The second stage of the Cité’s Incomparable Bugatti exhibition enumerates historical masterpieces before the VW era, starting with the most recent, the EB110, accompanied by the Galibier concept and a couple of masterpieces from the Cité’s own collection.
The first car in the row is an EB110 that marked the rebirth of the brand, revived by Italian businessman Romano Artioli. The car was produced in Italy but had been unveiled on September 15, 1991, under the Grande Arche de la Défense, with a model name that referred to the 110th anniversary of the birth of Ettore Bugatti.
The car’s layout constituted a departure from the pre-war models, with its mid-rear 3.5-litre V12 engine equipped with four turbochargers, the EB110’s top speed reached 355 km/h. It was an undisputed hypercar of the ’90s.
Despite the impressive specs, the Italian company could not weather the turbulent times, and the Italian Bugatti venture ultimately defaulted. Nevertheless, its models, however, enjoyed quite a reputation, and the 100 cars built take premium spots at classic car events.
This year’s Rétrombile featured quite a few of them at private stages, in addition to the factory stage.
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Another exclusive exhibit is the Bugatti Galibier 16C a concept from 2010 equipped with an 8-litre W16 engine derived from the Veyron, tuned down to 800 PS, built-in longitudinally to the front.
This is another car that follows the footsteps of Artioli, bearing some resemblance to the EB112, a model whose production was prevented by the demise of the company.
A concept was unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 2010, with an interior featuring designs by the Swiss watchmaker Parmigiani-Fleurier.
It was also equipped with an electric auxiliary motor with 40 km of range. The car pays homage to the Bugatti Royale but also takes inspiration from the Bugatti Type 57 Galibier, a 4 doors creation of Jean Bugatti. The former is parked just behind the Galibier.
The Royale is one of my all-time favourites, this massive car outshines everything in space and time. Its specs are the state of the art of that time, its 8-cylinder inline engine of nearly 13 litres produces 300 horsepower. The engine could bring the three-tonnes of automotive excess to reach top speeds of 200 km/h. The Royale was the world’s most expensive car at that time, that was designed to outshine everything in terms of power, quality and reputation. However, only six models were ever produced, before the War came.
The blue “Coupé Napoleon” was Ettore Bugatti’s personal limo, remaining in the ownership of the Bugatti factory until it was purchased by Fritz Schlumpf. The body was designed by Jean Bugatti, son of Ettore, when he was only 20.
The size of the car also impresses in this room, Divo and Galibier seem like a small car next to the 6-metre long mastodon. The vehicle is a unicorn of the classic car world, and the Cité keeps two of them, along with a replica rebuilt on an existing Bugatti chassis. I wholeheartedly recommend visiting the hall of the Cité, where dozens of these masterpieces are showcased.
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The 1937 Bugatti Type 57SC Atalante is an iconic car of the Art Deco period and represents the excess of the French luxury car industry of the pre-war period.
Along with the Bugatti Aérolite and Atlantic, Jean Bugatti redefined the Grand Tourer coupé with this car. With its 3.2-litre inline 8-cylinder engine, the Atalante offered speed and comfort for long journeys, and it was the embodiment of travelling with elegance. In its SC version, the aerodynamic coupe Atalante offered unprecedented sports performance without having recourse to austere race car solutions.
The Bugatti Type 251 single-seater was Bugattis post-war venture into F1. The car developed for the 1956 season produced 230cv from an inline 8 cylinder 2421cc engine. Designed in collaboration with legendary Italian engineer Gioacchino Colombo, the Bugatti 251 is the only Formula 1 car from the Molsheim company. Following the passing away of Ettore Bugatti in 1947, his son Roland pursued the sports and industrial aspirations, both on-road, with the Bugatti Type 101 and 102 and on track. The 251 was piloted by the French driver Maurice Trintignant (ex-works driver for the Scuderia), but only competed at the Grand Prix de France. This is the very last race in which the Bugatti factory has committed to enter even to date concluding a racing history of over 1,000 victories.
The Type 51 race car might seem like an odd one out, as the car could not repeat the success of its predecessors thanks to emerging competitors also backed by their nation-states.
Nevertheless, despite the intensifying competition, with its Inline 8 cylinder engine producing 190CV, the light and agile car also brought victories to Molsheim. Achile Varzi won the Monaco Grand Prix in 1933, René Dreyfus the Belgian Grand Prix the following year, and Maurice Trintignant started his career in that car in 1938, when he was only 21 years old.
One of the most famous names connected to this car remains the Monegasque driver Louis Chiron. With the Bugatti Type 51, he won, among others, the Grand Prix of France and Monaco in 1931 and the Grand Prix of Czechoslovakia in 1932 and 1933.
The streamlined and aerodynamic 1923 Bugatti Type 32 (a.k.a. the tank of Tours) was specifically conceived for the Grand Prix of the Automobile Club de France 1923, is a technical and stylistic revolution. Minimalist and functionalist, its revolutionary design allowed a low profile and a then futuristic style. At the wheel of the No. 6 car, Ernst Friedrich finished at the 3rd place of the race held on the circuit of Tours, that gave the car the nickname “Tank de Tours”.
The exhibition is open until November, so there is plenty of time to pay a visit. For those who could not make it by then, about half of the cars will still be there as part of the permanent exhibition.
FOR AN OVERVIEW OF ALL THE CAR MUSEUMS I EVER VISITED, CHECK OUT THE INTERACTIVE MAP:
