The History of Bugatti
Artilcle, Sports Cars No Comments »Say “Bugatti” to a 12 year old boy and he’ll jump up and down shouting “Veyron, Veyron”. This car has brought Bugatti back into the limelight. It has changed ownership over the years. It was affected by the Second World War, and finances were taking a tumble. The death of the founder’s son also contributed to the demise of the company. It is now a fully owned subsidiary of Volkswagen AG. But look back about 80 years, and Bugatti was still setting records. Set in a picturesque mansion compound that belonged to the founder, the company now produces just one vehicle.
It is one of the most exclusive car marques in the entire world. Founded in 1909 by Ettore Bugatti, the company came to be known for its exquisite craftsmanship and attention to engineering detail. They are responsible for producing some of the most luxurious and fastest automobiles in the world. Even now, they are considered to be some of the most collectible cars in the world.
Under Ettore, the company was responsible for creating some of the sleekest and most beautiful automobiles the world had ever seen. The first road car produced by the company was called Type 13. It was followed up by a number of models like the Type 18 and the Type 23. In 1927, the company produced one of the most breathtaking cars ever exhibited to the general public. Called the Type 41, it was a humongous luxury vehicle. With a wheelbase of over 4.3 meters, the total length of the car exceeded 6.4 meters. To put it into perspective, it was longer than the present iteration of the Rolls Royce Phantom. It was also longer than the longest production car of today, the Maybach 62, which is only a piffling 6.2 meters long.
The Type 41 stayed in production for 6 years, till 1933. In that period, only 6 models were ever produced. The car was intended to be sold to monarchs and royal families, but due to the Depression, even they couldn’t afford it. Only 3 of the 6 were ever sold. However, all 6 are still intact and in working condition.
After the production of the Type 41 ceased, the company brought out a vehicle which would later be hailed as one of the most magnificent vehicles to have ever seen the light of day-the Type 57. It was designed by the founder’s son, Jean Bugatti. One particular variant of this car, the Atlantic Coupe, is considered by many to be the most beautiful car of all time, and not without reason. It is also the most expensive car ever sold at an auction, fetching over $30 million.
Bugatti did not limit themselves to making road cars only. They were very successful in various racing tournaments. The company won the Targa Florio rally and various Grand Prix over the years. In 1937 and ’39, they also won the 24 hour Le-Mans, piloted by Jean-Pierre Wimille.
With the death of Jean, while testing a Type 57 prototype, the company’s fortunes began to dwindle. The war destroyed the factory, and the company was shutdown. It was re-opened when an Italian entrepreneur bought the rights to the name and began Bugatti Automobile SpA.

























