Ask a serious car buff what make of vehicle epitomizes the perfect marriage of engineering and artistry and the Bugatti name will no doubt rise to the top. The sleek models created in the early 1900s, in fact, took automotive design to a whole new level, blending beauty and extreme speed in a highly successful and exclusive racing line.

The story of the original Bugatti line is one deeply entwined with world events. The company itself was founded by Ettore Bugatti in 1909. Ettore, the son of renowned artist Carlo Bugatti, was born in Milan in 1881. He began what would become a journey to create one of the most successful race car lines ever by first studying at the Brera Art Academy. By the age of 17, however, the young Bugatti decided that engineering was more to his liking and he joined a firm as an apprentice. Though he broke with family tradition, Ettore did not leave his love of fine designs behind.

Bugatti designed a three-wheel car within a year of putting himself on the engineering path. This unusual machine ended up winning a host of races, which fueled the fire for Bugatti to continue with automotive design. When the company he apprenticed for would not move forward with his other suggestions, Bugatti struck out on his own. In 1909, he founded his own firm in Molsheim, which at the time was in Alsace, Germany. Bugatti debuted his first solo design at the 1911 Le Mans and came in second. This victory led to a major boon for the Bugatti line as orders began to pour in.

Unfortunately, World War I waylaid production. Ettore took his family to Paris, where he ended up working as an aircraft designer for the course of the war. In 1923, Bugatti once again turned his attention to his beloved cars. From his home in what was then Alsace, France, he would go on to build some of the most successful racing models of all times.

Bugatti set his racing machines apart from the competition in several important ways. First of all, the designs were much smaller and lighter than other cars on the circuit. His 1911 model, for example, weighed in at only 660 pounds and was dwarfed by the Fiat that ultimately won the race. Beyond his sleek, artistic designs, Bugatti also insisted on building each vehicle produced with a painstaking attention to detail. Even the engine blocks were scraped by hand so that no gaskets were needed for sealing. Read the rest of this entry »