Chenard Senechal

 

How to become a Bugatti agent ? During the night of 29 to 30th July 1985, in his house at Saint-Ay near Orleans, Robert Senechal died at the age of 93. The following anecdote has been recalled by Michael Declerck, the very active president of the Amicale Senechal who obtained it directly from its author. This took place at the beginning of the 30’s, probably in 1939/31 (Mr Senechal was not very precise about the dates) , at the time when “Stand Auto” was trading, of which he was sales director. This company, which represented Delage, Chenard et Walker, Minerva and Ford, owned as well as it’s property at 182 Boulevard Pereire in Paris, a showroom in the Champs Elysee in the Gallery “Les portiques” at numbers 144 and 146. One of Robert Senechal’s dearest wishes was to represent Bugatti officially, a make for which he could only consider himself to be a specialist. Attending a reception he happened to be presented to Mr Bugatti. With his typical quick decisiveness he at once requested the Paris Bugatti Agency, offering his prestigious premises and Bugatti finally told him “if you want to be my agent you will have to deserve it!”

A little non-plussed and after a moments reflection Senechal proposed that he would drive from Paris to Nice on a Bugatti in less than 10 hours. Ettore thought he was mad but , excited by the challenge, offered him the official agency if he succeeded in this almost impossible challenge.

Little did he know Senechal, who combined a natural daring with great organising ability. So Senechal began very carefully to draw up an itinerary for crossing towns, then to study the rail time-tables (at the time the N7 was cut by numerous level-crossings) and he reconnoitred the route in person. This led him to visit each level crossing keeper and each petrol station where he would have to fill up (in garages where all pumps were hand-operated). He gave exact instructions (accompanied by generous tips) of which the main one was on the day of the attempt he would announce his arrival by loud blasts on a whistle. His journey was planned to a strict time-table and on the appointed day everyone along the N7 was waiting for him.

Taking the rail traffic into account the ideal departure time from the Porte d’Italie was 5a.m. under the control of the Automobile Club de france, and everything went as planned: the level-crossing gates were nearly all open and the few refilling stops were so well organised that the refilling and the checks were carried out while Robert Senechal went to the toilet and then left immediately.

His own sustenance , as on all other trips he did, consisted of a 5kg box of biscuits beside him on the passenger seat.

At exactly 14.43 he was checked in by the Automobile Club de Nice with 17 minutes in hand over his wager time. Ettore Bugatti kept his promise and Senechal became agent for Paris, Seine and Seine et Oise. The car, as far as Mr Senechal remembered, was a type 43. This is the 8 cylinder 60x100, 2.3 litres developing 13 hp. It was touching 170 kph top speed and did 0-160 in 30 seconds. The petrol tank capacity was 72 litres and consumption during normal driving about 16-18 litres for 100 kms (which cannot have applied that day), it must have required 2 refills en route. This performance illustrates the talent of the driver and organiser Robert Senechal because it is more than 900 kms from the porte d’Italie to Nice, and this underlines the exceptional performance of the Type 43. Pierre Dumont records that Jean Bugatti often drove from Paris to Molsheim (435Kms) in just over 4 hours on this type of car.

Alittle after this, Senechal carried out another exploit in the same vein. Driving a Type 43A he drove 2400 kms on the route Paris-Monte Carlo - Paris via la Turbie and l’Esterel, with a sealed bonnet and with the gearbox lockedin direct drive, which illustrates the tractability of the supercharged 8 cylinder.

Thus nothing is impossible if one is sufficiently determined; obviously a sporting gesture always appealed to the “Patron”.

Courtesie

Glen Robb, Editor of the Amilcar / Salmson Register UK

http://www.bugattipage.com/bqueeste.htm