Ettore Bugatti

Lore & Background

Bugatti was born into an artistic family in Milan, Italy. He was the elder son of Carlo Bugatti, an important Italian Art Nouveau furniture and jewellery designer, and his wife, Teresa Lorioli. His younger brother, Rembrandt, was a renowned animal sculptor. His aunt, Luigia Bugatti, was the wife of the painter Giovanni Segantini. His paternal grandfather, Giovanni Luigi Bugatti, was an architect and sculptor. Bugatti's father intended that he follow a conventional technical apprenticeship, but the boy quickly demonstrated a deep instinctive understanding of motor-vehicle construction, and with Prinetti & Stucchi constructed his 'Bugatti Type 1' in 1898. With financial support from a Count Gulinelli, Bugatti developed a second prototype, the Type 2, which was a prize-winning exhibit at the Milan Trade Fair in the Spring of 1901. His design caught the eye of Baron Adrien de Turckheim, who offered Bugatti the opportunity to design automobiles at his Lorraine-Dietrich car factory in Niederbronn. In 1902 Ettore became the head of technology at De Dietrich. From 1902 through 1904, De Dietrich built his Type 3/4 and Type 5/6/7. While working for De Dietrich Bugatti met Émile Mathis. They became business partners, leaving De Dietrich in 1904 to produce automobiles of their own. This arrangement lasted till 1906 after which the partners went their separate ways, and Bugatti set up a 'Research centre' at Illkirch-Graffenstaden. He produced several prototypes, collaborating closely with the Cologne based Deutz company. In 1907, Bugatti was appointed Production Director with Deutz. Here he designed the Type 8/9. While employed at Deutz, Bugatti built the Type 10 in the basement of his home. In 1913, Bugatti designed a small car for Peugeot, the Type 19 Bébé. Despite being born in Italy, Bugatti established his automobile company, Automobiles E. Bugatti, in 1909 in the then German town of Molsheim. The maker was known for some of the fastest, most luxurious, and technologically advanced road cars of its day. Exceptional engineering led to success in early Grand Prix motor racing, with a Bugatti being driven to victory in the first Monaco Grand Prix. While displaced from his home in Alsace by World War I, Bugatti designed aeroplane engines, notably the 16-cylinder U-16. Between the wars Bugatti designed a successful motorized railcar dubbed the Autorail Bugatti, and won a

In Their Own Story

The sun beats down on the Mulsanne Straight as the roar of the Type 35C echoes off the grandstands. Ettore stands in the pit lane, his eyes scanning the track not just for speed, but for harmony. He watches his creation slice through the air, a silver arrow against the green countryside. To him, this is not merely a contest of endurance; it is the ultimate validation of his life's work—a symphony of metal and rubber proving that perfection is possible.

Reader's Guide

It only states success in early Grand Prix motor racing, with a Bugatti winning the first Monaco Grand Prix.

Did You Know?

• Bugatti constructed his first car, the 'Bugatti Type 1', in 1898 with Prinetti & Stucchi.
• Bugatti designed a successful motorized railcar called the Autorail Bugatti between the wars.
• Bugatti's son Jean was killed in 1939 while testing a Type 57 tank-bodied race car.
• Bugatti was inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame in 2000.