Bugatti

Automobiles Ettore Bugatti
Company type	Private
Industry	Automotive
Founded	January 1, 1909; 117 years ago in Molsheim, Alsace (then Germany)
Founder	Ettore Bugatti
Defunct	1963
Fate	Acquired primarily for aircraft component operations
Headquarters	Molsheim, Germany (at founding), later France
Area served	Worldwide
Key people	Ettore Bugatti (founder), Jean Bugatti (son)
Products	Luxury high-performance automobiles, racing cars, aircraft components, railcars
Parent	Hispano-Suiza (from 1963)

Automobiles Ettore Bugatti was initially a German, later a French, producer of luxury high-performance vehicles. Established in 1909 in Molsheim, Alsace, then part of Germany, by the Italian-born designer and industrialist Ettore Bugatti, the company earned acclaim for its combination of artistic elegance and competitive racing achievements. Among its distinguished models were the Type 35 Grand Prix, Type 41 "Royale", Type 57 "Atlantic", and the Type 55 sports car.

The passing of Ettore Bugatti in 1947, followed by his son Jean’s death in 1939, left the firm without clear leadership. Having manufactured fewer than 8,000 automobiles, the company encountered financial difficulties and produced its last model during the 1950s before being acquired primarily for its aircraft component operations in 1963.

In 1987, an Italian businessman reestablished the brand under the name Bugatti Automobili S.p.A..

A motion picture depicting Bugatti’s origins is presently being developed by Andrea Iervolino.

Under Ettore Bugatti

Ettore Bugatti founded the company in 1909 in Molsheim, Alsace—then under German sovereignty—where it gained a reputation for meticulous engineering paired with artistic styling, influenced notably by Ettore’s father, Carlo Bugatti, a distinguished figure in Art Nouveau design.

World War I and its aftermath

During the First World War, Ettore Bugatti relocated temporarily to Milan and Paris but soon returned to Molsheim. After Alsace became part of France following the Treaty of Versailles, Bugatti managed to participate at the last moment in the 1919 Paris Motor Show. There, it presented three lightweight models derived from pre-war designs, all powered by a 1,368cc overhead camshaft four-cylinder engine featuring four valves per cylinder. This range included the compact Type 13 racing car as well as larger Type 22 and Type 23 variants equipped with longer wheelbases.

Racing successes

Bugatti secured remarkable accomplishments in motorsport, including winning the very first Monaco Grand Prix in 1929 with a privately entered Type 35. The brand’s racing prominence reached its height when Jean-Pierre Wimille captured two victories at Le Mans (in 1937 alongside Robert Benoist and in 1939 with Pierre Veyron).

The debut race of the Bugatti Type 10 ended in victory, while the Type 35 evolved into one of the most triumphant racing cars ever created, developed collaboratively with engineer and driver Jean Chassagne. Between 1925 and 1929, Bugatti dominated the Targa Florio races; Louis Chiron earned the most podium finishes driving Bugattis—a legacy that inspired naming the 1999 Bugatti 18/3 Chiron concept model after him. The marque’s final major racing success was a strategic win at Le Mans in 1939 by Wimille and Veyron piloting a single vehicle.

Aeroplane racing

In the 1930s, Ettore Bugatti designed the Bugatti 100P racing aircraft with ambitions to claim the Deutsch de la Meurthe prize. Belgian engineer Louis de Monge, who had previously integrated Bugatti Brescia engines into his "Type 7.5" lifting body design, was responsible for its development. However, this aircraft never achieved flight.

Railcar

Ettore Bugatti also ventured into rail transport by designing a successful motorized railcar known as the , thereby broadening the company’s engineering scope beyond automobiles.

Family tragedy

The loss of Ettore Bugatti's son, Jean Bugatti, on 11 August 1939 dealt a severe setback to the company. He perished while testing a Type 57 tank-bodied racing car close to the Molsheim facility, which significantly affected both the company's leadership and its innovative progress.

After World War II

The Molsheim factory suffered extensive damage during World War II, resulting in Bugatti losing possession of its premises. During the conflict, preparations were underway to establish a new manufacturing site in Levallois, near Paris. Following the war, Bugatti introduced several new models, including the Type 73 road vehicle and the Type 73C racing car; however, only five units of the Type 73 were produced.

Plans for a 375 cc supercharged model were abandoned after Ettore Bugatti passed away on 21 August 1947. The company’s decline quickened, culminating in its last independent showcase at the October 1952 Paris Motor Show. By that time, Bugatti had ceased functioning as an autonomous entity.

Design

Bugatti vehicles are distinguished by their exceptional attention to detail. Engine blocks were meticulously hand-scraped to guarantee perfectly flat surfaces without requiring gaskets, and numerous engine parts displayed elaborate guilloché patterns. Fasteners were secured with safety wires arranged in intricate configurations. Unlike conventional designs that attached springs directly to axles, Bugatti engineered axles with apertures allowing springs to pass through, thereby minimizing components and enhancing aesthetic appeal. Ettore Bugatti openly criticized rivals such as Bentley for favoring robustness over weight reduction, famously labeling their cars as "the world's fastest lorries," underscoring his belief that "weight was the enemy."

