10 years working with Gus Reuter 1970-79

[Chuck celone]

I Worked at Reuters coach works during the seventies and spent countless hours listening to Gus tell endless stories about Schear, Melton, Firestone, and all the other pioneer post war collectors. I Have lots of photos from them and would love to share them. I Meet Dr Schear once when he showed up to show Gus a Rolls he was thinking of buying and see a Rolls we were reconditioning for them VP Nelson Rockefeller but that's a story of it's own.

[1937hd45]

CHUCK!!!!!!!! How are you? Hope you post some photos from the "Good Old Days" in Ridgefield. Saw Bobbie and Rich at a show back in September. The old shop burned down and a new body shop is on the grounds now. Best wishes and Merry Christmas! Bob ...................I still want a Type 37A Bugatti of my own

[hddennis]

CHUCK!!!!!!!! How are you? Hope you post some photos from the "Good Old Days" in Ridgefield. Saw Bobbie and Rich at a show back in September. The old shop burned down and a new body shop is on the grounds now. Best wishes and Merry Christmas! Bob ...................I still want a Type 37A Bugatti of my own

Bob, speaking of Bugatti's, you fellows ever follow up on what happened to the Bugatti 100P airplane that used to hang in the rafters?

Howard Dennis

http://oldmachinepress.wordpress.com/2012/11/01/bugatti-model-100p-racer/

[Rusty_OToole]

There is an article about the Bugatti airplane in the May 2014 Octane magazine from England. A group of enthusiasts in Tulsa Oklahoma are constructing a replica that they hope to fly. See their web site www.bugatti100p.com.

The original is in the US, in the hands of the Experimental Aircraft Association of Oshkosh Wisconsin.

Edited December 26, 2014 by Rusty_OToole (see edit history)

[1937hd45]

Dean, The Bugatti Airplane is out in Oskosh in the EAA Museum, restored as a static display. One of the dumbest things I ever did was roll up all the original doped fabric we pulled off it and stuffed in in a dumpster. I have a postage stamp size piece in the top center draw of my toolbox. Just think what the 1x1 squares would sell for on eBay today. Sure hope Chuck comes back to reply to this thread he started. Bob

[automuseum]

Chuck,

We have Dr. Scher's, Reuter's restored, 1905 Pierce Great Arrow and james Melton's 1912 Peugeot Skiff, that was restored for Dr. Scher by Reuter's, here at the Seal Cove Auto Museum. Come and pay us a visit; we may well have other Reuter's restored cars that you might recognize.

[automuseum]

Chuck... Any recollections of doing a Rauch & Lang electric. As you may remember, we have a R&L that came from Dr. Scher who may have gotten it from Melton. (Photo shows it when Melton owned it)

[automuseum]

Chuck... Any recollections of doing a Rauch & Lang electric. As you may remember, we have a R&L that came from Dr. Scher who may have gotten it from Melton. (Photo shows it when Melton owned it)

[John OLeary]

I am working on a project about the history of Reuter's Coach Works (Bronx, NY). Gus Reuter was the Stradivarius of car restorers. His master craftsmanship is the reason some of the rarest cars ever built (from Duesenberg to Mercedes-Benz) survive today in museums all over the country from Owls Head in Maine to the Peterson Museum in California.

 

The Reuter’s generations of expert work and their connection to the auto collections of Alec Ulmann, James Melton, Ken Purdy, Henry Austin Clark (Long Island Auto Museum), Dr. Samuel Scher, Briggs Cunningham, Ed Jurist (Vintage Car Store), David Tunick, Arthur K. Watson (IBM), Nelson Rockefeller, Dr. Peter Williamson and two Presidents (Woodrow Wilson & FDR) is the stuff of legend. The lost history of these magnificent automobiles is told in hand-written letters, postcards and photos.

 

Gus Reuter's shop in the Bronx was not that big and what is really cool is that both the shop location and the apartment where the Reuter's lived behind it still stand today (see attached photo I took in the Bronx in 2019). Gus and his sons (Richard and Robert) moved operations from the Bronx to Ridgefield, CT in 1970.  Just imagine if those walls could talk since Gus was always busy with work on cars from Briggs, James Melton, Austie Clark, and Dr. Sam Scher among others.

 

I presented my research on Reuter's Coach Works at the International Drive History Conference in Allentown, PA back in 2019 (see attached photo). Still need to update my research on cars such as the 1928  Mercedes-Benz Type S since I have unpublished photos of this car when owned by Mrs. Bedford.

 

-John O'Leary (olearyj42@gmail.com)

 

Edited May 5, 2021 by John OLeary (see edit history)

[1937hd45]

Thanks John, the Peter Larkin Type 37 Bugatti that Gus restored in Ridgefield sold a few months ago. This car was DRIVEN after the restoration. Hope you enjoy the article. Bob https://www.classicdriver.com/en/car/bugatti/type-37/1926/812014

[John OLeary]

Bob, thanks for the update on the 1926 Bugatti Type 37. I have many drawings that Peter Larkin sent to Gus over the years. They are hysterical and one is even drawn on Disneyland stationary. I also have some great pictures of Gus working on Larkin's Bugatti in Reuter's shop in Ridgefield, CT. I corresponded with Peter years ago and he sent me a great hand written letter of how he first connected with Gus. I also have pictures of the special 'glass garage' Larkin built to display the car. - John

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[1937hd45]

The Larkin Type 37 spent time on both sides of the building, mechanicals at Vintage Auto and the bodywork at Reuters. It was always fun when the Larkins arrived for an inspection visit. Ever see a Great Dane curled up in the back of a 1968 Mustang fastback? Wish I had a photo of that dog walking among the Bugatti GP cars, his back bone was taller than the hoods. Good times. Bob 

[md murray]

Peter Larkin sounds like he was a hoot and a half; thank you for posting that article. The Parliament 'mothership' he designed is now on display in the Smithsonian.