Historic Models

Bugatti Models

Milestones in the automotive history

Technical revolutions, legendary racing cars and the twelve Bugatti icons

Type 35

Type 35

1924 - 1931
The Type 35 is without a doubt the first model you would associate with the Bugatti brand – to this day, it remains the most successful race car of all time, with over 2,000 victories and spots on the podium during a racing career that lasted nearly ten years. The Type 35 features a stunning streamlined teardrop-shaped bodyshell. It was also a commercial success – Bugatti sold the Grand Prix model to prosperous privateers, laying the foundation for Molsheim’s Golden Age. The Bugatti Type 35 was the only car from the period that could be driven on both public roads and racetracks.

Bugatti Type2

Type 2

1900 - 1901

Bugatti Type5

Type 5

1903

Bugatti Type18

Type 18

1908, 1912 - 1914

Bugatti Type10

Type 10

1909

Bugatti Type13 15 17

Type 13, 15, 17 (8 cylinder)

1910 - 1920

Bugatti Type16 Bébé

Type 16 Bébé

1912 - 1914

Bugatti Type13 22 23

Type 13, 22, 23

1914, 1919 - 1926
Bugatti’s first big triumph at the Grand Prix de la Sarthe in Le Mans came in 1920 with the Type 13 Brescia. With a relatively small, but high-torque four-cylinder engine, 16 valves and comparatively low weight, it beat a field of more powerful, but heavier competitors. The Brescia introduced the power to weight ratio that has remained a key criterion in motorsports right up to the present day.

Bugatti Type28

Type 28

1920 - 1921

Bugatti Type29

Type 29

1922

Bugatti Type30

Type 30

1922 - 1926

Bugatti Type32

Type 32

1923
The Type 32 was nicknamed “the Tank” by the press because of its resemblance to the tanks used in the First World War. This model was one of the first cars to introduce the concept of aerodynamics to motorsports. Although the Type 32 was not initially a success, it did pave the way for the increasing significance of aerodynamics for race cars. This Bugatti only took part in a single race – the 1923 French Grand Prix. But it still came third with an average speed of 114 km/h.

Bugatti Type35

Type 35

1924 - 1931
The Type 35 is without a doubt the first model you would associate with the Bugatti brand – to this day, it remains the most successful race car of all time, with over 2,000 victories and spots on the podium during a racing career that lasted nearly ten years. The Type 35 features a stunning streamlined teardrop-shaped bodyshell. It was also a commercial success – Bugatti sold the Grand Prix model to prosperous privateers, laying the foundation for Molsheim’s Golden Age. The Bugatti Type 35 was the only car from the period that could be driven on both public roads and racetracks.

Bugatti Type39

Type 39

1925 - 1927

Bugatti Type37

Type 37

1925 - 1930

Bugatti Type36

Type 36

1926

Bugatti Type38

Type 38

1926 - 1927

Bugatti Type40

Type 40

1926 - 1930

Bugatti Type41 royale

Type 41 "Royale"

1926 - 1933
The world’s greatest luxury automobile – a car for aristocrats and royals. That was what Ettore Bugatti aimed to achieve with the Type 41 Royale. A prototype of this model won the German Grand Prix at the Nürburgring in 1927. The Royale's displacement of 12.7 liters outstripped all the previous benchmarks set by earlier luxury cars. In honor of his late brother, a sculpture of a rearing elephant designed by Rembrandt Bugatti was used as the radiator cap for the “Royale”.

Bugatti Type52 bebe

Type 52 "Bébé"

1926 - 1935
The Type 52 is a small version of the T 35 Grand Prix car for children.
Originally it was designed to be used by Ettore Bugattis son Roland, who was born in 1922. Even some competitions became fashionable for the children of wealthy parents to race against one another on the Summer promenades of the chic seaside spa resorts with their “Baby”. Not in one of the official works brochures the “Baby” is named as T 52. It was known as the “Baby” only.

Bugatti Type44

Type 44

1927 - 1930

Bugatti Type43

Type 43

1927 - 1933

Bugatti Type45 47

Type 45, 47

1929 - 1930

Bugatti Type46

Type 46

1929 - 1933

Bugatti Type49

Type 49

1930 - 1934

Bugatti Type53

Type 53

1931 - 1932

Bugatti Type56 electric

Type 56

1931 - 1932 
Electric Vehicle
Ettore Bugatti originally developed this little electrically powered two-seater because he wanted a vehicle with which he could easily drive around the plant and its vicinity. The Type 56 was never intended for serial production, but popular demand in the form of his customers’ urging convinced Ettore to reconsider and build the little electric car.

