The passing of Jaak and Ann Oja, Mihkel’s parents, triggered a domino effect of unforeseen events including the discovery of a priceless Bugatti Royale unknown to the world and hidden for almost 50 Years on the Oja family farm in Estonia. This whirlwind of death and discoveries blurred Mihkel’s daily life turning it into a vivid jumble of lives past, present with a future tracking towards a very dangerous tomorrow. With the backing of a supportive team of family members, Mihkel had decided to surreptitiously spirit the unique Bugatti out from behind its Iron Curtain captivity. Meanwhile, over 1000 miles away fate stood poised to unleash the obsessive desire of a second suitor.

In Search of the Lost 7^th Royale Part 3 (Episode 16- Bugatti Royale Resurrection)

ESTONIA 1986

Like a soothing balm to relieve the pain of his parents’ death, the idea of absconding with the Bugatti brought peace to Mihkel’s otherwise anguished mind. Successfully bringing this ultimate barn find to market in the west could fund the Estonian technical school that would honor his parents. Mihkel understood the odds did not favor success. His team possessed a very limited time window in which to carry out this crazy gambit. The schedule for Valentina’s Estonian folk dance tour would soon draw to a close. Mihkel with his cover as part of John Taylor’s research team enjoyed a bit more flexibility, but not that much. Dawdling had no place in executing the plan. Mihkel felt evermore uneasy courtesy of the tightening grip of a dwindling time line that threatened to thwart any escape. While Mihkel had gambled his life against the odds before, now he had included his loved ones in the dangerous game all would be playing.

With the basic plan set and Mihkel at the helm, each member went into action. Valentina immediately plunged into mobilizing the trustworthy support team needed to translate the plan into reality. She drew only from the close knit but expansive ranks of trusted Oja family members. She deftly allocated Mihkel’s stash of American hard cash. Highly prized American greenbacks would play a critical role in greasing the, at times ill fitting, moving parts of the team’s rough-hewn plan. The team’s intended actions functioned far past any grey area

of approved practices. Every step of the way would be carried out in complete and total disregard for the iron-fisted oversight of the oppressive Soviet led Estonian communist government. That said, at this late stage in the increasingly weakening bonds of the Soviet bloc, the iron grip had become brittle and suspect.

In casual conversations at the American embassy Valentina worked to developed a general feel for any shift in the local cultural climate. A longtime and trusted native Estonian translator pretty much summed it up saying, “Increasingly in the 1980s a spirit of freewheeling and corrupted capitalism was setting in with those in power wanting more for themselves. They took larger salaries, gave themselves twice the apartment allocation and would receive more rations and, rumor had it, receive some of the items seized at customs. These people could be bought for the right price. They just needed to make sure you were trustworthy and weren’t going to turn and rat them out.” Pleased with what she heard, Valentina saw it playing to the team’s advantage.

Valentina loved sharing that perspective with Mihkel and the team. They viewed the bribery culture as providing fertile ground that would help nurture their chances for success. In an expression of both her father’s genes and retribution for his wrongful death, Valentina took great satisfaction in her contribution to this highly dangerous, or as some might say,  foolish undertaking.

From John Taylor’s point of view, as an energy industry research  consultant working with the Estonian oil industry hierarchy, he had picked up a similar vibe. At a recent dinner a long time veteran of the Estonian fracking industry, on his 6^th scotch, confided in John. He said, ”Here in the Baltic nations like Estonia. it’s always good to be loud and visible as a company guy in support of the government. That said if you have good friends, you can sell things and skim off cash for yourself. Of course you have to keep it hidden and use it in non-conspicuous ways so as not to call attention to yourself.” John found the practice distasteful. However, in this case, he found confirmation of a business culture supportive of blind greed to be of great interest.

Mihkel joked with his son to lighten what could be, and actually was, a very stressful and dangerous state of affairs. In joking, Mihkel described his role in the plan as being a conductor leading an orchestra of honorable carjackers dedicated to a righteous cause. For simplicity sake Mihkel chose to keep the Royale sequestered in the barn. He would take down the false wall to afford better light and the greater space necessary to return the Bugatti to some state of mobility. It would be imperative that the massive car be at least capable of rolling freely thus allowing it to be winched up a ramp.

With Jack’s signature vigor and technical acumen, he bore down on assessing the state of the great and beautiful beast after its 50-year entombment. He worked as a man possessed on initiating the steps necessary to resurrect the glorious Royale from its moribund state. Jack felt well equipped thanks to a tool set provided by one of the Oja family co-conspirators, a young Estonian named Viktor Karmään. Enthralled with dreams of fast cars, Viktor wanted, more than anything, to work on great cars like those Jack and Mihkel serviced in America. He also wanted dearly to be respected by Jack. He orbited Jack like a very close moon. Jack did not mind. Viktor had a sharp mind, good skills and a great can-do attitude. Frankly, Jack enjoyed the bright lad’s company.

Step one called for the wheels to roll. Jack surveyed the slumbering and priceless Bugatti, his mind kept playing the famous line attributed to the Hippocratic oath, “First do no harm.” Jack saw things that he liked. He smiled upon seeing the loaded mouse traps wisely left by his grandfather. As well, his grandfather had sprinkled agricultural sulfur about the surrounding area to further discourage hungry rodents. Grandpa Jaak’s actions had seemed to achieve the desired results. The Bugatti’s simple wiring harness remained pretty much intact.

