Almost a meter longer than a Maybach S-Class
It was created by Alberto Bucciali, a French military pilot who served in World War I. After the end of the war he tried his hand at car design with his brother and, after a few two-stroke tests, presented this monster. A body as if from another planet is stretched over a frame made of wood and metal. The dimensions alone are awe-inspiring: 6.36 meters long, a wheelbase of more than four meters and only 1.48 meters high.
6.36 meters long, half of which is felt to be the bonnet: the proportions of the Bucciali TAV8-32 V12 are extreme.
Front wheel drive and independent suspension
The stork pays homage to Alberto Bucciali’s squadron logo and is a work of art in itself.
To do this, the unit was rotated 180 degrees and the manual four-speed gearbox was placed in front of the engine at right angles to the direction of travel. This not only explains the long hood, but also the low-lying driver’s cab. In the absence of a cardan shaft, it could be placed significantly lower than the competition. As if that wasn’t innovation enough, the Bucciali has independent suspension all round. Contemporary journalists were so fascinated that they are said to have given the Bucciali the title of “France’s most advanced car”.
Two spare wheels are waiting at the rear of the TAV8-32 V12, which, with their 24 inches, almost tower over the extremely flat body.
That didn’t help much, however, because customers gave the Bucciali TAV8 the cold shoulder during the global economic crisis. Apparently only six were ever built, most of them prototypes. A total of three are said to have survived to this day. Including this example exhibited at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, which according to various sources was the only example ever delivered to a customer. “Ahead of its time” is rarely as accurate as it is here.
