RAILWAYS - AUTORAIL BUGATTIID92910053
As the current year of 2021 is the European Year of Rail and also marks the 80th anniversary of Renfe, we wish to dedicate the collection to the history of the railway so as to draw our customers closer to the evolution of one of mankind’s most important modes of transport.
The collection consists of 20 coins: 15 issued in 2021 and the other five, in 2022.
On the obverse, a drawing in colour of the Autorail Bugatti Wagon Rapide. On top of the central image, the legend AUTORAIL BUGATTI 2 - WR. Outside the image, devices reminiscent of different rails.
On the reverse of all the coins, inside a central circle, the legend HISTORIA DEL FERROCARRIL (HISTORY OF THE RAILWAY). Underneath, the value of the coin: €1.5 EURO. Outside the central circle, an image of a railway track.
| Series | History of the Railway |
| Year | 2021 |
| Colour | Yes |
| Diameter (mm) | 33 |
| Face Value (Euro) | 1.5 |
| Metal | Cupronickel |
| Weight (g) | 15 |
| Maximum Mintage (units) | 7,000 |
BUGATTI AUTORAIL
Year of production: 1934
Country: France
Traction: Petrol
Transport: Passengers
Adhesive weight: 16,000 kg
Total length: 22,300 mm
Maximum load per axle: 4,000 kg
Top speed: 159 km/h
Total engine power: 4 (800 hp)
After the First World War, European railway companies found themselves facing competition from road transport, along with greater demand for urban mobility. To meet this challenge, they developed vehicles better adapted to the new situation, such as thermal railcars.
The French State Railway Network (Réseau de l´Etat) commissioned one of its regular collaborators, Ettore Bugatti, an Italian racing car designer and manufacturer, to come up with a railcar. In 1933, Bugatti’s first railcar was delivered from his plant in Alsace. It was equipped with four Bugatti Royale engines with a maximum 200 hp each. Fuelled with a mixture of alcohol and benzole, the engines were situated transversally in the middle so as to drive the bogies, in turn made up of eight wheels of which only the intermediate ones were drivers. Its main characteristics were the absence of a gear box; its hydraulic clutch; and suspension capable of absorbing the negative forces of movement whilst enabling the bogies to shift laterally at bends.
The streamlined Bugatti Autorail could carry up to 48 passengers distributed between two saloon cars. With a total 800 hp, it could reach a top speed of 159 km/h. Because of these features and its first-rate performance, it became a highly sought-after vehicle, synonymous with speed. Unsurprisingly, Bugatti Autorails remained in service until1958. One of them is on display at the Cité du Train in Mulhouse.