Today, Bugatti cars consistently rank among the fastest and most expensive vehicles in the world. However, in the past, the designs of this brand were completely different from what we see today.
Bugatti was founded in 1909 in Molsheim, Alsace, Germany, by Italian industrial designer Ettore Bugatti. The cars from this manufacturer are renowned for their beautiful designs and numerous victories in racing.
Famous Bugatti models include the: Type 35 Grand Prix, Type 41 “Royale”, Type 57 “Atlantic”, and Type 55 sports car.
The company is known for its attention to detail in automotive engineering and the artistic style in which its designs are executed, reflecting the traditional artistic nature of the Bugatti family.
The death of Ettore Bugatti in 1947 was a severe blow to the brand, and the passing of his son, Jean Bugatti, on August 11, 1939, marked a turning point in the company’s fate. Jean died while testing a Type 57 racing car near the Molsheim factory.
At that time, no more than 8,000 vehicles had been produced. The company faced financial difficulties and released its final model in the 1950s before being acquired to manufacture aircraft parts in 1963. In 1987, an Italian entrepreneur purchased the brand and revived it under the name Bugatti Automobili SpA.
Bugatti Type 41 Royale Coupe Napoléon. The Type 41 was the longest, most luxurious, and most prestigious car, often accompanying kings and the European elite.
Bugatti places great emphasis on design. The engine blocks are hand-finished to ensure that surfaces are flat enough that no gaskets are needed for sealing. Many exposed surfaces in the engine bay feature a guilloché finish, and seat belts have been threaded through nearly every fastening in the intricate models.
Instead of attaching springs to the axle as most manufacturers do, Bugatti’s axle is forged so that the springs pass through a precisely sized hole in the axle, a more elegant solution that requires fewer parts.
In the past, many described the cars of Bugatti’s competitors, such as Bentley, as “the fastest trucks in the world” because they focused solely on durability, while Bugatti also considered the vehicle’s weight.
The prototype Bugatti Type 41 Royale 1927. The Type 41 Royale is the most famous model from Bugatti’s past. Assembled between 1927 and 1933, it was categorized as a super, ultra-luxurious vehicle at that time. Bugatti initially intended to produce 25 units but ultimately only 7 were completed.
The company achieved great success in early Grand Prix motorcycle racing: in 1929, a privately-owned Bugatti won the first Grand Prix Monaco. Racing success peaked with two victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans (in 1937 with Robert Benoist and in 1939 with Pierre Veyron).
Bugatti cars were extremely successful in races. The small Bugatti Type 10 finished in the top four positions in its first race, and the Bugatti Type 35 from 1924 became one of the brand’s most successful racing cars, winning approximately 2,000 races, making it the most successful racing model in the world.
The Type 35 was developed by Bugatti with master engineer and driver Jean Chassagne, who also drove it in the car’s first Grand Prix in 1924 in Lyon.
However, the most memorable racing success at Le Mans was when Jean-Pierre Wimille and Pierre Veyron won the 1939 race with just one car and limited resources.
Bugatti Type 43 Grand Sport.
Italian entrepreneur Romano Artioli acquired the Bugatti brand in 1987 and established Bugatti Automobili SpA. Artioli commissioned architect Giampaolo Benedini to design a factory built in Campogalliano, Modena, Italy.
Construction of the factory began in 1988, along with the development of the first model, which was inaugurated two years later in 1990. By 1989, designers Paolo Stanzani and Marcello Gandini presented plans to restore Bugatti.
Bugatti Type 41 Royale Coupe 1929.
The first production car was the Bugatti EB110 GT featuring a 3.5-liter engine, 5 valves per cylinder, twin-turbocharged 60-degree V12, a six-speed transmission, and all-wheel drive. Stanzani proposed an aluminum honeycomb chassis, used for all the initial prototypes. He and President Artioli clashed over technical decisions, leading Stanzani to leave the project, and Artioli sought Nicola Materazzi to replace him in June 1990.
Bugatti Type 43 Grand Sport.
Perhaps the most famous owner of a Bugatti EB110 is seven-time Formula One world champion Michael Schumacher, who purchased an EB110 in 1994. Schumacher sold his EB110, which had been repaired after a serious accident in 1994, to Modena Motorsport.
Bugatti Type 41 Royale Limosine 1931.
Bugatti Type 41 Royale Victoria Cabriolet 1931.
Bugatti Type 41 Royale Esders Roadster 1932.