Bugatti Type50

Type 50

1931 - 1933
The aerodynamic angle of the Bugatti Type 50 Superprofilée’s windscreen was a key feature that made the model one of the most advanced cars of the pre-war period. The two overhead camshafts – a Bugatti first – and the use of two diagonal valves were also pioneering. Although this model did not achieve success on the racetrack, it holds a special place in the history of Bugatti, as it is one of the first models to bear the stylistic hallmarks of Ettore Bugatti’s son Jean.

Bugatti Type51

Type 51

1931 - 1934

Bugatti Type55

Type 55

1931 - 1935
The beautiful two-seat Bugatti Type 55 Super Sport was designed by Jean Bugatti. A touring car with a Grand Prix engine, in 1931 it superseded the Type 43. For the Type 55, Bugatti used the highly robust chassis of the Type 47, which was originally designed for a heavy 16-cylinder engine. The result is one of the best Bugatti chassis ever made. In addition, a newly developed gear housing was installed in the Type 55, making the chassis even more robust. Alongside the roadster, the factory also built a so-called faux cabriolet – a coupé also designed by Jean Bugatti. A total of 13 roadsters and nine coupés were made.

Bugatti Type54

Type 54

1932 - 1934

Bugatti Type59

Type 59

1933 - 1935
Unlike the Type 35, only a few units of the Type 59 were made: just 12 chassis and eight engines. The aesthetically dazzling race car was fitted with the newly developed piano wire wheels, which gave the car a novel appearance. Originally intended to have a 2.8-liter engine, the car was fitted with a larger 3.3-liter engine before it even made its debut at the Spanish Grand Prix in San Sebastian. However, its sensational appearance could not disguise the fact that even before its first race, this car was already technically outclassed by competing German models.

Bugatti Type57

Type 57

1934 - 1939
The Bugatti Type 57 was unveiled at the 1934 Paris Motor Show. The Type 57 could be ordered ex works with various different bodyshell options. The Atalante was undoubtedly the most beautiful version. It was a two-door, two-seat coupé, which was also available with a roll-back roof. The Atalante body, only 34 of which were made in the factory, is now regarded as one of Jean Bugatti’s most important creations. The name Atalante comes from Greek mythology. Atlanta was a young huntress and the fastest woman in Greece. This makes the name “Atalante” ideal for this sports coupé, which was one of the fastest cars at the time.

Bugatti Type57G

Type 57G

1936 - 1937
The 57G “Tank” was the only Bugatti race car to achieve multiple successes in the second half of the 1930s. At the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1937, Jean-Pierre Wimille set a new record lap speed of 148.98 km/h in the fourth lap, and in the 23rd hour a Type 57 “Tank” broke the distance record set in 1933. Wimille and Robert Benoist triumphed in style at the 24 Hours of Le Mans – Bugatti’s first victory at the famous race, as well as the first French victory since 1926. Thanks to its streamlined form, the Type 57 dominated French endurance racing in 1936 and 1937.

Bugatti Type57S 57SC

Type 57S, 57SC

1936 - 1938
Jean Bugatti, who had already established his reputation as a genius of car design, was also responsible for designing one of the most beautiful Bugattis ever made: the Type 57SC Atlantic. The body of the Atlantic was originally supposed to be made of magnesium. At that time, it was extremely difficult to weld magnesium, which was why the two halves of the bodyshell and wings were riveted together. The four Atlantic bodyshells were eventually made in aluminum, but the fin was retained and remains a striking detail to this day.

Bugatti Type64

Type 64

1939

Bugatti Type68

Type 68

1945 - 1946

Bugatti Type73

Type 73

1945 - 1947

Bugatti Type101

Type 101

1951

Bugatti Type251

Type 251

1955 - 1956

Bugatti EB110

EB 110

1991 - 1994
In 1987, the Italian entrepreneur Romano Artioli acquired the rights to the dormant Bugatti brand and founded Bugatti Automobili S.p.A. in Campogalliano, Italy. In the four years that followed, Artioli produced a Bugatti supercar with the help of some of the greatest talents in the automotive industry. The car was revealed to the world on 15th September 1991 on Place de la Défense in Paris to mark the occasion of Ettore Bugatti’s 110th birthday. The EB 110 was a worthy representative of the brand’s tradition, with several superlative Bugatti features.

Bugatti Veyron16.4

Veyron 16.4

2005 - 2015
16 cylinders, 1,200 PS, a maximum torque of 1,500 Nm, 0 to 100 km/h in 2.5 seconds and a world record speed of 431.072 km/h - these are the figures that describe the magic and uniqueness of the ultimate supercar of the modern era. The Veyron has caused a sensation across the world ever since its launch ten years ago. In the Veyron, Bugatti has created an automobile icon and established itself as the world's most exclusive supercar brand.