secured with scaled leather straps, precisely as the original car, under which lies the supercharged 3.3 litre straight-eight engine.
Every minute detail has been captured, from the ‘engine turned’ pattern on the dashboard to the cable brake linkages and the perfectly engineered piano wire-spoke wheels. Each wheel is a piece of art, with over 80 parts, demanding several hours of precise assembly work.
For customers that request patination, Amalgam’s artisans will meticulously hand-paint and detail the model to reflect its condition post-race.
The ultimate expression of the Bugatti Grand Prix car, the Type 59 was a testament to Ettore and Jean Bugatti’s extraordinarily creative engineering talents. In an era when the art of race car design was arguably superseded by science, the Type 59 remained competitive despite its continued use of ‘old-fashioned’ mechanics. It remains Bugatti’s last successful Grand Prix racer.
Jean-Pierre Wimille is considered one of the finest racers of all time and was cited as a paragon by even the great Juan Manuel Fangio. Joining the Bugatti racing team as the giants of Mercedes and Auto Union began to dominate Grand Prix racing, the fact that Bugatti remained competitive was a testament to Wimille’s abilities.
“This minimal and exquisite edition of the Bugatti Type 59 and Jean Pierre Wimille is just the start”, continues Copeman, “we look forward to sharing more refined and perfectly posed figures of motorsport icons going forward.”
The Bugatti Type 59 Jean-Pierre Wimille Man and Machine Edition is available from www.amalgamcollection.com and priced at £20,755 (GBP) / $28,020 (USD) / €25,530 (EUR).
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