Do you know its most legendary roadster?
The story of roadsters the signed Bugatti goes back to the birth of the Molsheim brand, over 110 years ago.
“In the past, Ettore and Jean Bugatti showed how a certain type of vehicle can enhance emotion, design and craftsmanship.” explained Christophe Piochon, President of Bugatti.“When we immerse ourselves in the company’s long tradition, it is always a moment that allows us to be aware of what constitutes our brand DNA. Over the past few decades, Bugatti has built some of the most extraordinary roadsters ever created. »
1929: Bugatti Type 44
Between 1927 and 1930, Bugatti produced a few rare examples of the Type 44 with a roadster body, a lightweight two-seater model, with no doors – passengers simply climbed inside. The Type 44 has a 3.0 liter 8-cylinder engine and around 80 PS. With strong yet smooth torque, this roadster is capable of accelerating up to 145 km/h.
1930: Bugatti Type 40A
Bugatti expanded its Type 40 range from 1930 with the Type 40 A. The model was based on a long chassis and a 1.6-litre 4-cylinder engine producing 50 PS capable of propelling the car – which then weighing 850 kg – at 130 km/ h. Between 40 and 50 cars were produced, most with roadster bodywork
1930: Bugatti Type 49
The direct successor of the Type 44, the Type 49 came on the market in 1930. Customers greatly appreciated its versatility and agility. An 8-cylinder engine of 3.2 liters and approximately 90 hp provides the two-seater roadster with excellent performance and especially at a top speed of 145 km/h. The Type 49 is still regarded today as one of the most elegant two-seater cars built in Molsheim.
1932: Bugatti Type 41 Roadster Esders
Only six of these cars were built by hand between 1926 and 1933, each with custom bodywork. With a wheelbase of 4.3 meters and a length of over 6 meters, the Royale was the largest and most powerful car produced in Molsheim at the time.
Under the hood is an 8-cylinder engine of… 12.8 liters generating a power of about 300 hp, the prototype even had 14 liters of displacement.
Industrial magnate Armand Esders commissioned Jean Bugatti to design an elegant roadster, the Roadster Esders. Esders who wanted to drive his car exclusively during the day, Jean Bugatti removed two headlights from the car, thus making it more elegant.
Two years later, the roadster body was replaced by a city coupé. A reconstruction of the original model is now part of the Schlumpf collection at the National Automobile Museum in Mulhouse.
A milestone in BUGATTI’s relentless pursuit of engineering perfection: the final units of the CHIRON Super Sport 300+ are about to enter customers’ hands.#BUGATTI #CHIRONSuperSport300
–https://t.co/mCEE0ghyaw pic.twitter.com/ysuv9pMfxA— Bugatti (@Bugatti) August 3, 2022
1932: Bugatti 55 Roadster
The technical evolution of this Type 43 incorporates much of Bugatti’s motorsport know-how: the 2.3-liter eight-cylinder engine with compressor is from the Type 51. This engine generates up to 160 hp. As for the chassis, Bugatti relied on the proven Type 54 configuration.
Due to its high power and low center of gravity, this light 950 kg roadster can reach up to 180 km/h. In total, only 38 examples were produced, in the form of coupés and roadsters.
1934: Bugatti Type 57 Roadster Grand Raid Gangloff
Jean Bugatti developed the Type 57 from 1933. From the beginning, his plans provided different types of bodywork for his customers. The very first model was equipped with a 3.3-liter eight-cylinder engine and a power of 135 hp, later models would exceed 200.
The young Jean Bugatti also encouraged custom builds by external coachbuilders and the 1934 Roadster Grand Raid Gangloff is an example. These two-seaters are defined by the fluid shapes of the engine cover, the humps behind the seats, a two-piece windshield and wings with organic curves. Between 1934 and 1940, Bugatti produced around 750 examples, including coupés, convertibles, roadsters and racing cars.
1938: Bugatti Type 57SC Corsica Roadster
Also based on the Type 57 SC, the Corsica Roadster was built in 1938. Its first owner was Colonel Godfrey Giles, who in 1937 commissioned British coachbuilder Corsica Coachworks to build him a bespoke Type 57 design of his brother.
The result: a roadster with a unique, flowing shape. With its 3.8 liter eight-cylinder engine, the approximately 4.5 meter long roadster can reach a top speed of more than 200 km/h.
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2008: Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport
In 2005, Bugatti presented its first hypercar, the Veyron 16.4, then in August 2008, the brand launched the first roadster of its modern era: the Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport. Built with a special monocoque, the Grand Sport reaches 360 km/h without its roof, while with a polycarbonate roof element it can reach more than 400 km/h.
In 2013, a more powerful and more concentrated variant, the Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Vitesse, broke the world speed record by reaching 408.84 km/h and thus became the fastest production roadster in the world.
In honor of this record, Bugatti is launching a very small production run of eight World Record Car (WRC) limited edition Veyron 16.4 vehicles. Between 2005 and 2015, only 300 Veyron 16.4 coupés and 150 Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport and Grand Sport Vitesse were produced in Molsheim, including very special models and editions.
The beating 16-cylinder heart of the modern BUGATTI era – the last of its kind.#BUGATTI #W16
–https://t.co/mCEE0ghyaw pic.twitter.com/IimmSkYGqR—Bugatti (@Bugatti) July 30, 2022
Source: Bugatti