Notable models

Prototypes	Racing cars	Road cars
1900–1901 Type 2 1903 Type 5 1908 Type 10 "Petit Pur Sang" 1925 Type 36 1929–1930 Type 45/47 Type 56 (electric vehicle) 1939 Type 64 (coupe) 1943/1947 Type 73C 1957–1962 Type 252 (two-seat sports convertible)	1910–1914 Type 13/Type 15/17/22 1912 Type 16 "Bébé" 1922–1926 Type 29 "Cigare" 1923 Type 32 "Tank" 1924–1930 Type 35 series and variants "Grand Prix" 1927–1930 Type 52 (electric racer designed for children) 1936–1939 Type 57G "Tank" 1937–1939 Type 50B 1931–1936 Type 53 1931–1936 Types51/51A/54GP/59 1955–1956 Type251	1910 Type13 1912–1914 Type18 1913–1914 Type23 Brescia Tourer (roadster) 1922–1934 Types30,38,40,43,44,49 (touring cars) 1927–1933 Type41 "Royale" 1929–1939 Types46,50,50T (touring cars) 1932–1935 Type55 (roadster) 1934–1940 Types57 series (touring vehicles) 1951–1956 Type101 (coupe)

Significant discoveries in recent times

After Harold Carr passed away in 2009, his relatives uncovered an exceptionally rare 1937 Bugatti Type 57S Atalante while sorting through his possessions. This vehicle, initially owned by British racing legend Earl Howe, retains much of its original hardware, enabling restoration without the need for replacement components.

On 10 July 2009, a 1925 Bugatti Brescia Type 22 was retrieved after being submerged for 75 years in Lake Maggiore, located on the Swiss-Italian border. The Mullin Museum in Oxnard, California, purchased it at Bonham's Rétromobile auction in Paris in 2010 for $351,343.

Efforts to revive the brand

During the mid-1950s, Bugatti endeavored to re-enter the automotive market under Roland Bugatti’s leadership with the mid-engine Type 251 racing car, developed alongside Gioacchino Colombo. Unfortunately, the vehicle’s poor performance halted further production efforts.

In the 1960s, designer Virgil Exner created a Bugatti concept as part of his "Revival Cars" initiative. A show car was constructed by Ghia using the last remaining Type 101 chassis and exhibited at the 1965 Turin Motor Show. However, financial support did not materialize, prompting Exner to redirect his attention toward reviving Stutz.

Bugatti maintained aircraft component manufacturing and was acquired by Hispano-Suiza in 1963. Subsequently, Hispano-Suiza was purchased by Snecma in 1968, which merged Messier and Bugatti into Messier-Bugatti by 1977.

Bugatti Automobili S.p.A. (1987–1995)

In 1987, Italian businessman Romano Artioli purchased the Bugatti marque and established Bugatti Automobili S.p.A.. The Campogalliano facility near Modena was designed by architect Giampaolo Benedini; construction commenced in 1988 and the plant became operational in 1990. By 1989, designers Paolo Stanzani and Marcello Gandini had developed plans to resurrect Bugatti.

The inaugural production vehicle was the Bugatti EB110 GT, equipped with a 3.5-liter quad-turbocharged V12 engine, a six-speed transmission, and all-wheel drive. Stanzani initially proposed an aluminum honeycomb chassis for prototypes but departed following disputes with Artioli. Nicola Materazzi succeeded him in June 1990, introducing a carbon fiber chassis developed by Aerospatiale and modifying the torque split from 40:60 to 27:73. Materazzi held the director position until late 1992. From 1993 to 1994, racing engineer Mauro Forghieri served as technical director.

On August 27, 1993, through ACBN Holdings S.A., Artioli acquired Lotus Cars from General Motors with intentions to publicly list Bugatti.

The EB112 prototype sedan was revealed in 1993.

Seven-time Formula One World Champion Michael Schumacher notably bought an EB110 in 1994; after sustaining significant damage in an accident and subsequent repairs, he sold it to Modena Motorsport.

Due to economic downturns in North America and Europe, the company ceased operations in September 1995. A model tailored for the US market named "Bugatti America" was planned but never produced.

Lotus Cars was sold to Malaysia’s Proton by liquidators. In 1997, German company Dauer Racing obtained EB110 licenses and parts inventory, manufacturing five enhanced EB110 SS units before ending production in 2011. The Campogalliano plant was sold to a furniture manufacturer that ultimately never occupied it. Toscana-Motors GmbH later acquired Dauer’s remaining parts stock.

Former vice-president Jean-Marc Borel along with ex-employees Federico Trombi, Gianni Sighinolfi, and Nicola Materazzi formed B Engineering and created the Edonis utilizing the EB110 SS chassis and engine but simplified its turbocharging system and converted from all-wheel drive to rear-wheel drive.

Before the Veyron

In 1998, Volkswagen Group took ownership of Bugatti. Following this acquisition, Bugatti Automobiles S.A.S. engaged Giorgetto Giugiaro from ItalDesign to develop its initial concept car, the EB118. This coupé, equipped with a W-18 engine, was first revealed at the 1998 Paris Auto Show. The EB118 was later exhibited at both the 1999 Geneva Auto Show and the Tokyo Motor Show. Additional concept vehicles introduced included the EB 218, presented at the 1999 Geneva Motor Show, and the 18/3 Chiron, which debuted at the 1999 Frankfurt Motor Show.

Veyron period (2005–2015)

Manufacturing of Bugatti’s inaugural production model, the Bugatti Veyron 16.4, commenced in September 2005 at the Molsheim facility in France. This high-performance automobile was powered by an 8-litre W-16 engine delivering 1001 PS, boosted by four turbochargers. The last unit produced, a Grand Sport Vitesse named La Finale, was sold on 23 February 2015.

Chiron period (2016–present)

The Bugatti Chiron, created under the direction of Achim Anscheidt as the successor to the Veyron, is a mid-engine, two-seat sports car that was unveiled at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show. In February 2024, Bugatti revealed that its forthcoming model would incorporate a hybrid-electric powertrain paired with a V16 configuration. This next-generation vehicle was officially announced in June 2024 as the Bugatti Tourbillon.

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