"The first casualty when war comes is truth." -- Senator Hiram Johnson, 1917

DUBOIS/ROLLAND Type 51

"Atlantic" Coupé

The Type 51 "Atlantic" body of 1937, now on a replica chassis, here in

preparation for a race in the USA. Regretfully, from this angle one cannot

see its quite large rear fin.

Photo: David Sisson © copyright

This body, for a Type 51 chassis, was designed for André Bith by André Rolland in

1937 and executed by Carrosserie Louis Dubois. Bith expressedly wanted a body that

looked like the remarkable Type 57S Atlantic.

To make a coupé body fit on the chassis of the Type 51 racer several changes had to

be made, like moving the gearlever and handbrake inside the car.

Miss France presented the fresh coupé at the 1937 "Bagatelle" concours d'elegance.

In the late '50s the body was removed from its original chassis by then owner Eri

Richardson to be put on another, ex-Jack Lemon Burton, Type 51 chassis with a rather

special engine, with a one-piece crank and a different firing order.

This project was never completed.

The car was bought from him by Uwe Hucke, who wanted the chassis, but intended a

racing body for it. He removed the body and stored it.

Later, Bob Sutherland wanted to build a replica of this car, having seen pictures of it.

He contacted Hucke and ended up buying the original body.

It is now on a replica Type 51 chassis.

In 1985 it won Best in Class at the Pebble Beach concours d'elegance - the year all six

Royales where gathered there.