Bugatti is a world renowned luxury car brand whose vehicles are extremely admired by car enthusiasts but are not affordable for all because of their hefty price tags. The company has achieved a huge success by introducing the world’s fastest ever sports car. Bugatti has a tradition of wining historical racing events that give it an unmatchable fame.
The Foundation of Bugatti
Bugatti has a rich history of introducing exceptional fast cars in the market. The history of this company starts with the birth of Ettore Bugatti in 1881. Ettore Bugatti was a leading entrepreneur of his time who established this luxury car brand in different stages. Ettore was the son of a recognized award-winning artist, silversmith, and designer. He soon developed his taste for cars after completing his school days and becomes one of the major pioneers of automotive engineering and motorsports.
Ettore Bugatti built his first ever Type 2 car in 1901 and won an award from the French Automobile Club. Ettore signed different contracts with companies and individuals but they soon feel apart, until, he laid the foundations of his first ever company in Molsheim, Alsace with the help of Darmstadter Bank. This laid the strong foundations of the company who has survived a number perplexities during the course of its long history.
Why 1903 Was An Important Year?
It was the time period when Europe was going through major industrial developments and Germany was the pioneer of all those developments. Ettore Bugatti built his first ever fast car ‘Type 5’ in the year 1903, which became a huge success and won numerous accolades for its mechanical and technical abilities.
It was fitted with a four-cylinder engine and produced a maximum 45 horsepower that was much appreciated in that era. However, only two units of this car were built by the company because one of its partners dies.
The Famous Bugatti Type 13
In 1910, Bugatti Car Company developed the famous Type 13 race car that proved to be a huge success as the company sold its 485 units. It came with a four-cylinder engine that was paired with four forward gears and won different racing events. The first famous achievement for this sports car came in French Grand Prix where it outperformed a number of competitors with significantly higher displacements.
Type 13 Brescia came with a 16-valve engine that was developed before the beginning of First World War and the company sold its 2005 units. This race car won different major racing events that made Bugatti extremely popular. Moreover, it introduced the power to weight ratio criteria that have been followed up to the present day by the leading motorsports companies.
Type 16 Bebe and Type 29
The Type 16 Bebe was launched in the year 1913 by Bugatti with a 4-cylinder engine and could reach a top speed of 60 Km/h. This model was basically built for the son of Ettore Bugatti but proved to be a huge success as the company sold its several thousand units by 1916.
In 1922, Bugatti produced its first ever 8-cylinder engine that achieved a maximum output of 80 horsepower. The car was fitted with hydraulic brakes and came second place at the AFC Grand Prix in 1922. This was a remarkable achievement by Bugatti as it came with a powerful engine and a unique cigar shape body.
The Revolutionary Type 32 and Type 35
The press named Type 32 “the Tank” because of its resemblance to the tanks used in the First World War. This car was introduced in the year 1923 and maintained the third place in French Grand Prix in 1923 too. This model introduced the concept of aerodynamics in motor cars but did not prove itself a huge success.
Type 35 brings the golden age of Bugatti Car Company with its huge success and a large number of sale. This iconic race car won more than 2000 racing victories and still holds the record as no other car produced by Bugatti has reached this number. It proved a commercial success also as it was the only car of its era that could be driven on both public roads and racetracks. It came with an eight-cylinder engine that produced 90 horsepower and was paired with a four-speed forward transmission.
Type 40 and Type 41 “Royale”
In 1926, Bugatti produced the Type 40 model that was one of its most successful car ever made. It had an affordable price tag and over 800 units of this car were sold. It was fitted with a grand sports factory built body and contains a 1.5-litre four-cylinder engine that produced a maximum of 45 horsepower.
Since 1926, Ettore Bugatti was dreaming of producing the world’s most expensive car. He finally made his dream a reality when Type 41 “Royale” was introduced in the car market that was the most expensive car ever produced. It came with a 12.7-litre 8-cylinder engine that produced 300 horsepower, which was the most powerful car engine. However, the car was launched in the midst of worldwide financial crises of the 1930s and only its six units were sold.
The Iconic Type 50 and Type 51
In 1930, Bugatti launched its Type 50 car model that came with a completely new design that made it one of the most advanced cars of that era. This model holds a special place in Bugatti’s history as it bears the stylish hallmarks of Jean Bugatti. It was fitted with a 4.9-litre 8-cylinder engine that produced 225 horsepower and its 65 units were sold.
Type 51 was the pinnacle of Bugatti’s sports cars, which came with a 2.3-litre 8-cylinder engine that was paired with a four-speed forward transmission and produced 160 horsepower. This car was supposed to be introduced earlier but was launched in 1931 and Bugatti won its third Monaco Grand Prix victory with this car.
The Resurrection
After the death of Jean Bugatti in 1939 and of Ettore Bugatti in 1947, the company went through crises and its inevitable demise seemed to be a reality. It was purchased by an aircraft company Hispano-Suiza in 1963 and in 1987 the famous Romano Artioli bought it. The only success that Bugatti achieved under Artioli’s suzerainty was the production of EB 110 supercar that was launched in Paris in the ceremony of the 110th birthday of Ettore Bugatti. However, Artioli went bankrupt in 1995 and the company was bought by the famous car brand Volkswagen.
Soon after taking over the company, Volkswagen introduced the concept model of Bugatti Veyron in 2001 that had a W16 quad-turbo engine, which made it an extremely fast sports car.
Bugatti Veyron 2006
In 2006, Bugatti Veyron was launched that had an aerodynamic body and luxuries that the car enthusiasts can dream of. It came with a 16-cylinder engine that produces an amazing 1001 horsepower and delivers 922 lb-ft of torque to its wheels. With this engine, the car can reach 0-62mph in mere 2.5 seconds at a top speed of 253mph that earned it a new term “Hypercars”. It remained the fastest car for nearly two years and the company has introduced different models of this car so far.
Also read: Bugatti Chiron – The Fastest Supercar in the World
Bugatti Chiron 2016
Bugatti Veyron was replaced by Bugatti Chiron in 2016 and was worthy of carrying the legacy of its predecessor. This hyper car is equipped with a powerful engine and an eye-catching exterior that provides it an impressive presence.
It comes with an 8.0-litre Quad Turbo W16 engine that produces 1480 horsepower and delivers 1106 lb-ft of torque to its wheels. With this engine, the car can reach 0-62mph in just 2.3 seconds at a top speed of 288mph.
The Future of Bugatti
Bugatti has a rich yet a troublesome history that has earned this luxury car brand a huge success. Its resilience and hard work have made it one of the top car brands in the world. In 2016, Bugatti Veyron was voted as “the greatest car of the past 20 years” from an overall list of over 50 cars by the leading British car magazine Top Gear.
Car enthusiasts are wondering about the next big thing from Bugatti that will meet their high expectations. The launch of its Hypercars has once again put back the confidence of its customers in it vehicles, which is a huge success for the company.
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