Isadora Duncan - killed by a Bugatti?

Notice of her death,New York Times.

Copyright © New York Times, Sep 15, 1927

 

Quote:
............. an open rented car...........before the chauffeur halted...........

Copyright © New York Times, Sep 15, 1927



Still seems to be an open question; no suggestion of car type or boyfriend.......
Typical media sloth even in 1927?

 

Her nack snapped, she was killed instantly ... and then cried while being dragged over the street?

A horrible death, anyway

 

here's a late comment....as a ex-owner of both a t37 bugatti and a cgss amilcar, i can assure you they do look a bit the same..both have open bodywork and knock-off wire wheels [the 37 would not have had paddle spoke wheels] so each have an eared knockoff center cap. the most reasonable theory is that it was an amilcar for no better reason than there were more amilcars made [and most likely actually running and driveable at the time]..the amilcar was even then known as "the poor mans bugatti" and i'm sure most average citizens would err on the side of thinking they saw a bug... kind of like " the dog was struck by a loud, fast, red low car with big round tail lights..i think it was a ferrari."..actually it most likely was a newer corvette.

 

It is indeed rather strange that this seems to be lost to history.

 

This is what I found, posted by J.J.Horst [ Fri Oct 10, 2008 6:42 am ] here: http://www.bugattibuilder.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=5329&start=0&view=print

It is very detailled and fits with everything else I read, including the nickname of the driver. It also explains the confusion between the Amilcar and the Bugatti.

 

Accuracy of details might be doubtful, I'm afraid, just like at all the other sources. Maserati built its first car just a year ago and I sincerely doubt that any customer might have one in autumn 1927. in Nice already...

 

I do not understand the Maserati reference, but thanks for bringing this rather romantic thread back up to the surface.

 

You don't know much about Maserati. In fact, every single thing you say is incorrect. The company was founded by the Maserati brothers in 1914, and then later sold to Orsi who made it into a success as a roadcar manufacturer. It was very succesful in particularly voiturrette racing in the 1920's. A Maserati won the Targa Florio in 1926. Maserati has produced very significant racing cars in the 1920's, '30s, '40s and '50s, with decline for race success setting in in the early 1960's.

So perhaps, before attacking others on their story, perhaps you should do some research on your own.


Onno

P.S. Don't take my word for it, but take Alain de Cadenet's - a former LeMans podium finisher.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqFy8QtyJIg[/ame]

 

Please don't accuse people if you are the one don't know the facts. Maserati brothers opened their garage in 1914. but first car bearing their name was produced only in 1926.

Isadora Duncan's death was in September 1927. Up to the end of 1927. only seven Maserati cars have been built, chassis 11 to 18 (17 probably skipped as that number is considered unlucky in Italy). Six of them were in Italy, one in Spain. Nice isn't far away from Italy, of course but probability of having a Maserati serviced in local garage in France at that time seems really low. Also note that all Maseratis at that point were strictly race cars and it even lessens the possibility of one being serviced at non-specialized garage in a country where no vehicle of such type wasn't even imported yet.

This particular article cited by Mr. Horst fully matches my own theories about how the death happened. But, at least without naming the sources for those claims (and site he posted it from doesn't exist anymore so it can not be checked) this has also to remain just one of the theories. Nothing more, nothing less.

Dino

 

I still do not understand how we somehow got sidetracked onto Maserati.

I have become convinced that it was most probably an Amilcar, but the romantic tradition insisted on the Bugatti.