Okay, so this post is for you car enthusiasts out there. Our route to Noyers took us through Mulhouse (good planning on my part) where the French National Auto Collection, also known as the Schlumpf Collection is housed; so, of course, we had to stop there. We were last there in 2002, just a couple of years after the French government had taken it over. I had been reading that they had significantly enhanced the collection in recent years and decided I had to see for myself and I’m glad I did. For those not familiar with the Schlumpf Collection or the ‘Schlumpf Obsession’, a little background. The Schlumpf brothers were two textile industrialists in Mulhouse, France with an obsession with Bugatti. They set about trying to collect every Bugatti in existence or near enough, even buying entire collections of cars just to get a Bugatti. They were very secretive about it, however, and kept the cars in unused warehouses in their complex. They even bought former Paris streetlights to use in their very private collection. As happens, they ran into financial difficulty and, when unable to meet payroll, the workers took over the factory, went into what they thought was an empty warehouse and lo and behold! The French government stepped in and ended up taking over the collection and keeping it together as a Cultural Treasure. Smart move! Initially the collection was 85-90% Bugatti, but the current management has turned the collection into a comprehensive history of European automobilia (the only non-European marque I recognized was a vintage Harley-Davidson with sidecar). It’s still the best Bugatti collection in the world, but now much more comprehensive with a new reception area and improved presentation. Of note, of course, are two of the six Bugatti Royale’s ever made. They’re still displayed in the Schlumpf brother’s old warehouse under Parisian streetlamps and is well worth a visit if you’re near Mulhouse in the Alsace region of France.
Needed more more more. Loved the bugatti pick-up!