Vitesse Poster – Bugatti Autorail French Etat Railway Poster – Adolf Hildenbrand 1934
This reproduction vintage Vitesse Poster was originally published by the French State Railways. It was the second poster in a series of three that combine to characterise État’s three-word slogan ‘Exactitude Vitesse Confort’, a slogan that was used regularly throughout the 1930s. The rallying messages were used to highlight the core values of the state-owned French Railway company – Precision, Speed, and Comfort.
Interestingly, other railway companies across Europe also embraced variations of this catchphrase, each tailored to convey their unique selling points: The French ‘Nord’ railways, as portrayed in a poster by Cassandre, adopted the slogan ‘Vitesse Luxe Confort’ (Speed, Luxury, Comfort). On English-language posters, the German railways utilised the slogan ‘Safety Speed Comfort,’ reflecting their emphasis on safety in addition to speed and comfort. The Dutch railways advertised their services with the slogan ‘Veilig Vlug Voordelig’ (Safe, Quick, Economical). This concise phrase emphasized safety, speed, and affordability, appealing to travelers seeking a well-rounded travel experience.
Fix Masseau’s famous and popular “Exactitude” poster from 1932 was the first in the series. The poster that depicts a locomotive, train and platform in perspective is now regarded as an Art Deco classic. The third and final poster followed in 1933. It was created by André Nivault and represented “Confort“. It features the carriage door of a sleeping carriage or Couchette set against the dark nighttime sky,.
The vintage French Etat Railway poster on this listing was the second in the series and symbolises Speed. The poster named “Vitesse” features ‘Etat’s’ Autorail Bugatti, a vehicle that broke speed records.
Bugatti was a famous German manufacturer of high-performance automobiles, with notable models including the Type 35 Grand Prix cars, Type 55 sports cars, the Type 57 Atlantic, the Bugatti Veyron and Chiron, and the Type 41 Royale.
The Type 41 Royale is a huge luxury car built from 1927 to 1933. It was an extravagant eight-cylinder masterpiece, which proved too large and luxurious for its time. Its engine was a mechanical marvel, with a length of 6.4 meters, weighing a hefty 3,175 kilos, and boasting an astonishing 13,000 cm³ of cylinder capacity, all delivering an impressive 300 horsepower.
Ettore Bugatti planned to build twenty-five of these cars and sell them to royalty as the most luxurious car ever, but even European royalty were not buying such things during the Great Depression. Bugatti was only able to sell three of the seven made. Six of which still exist. With little demand for the very large and expensive automobile. In a bold move, Bugatti decided to repurpose the huge engines developed for his for a quickly growing market – the railways.
The Bugatti Autorail
In 1932, collaborating with his son Jean and the Bugatti design team the Wagon Rapide was designed and developed. In just 9 months, this self-propelled car was built using techniques from the automobile industry.
In 1933, the world witnessed the birth of the Bugatti Autorail. Powered by four Royale engines cleverly adapted to produce a staggering combined output of 800 horsepower, this railcar embarked on the Paris-Deauville route, achieving an impressive average speed of 116km/h. The railcar was one of the first modern, fast trains in the world.
As the poster clearly shows, the streamlined Art Deco influenced design gave the Autorail Bugatti a unique, sleek modern look that made it stand out from other trains of the era. Its front and rear sides were made flat with a gentle curve. Within, passengers had the opportunity to enjoy an unobstructed panoramic view both at the front and rear. The driver occupied a raised cabin positioned above the engines in the center, similar to a cockpit in an airplane. Sitting by the front window of the Bugatti, hurtling along at 150 km/h, must have been an awe-inspiring experience.
Although Etat was the first railway company to use the Autorail Bugatti, the railcar was soon ordered by other State networks including the Paris-Lyon-Mediterranean (PLM), the Alsace and Lorraine Railway Administration (AL) and then by the National Company French Railways (SNCF). In total 88 railcars were built across seven different models.
However, the operation of the railcar was quickly considered too costly. The rise in fuel prices coupled with the very high consumption of the four engines, and railcar’s unreliability. The last Bugatti Autorail was built in 1938. Bugatti’s venture into railcar manufacturing was relatively short-lived, and production of the Bugatti Autorail series came to an end in the late 1930s. These railcars, although technologically innovative and stylishly designed, faced various operational challenges and were ultimately phased out of commercial service in 1958.
