Blue bugatti vintage sports car at Schlumpfs motor Museum, Citee de l'automobile, Mulhouse, french France 099227_Schlumpf Museum vertical
Founder Ettore Bugatti was born in Milan, Italy, and the automobile company that bears his name was founded in 1909 in the town of Molsheim located in the Alsace. The company was known both for the level of detail of its engineering in its automobiles, and for the artistic way in which the designs were executed, given the artistic nature of Ettore's family (his father, Carlo Bugatti (1856–1940), was an important Art Nouveau furniture and jewelry designer). The company also enjoyed great success in early Grand Prix motor racing, winning the first ever Monaco Grand Prix. The company's success culminated with driver Jean-Pierre Wimille winning the 24 hours of Le Mans twice (in 1937 with Robert Benoist and 1939 with Pierre Veyron). Bugatti's cars were as much works of art as they were mechanical creations. Engine blocks were hand scraped to ensure that the surfaces were so flat that gaskets were not required for sealing, many of the exposed surfaces of the engine compartment featured Guilloché (engine turned) finishes on them, and safety wires threaded through almost every fastener in intricately laced patterns. Rather than bolt the springs to the axles as most manufacturers did, Bugatti's axles were forged such that the spring passed though a carefully sized opening in the axle, a much more elegant solution requiring fewer parts. He famously described his arch competitor Bentley's cars as "the world's fastest lorries" for focusing on durability. According to Bugatti, "weight was the enemy". Only a few examples of each of Ettore Bugatti's vehicles were ever produced, the most famous being the Type 35 Grand Prix cars, the "Royale", the Type 57 "Atlantic" and the Type 55 sports car. On 2 January 2009, it was revealed that a rare 1937 Bugatti Type 57S Atlantic had been found in the garage of a deceased surgeon in England. Only 17 of this model were made, all by hand.
Size: 3400px × 5100px
Location: Schlumpfs Museum Rue de l'Épée Mulhouse Alsace France
Photo credit: © Daniel Valla FRPS / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: 55, 57, atlantic, automobile, brothers, bugatti, cabriolet, car, cars, citee, collection, de, grand, haut, lautomobile, molsheim, motor, mulhouse, museum, musé, national, prix, race, racing, rhin, schlumpf, schlumpfs, sport, sports, type, vintage
