A family story, a multifaceted brand and an iconic relevance.
While Bugatti is best known for its extraordinary automobiles, it is for many art enthusiasts much more than cars. Carlo Bugatti the father has designed furniture and jewels, most notably the Cobra chair, which is of a rare modernity. His desks are now collected by the likes of Alain Delon and Elton John. His two sons are faithful to the family artistic genes, Rembrandt, the youngest, is celebrated today as one of the greatest bronze sculptors of animals, whilst Ettore, the eldest son, born in 1881, is known for having founded Bugatti automobiles in 1909 in Molsheim. Very quickly the brand would be known for its very innovative cars and his founder’s motto “Nothing is too beautiful, nothing is too expensive”.
“Nothing is too beautiful, nothing is too expensive”
The Bugatti name is still associated today with extreme performance, technological innovation, breathtaking lines and utmost refinement. Ettore Bugatti was a genius in many ways: at a very young age, he built his first car, designing every detail, from the engine to the bodywork before assembling it with his own hands. Throughout his life, he never stopped innovating, and registered nearly 1,000 patents under his name. One of his maxims was “What has already been invented belongs to the past, only innovations are worthy of interest”.
One of his favorite playgrounds was competition, the ideal launch pad for testing his technical innovations and promoting his brand. After racing successes with the frail and swift Type 13 equipped with a 4-cylinder engine, he launched the Bugatti Grand Prix Type 35, an iconic 8-cylinder engined car equipped with light alloy wheels. The Type 35B, with its more powerful engine, was incredibly fast with a top speed in excess of 215 km/h. The model racked up a string of victories – more than 2,500 in total, a record unequalled to this day.
Entrusted to the greatest drivers, the cars won the most difficult races such as the Targa Florio in Sicily. The 100 year old Bugatti Grand Prix is an automotive monument still raced today, notably in Mille Miglia, Le Mans Classic or Goodwood.
“But once again, Ettore Bugatti broke new ground by imposing a new black and yellow color combination”
Ettore, nicknamed ‘Le Patron’ (the boss) very quickly imposed his own style. His cars nicknamed ‘Les Pur-Sangs de l’automobile’ were adorned with a horseshoe-shaped radiator grille, a tribute to the thoroughbreds he admired. Another stylistic feature was the blue color, associated with French racing cars. But once again, Ettore Bugatti broke new ground by imposing a new black and yellow color combination. In love with the colored beams of the family home in Molsheim, he decided to adorn his most beautiful bespoke creations, particularly those of Art Deco style, with these colors. His clientele followed, and from the Type 55, a two-seater sports car, to the legendary Atalante coupés, this color scheme is one of Bugatti’s most striking stylistic features.
Some clients of the modern Veyron or Chiron cars have decided to pursue this tradition. One of the most famous Bugatti ever is the Type 41 “Royale”, the longest and most luxurious car of its time, reserved for an elite, in particular the European aristocracy. Many aristocrats were close to the brand, including King Leopold III of Belgium, who treated himself to the legendary Type 59 Sports, with its low-slung lines and wheels adorned with piano wire spokes. When sold to the King, the car was repainted by Ettore Bugatti in black with a yellow line, which coincided with the racing colors of Belgium. This remarkably well-preserved car, which has kept its period paint, won the FIVA Trophy for “Best Preserved Pre-War Car” in 2022 Villa d’Este competition.
Another iconic Bugatti is the streamlined Type 57 SC Atlantic, one of the World’s most iconic designs, which illustrates one of Ettore Bugatti’s maxims: “Design is nothing without perfection in execution”. This motto could be extended to everything he designed from the futuristic railcar powered by the Bugatti Royale engine, to bicycles and pedal cars.
While the family is known for its incredibly gifted individuals, it has also witnessed many tragedies. In 1939, Jean Bugatti, Ettore’s son, whose talents as a designer, engineer and manager were undeniable, was killed at the age of 30 at the wheel of the 57C Tank, which had won the Le Mans 24 Hours in August 1939. The tank with its streamlined, low-slung body was reminiscent of an earlier car created by Ettore Bugatti. Jean’s tragic death, the outbreak of the Second World War and the death of Ettore in 1947 from a stroke precipitated the end of the Bugatti saga.
“Designed entirely in-house, without buying a component from any other manufacturer”
It was not until 1991 that Bugatti really rose from the ashes. Romano Artioli, an Italian entrepreneur madly in love with the brand, launched the Bugatti EB110, named after the 110 anniversary of Ettore’s birth. Designed entirely in-house, without buying a component from any other manufacturer (as is the norm for most niche supercars), the car was a true technological tour de force. Nicola Materazzi, the engineer who gave birth to the Ferrari F40 was in charge of the car.
With its carbon chassis, four turbos and a four-wheel drive system, the EB110 was ahead of its time. Loris Biccochi, the then official test driver who broke a world speed record with the car, said: “Everything was ambitious, crazy in the EB110 saga, but the Bugatti story was crazy from the start”. From the grandiose Campogalliano factory nestled in the heart of Italy’s motor valley to the EB110 being raced at Le Mans, Artioli was truly faithful to Ettore Bugatti’s maxim: “nothing is too good, nothing is too expensive”. Alas, financial difficulties put an halt to the project. Only 139 EB110s have been produced, including the two last Bugatti racing cars ever made. It has aged very well, and VW-owned Bugatti has even paid a tribute to the EB110 with a limited edition car called the Centodieci, based on the Bugatti Chiron. Now co-owned by Rimac and Porsche, Bugatti has just launched a new model, the Tourbillon.
The final word goes to Achim Anscheidt, Bugatti’s Head of Design from 2004 to 2023: “In almost everything we do, we draw inspiration from the Bugatti family; we invent – as Ettore did – our own technologies and we push – as Jean Bugatti did – the boundaries of design and elegance to create something that looks like nothing else on the road”. As Ettore said: “If it’s comparable, it is no longer Bugatti “. To this day, the brand’s commitment to excellence goes beyond power and speed; indeed, each Bugatti has to be a masterpiece in its own right. A special tribute goes to Remi Dargegen, the official Bugatti photographer for his pictures which highlight the genius of Bugatti. Remi has been fortunate enough to travel the World to capture the most iconic cars from Bugatti different eras.
“In almost everything we do, we draw inspiration from the Bugatti family”
Etienne Raynaud
Photos: Rémi Dargegen
