BUGATTI, Molsheim, France, 1909-1956


The French company "BUGATTI" is one of the most famous and prestigious automobile manufacturers in the world thanks to the talent of its founder, the legendary Ettore Bugatti. After 10 years of practice at De Dietrich, Mathis and Deutz in 1909, he founded his own company in the Alsatian town of Molsheim near Strasbourg. There, Ettore Bugatti decided to produce a new car on the basis of his first light model “10”, made by him at his own expense, while he was still working at the Deutz company in Cologne.
Production began with the model under serial number "13". A horseshoe-shaped radiator, traditional for all subsequent cars, was installed on it, which brought success to the Ettore and his new business. It was a lightweight 2-seater with a 4-cylinder engine of 1327 cm3 with an overhead camshaft. At the same time, work was underway on another car - "BUGATTI-16", which became the basis of the famous "Peugeot Bebe". In the pre-war period, Bugatti built several more cars, including the 19 Roland Garros model with an engine capacity of 5027 cm3 and 100 hp. In 1913, Bugatti created an experimental 8-cylinder inline engine of 2655 cm3, composed of two 4-cylinder blocks, which became the basis for subsequent designs.
Car production, discontinued during the First World War, was resumed only in 1921. Then there were two models with 8-cylinder engines - a 3-liter "Bugatti-28" and a 2-liter "Bugatti-30". In 1923, Ettore created one of the most unusual race cars - the “23” model, nicknamed for its specific streamlined “Tank” shape. The year 1924 was marked by the appearance of the legendary racing Bugatti-35 with an 8-cylinder engine in 1991 cm3 with a capacity of 95 hp, first presented at the Grand Prize of Lyon. This was followed by a series of modifications from 1926-1927: simplified versions of “35A”, “35T” (2260 cm3) and “35V” with a compressor with 140 hp, “36” (1092 cm3), “37” (1492 cm3 ), “39” with compressor, etc. All of them brought Ettore Bugatti numerous sports victories and worldwide fame for one of the best companies in the world.
Every year, the passenger car program also replenished. In 1926, the “38” (1990 cm3, 70 hp) and “40” (1500 cm3, 45 hp) models appeared, the next year - the “Bugatti-43” with an 8-cylinder supercharged engine 125 h.p. and the Bugatti-44 with a 80-liter 3-liter engine In 1929, one of the most famous Bugatti-46 cars with an 8-cylinder engine of 5359 cm3 with 140 hp was added to them. All of them were equipped with bodies manufactured by both Bugatti and other specialized companies. The loudest glory Bugatti brought the model "41", for its parameters and luxury called "Royale". At first, an 8-cylinder engine with a displacement of 14.7 liters from a tire was installed on it, but soon it was replaced by a more modest one in 12763 cm3. A total of 6 such machines were made, which became the most famous and expensive in the history of the brand.
In the late 1920s and early 1930s, more advanced high-speed cars entered sports tracks. In 1929, the Ettore launched the Bugatti-45 with a 16-cylinder racing engine rated at 271 hp, and in 1931 at an 8-cylinder engine rated at 2,261 cm3 with 140 hp. The racing Bugatti-51 installed two overhead camshafts and created the all-wheel drive Bugatti-53. But not one of them has already achieved tremendous success. Three years later, they released the last racing car model "59" with an engine of 3.3 liters.
Having been defeated in the field of motorsport, Bugatti began to pay more attention to passenger cars. In 1932, on the engine of the popular model "55" (2261 cm3), two upper camshafts appeared, following the model of racing engines. In 1934, on the Bugatti-49 chassis, the Bugatti-57 series with an 8-cylinder engine with a working volume of 3257 cm3 was born, known in various versions with unique streamlined bodies.
These were the last cars that brought Ettore Bugatti worldwide recognition. During the German occupation, he continued to build light vehicles and created post-war car designs. But he was not destined to carry them out. In 1947, Bugatti passed away and his company began to fall apart quickly. In the early 1950s, several Bugatti-101s were built on the chassis of the pre-war "57" model. The point in the activity of the company in 1956 was put by two unsuccessful racing models "251" and "252". Bugatti was transferred to Hispano-Suiza, which began production of aircraft equipment there.
The Bugatti company has not existed for a long time, but its legendary fame continues to live. Perhaps there is no other car brand that they would not have tried so hard to resurrect. In 1964, the Italian bodybuilder Ghia built the Bugatti-101 C showcase on the 101 series chassis. In 1989, a new company, Bugatti, was founded in Italy and began to manufacture heavy-duty and ultra-expensive sports cars of the “EV-110” type (ЕВ = Ettore Bugatti), which had a common name with the original “Bugatti”. But these models could not repeat the success of the cars of the great master.

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