Though transporting the car would not require the engine to start Jack could not resist probing the massive straight 8-cylinder engine. Pulling spark plugs he recognized that the cylinders had been lubricated. Seeing that, and with the plugs removed, Jack felt comfortable attempting to turn the engine. He put a wrench on the crankshaft pulley bolt. Somewhat to his surprise and delight his sinewy arms spun the 12-Liter engine with relatively little effort. This thrilled Jack which translated into blissful happiness for Viktor. That simple easy turn of the crankshaft elicited hardy huzzahs from Jack and Viktor alike. A relatively freely turning crankshaft provided welcome answers to critical questions concerning the condition of the long stationary big Bugatti. Yes, the engine was not seized. No the clutch plate was not rusted to the pressure plate. Yes, properly shoed and lubricated the great behemoth should roll freely given proper motivation.

Jack ticked off the list of concerns that needed attention. The first being replacing tires that, despite having been driven precious few miles, had sat motionless for nearly half a century. So that the new tires would roll, Jacks’ attention would then turn to wheel bearing and suspension grease fittings. Good fortune found that the 24-inch rims of the Bugatti would accommodate available farm use tires. They would work fine. While mounting the tires could be a challenge, John believed he could get them done at the fracking facility motor pool. Also available from the motor pool would be a hand held grease gun that Jack could use to manually lubricate the suspension fittings. While suspension bushings did not represent a major issue for rolling the car a short distance Jack took no chances. With one look at the desiccated bushings he put silicon grease on the shopping list for John to bring to the Eesti Energia maintenance shop. Engine oil, brake fluid and gear oil made it to the list as well.

Deftly employing her greenback budget to enlist the cooperation of local officials, Valentina had purchased an expanded range of freedom to conduct her clandestine activities. Otherwise watchful Estonian eyes did not see her or Jack leave the hotel or rehearsal halls. Putting her newly purchased freedom to work allowed Valentina to mobilize a team of loyal Oja family members, both men and women. These Estonians would play critical rolls in bringing the team’s plan to life. As craftsmen, local officials, port workers and police these tight knit family members represented a powerful network capable of providing the necessary transportation, acquiring the fresh cut logs, building the hollow “Trojan Horse” camouflage log load, gaining access to the port and discretely dispensing the necessary financial incentives to enlist the cooperation of customs and port officials. These strategically selected customs and port staff members had to turn a blind eye for the log camouflaged Bugatti to be unchallenged when loaded onto the awaiting friendly freighter. The international cargo contacts of Mihkel’s father-in-law and wife Beth’s father, Gianni “Johnny” Santucci had proved invaluable by arranging the availability of a small Liberian flagged freighter.

Mihkel reflected on all the dominos that would have to fall properly. He realized more than dominoes he sat at the helm of a Rube Goldberg Machine. For a fleeting moment with a brief self-deprecating laugh he thought, “what could possibly go wrong?” Then he thought it better not to ponder what could go wrong. “Wrong” would take care of itself. He had to focus on doing his very best to make everything work right.

 

MOLSHEIM, FRANCE 1986

Yvonne Smirnov answered the phone. Her age worn voice greeted her Nephew, Yuri Petrov. With a tinge of disinterest Petrov asked why she wanted the call back. Yvonne responded saying she had not forgotten Petrov’s intense interest in some special Bugatti and had reached out to one of her old factory friends from before the War. She lightly laughed when relating how her friend said he remembered a lot about that Bugatti. She added that her friend also said that since that was almost 50 years ago, the statute of limitations had run out on the financial arrangement he had made with Jean Bugatti to keep quiet about the racing Royale.

Petrov, suddenly almost beside himself, started frantically yelling into the phone literally screaming “What did he say? What did he know? Taken aback by Petrov’s aggression, the elderly aunt became flustered and borderline fearful. If Petrov could have reached through the phone he would have grabbed her and shook her. Somehow she sensed that and blessed the thousand miles separating them. Gathering herself she explained that her friend did not tell her anything but said he would gladly talk to her nephew. She could not recall exactly what her friend had said about his proper compensated. With an uncharacteristically gracious effort, at least for Petrov, he reined in his normal arrogance. Petrov clearly sensed his elderly aunt’s sudden angst at the thought of continuing the conversation. In a patronizingly kind and gentle voice laced with an overeager undertone, Petrov asked for the friend’s phone number. He attempted to sooth Yvonne’s ruffled emotional feathers by suggesting that he could call the friend directly and not inconvenience her. She responded saying, “He does not have a phone; but he would probably speak to you in person.” Petrov clenched the phone’s mouthpiece to muffle his uncontrollable sharp groan of frustration. The call ended with Petrov in soothing voice promising to visit his beloved aunt as soon as she would be kind enough to set up a meeting with her friend. Yvonne with a faltering voice said she would do her best. Petrov with gentle precision rested the handset in the cradle of the push-button phone base. Then in one abrupt and violent motion he slammed the whole assembly off a nearby wall.

 

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