Bugatti Type 41 Royale Engine, Aluminium & Brass

The engine of the Bugatti Type 41 Royale is one of the largest ever fitted to a passenger car. It grew from an aero engine design Bugatti had drawn for the French Air Ministry, which was never produced, and became a straight-eight of 12,763 cc, with a single overhead camshaft, three valves per cylinder (two inlet, one exhaust) and a single carburettor. Around 1.4 metres long and 1.1 metres high, it gave 275 to 300 horsepower at only 1,800 rpm. Only six Royales were built between 1929 and 1933, and just three were sold to outside customers. The engines left over did not go to waste: Bugatti put the remaining 23 to work in its railcars.

This display engine is made by hand at 1:8 from aluminium and brass, and the plaque on its stand counts 1,430 parts. The sides of the block are engine-turned in rows of small swirls, edged with rivets, and carry two red Bugatti ovals. Above them run polished pipework, a pair of chrome units labelled Bosch, coiled copper lines and red ignition leads gathered under a brown cap. A four-blade fan stands at the front and a bolted coupling closes the rear. The engine stands on chrome legs over a faceted, mirror-polished base. The plaque carries the Miško name, calls it the Final Edition, one of 20, and records the builder as Dr M. Jelesijević. Miško builds it at 1:8.