List of Bugatti prototypes

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This is a list of prototype vehicles created by Bugatti that never reached or were never intended for serial production.

Contents

Type 29

The Type 29 racing car, which began development in 1921, used a new 2 L (1991 cc/121 in³) straight-8 engine which would subsequently be used in the Type 30 production model. Four of the cars were entered in the 1922 French Grand Prix where they performed well, with three of the four completing the full distance behind the sole other surviving car, a FIAT, from an original field of 18 cars. [1]

Type 36

The Type 36 racer was produced in 1925, and used a new 1.5 L (92 cu in) straight-8 engine. With a 60 mm × 66 mm (2.4 in × 2.6 in) bore and stroke, the engine later saw use in the Type 39A, though the Type 36 itself was more of an experiment. At first, the rear axle was bolted directly to the frame with no springs. In 1926, Bugatti added both rear springs and a supercharger to the Type 36. This was the experimental base for the Type 35C.

Type 45 and Type 47

The Type 45 racing car's U16 engine was made up of 2 parallel 8-cylinder banks, hence the 8 exhaust runners per side, and had two crankshafts. The Type 45 and similar Type 47 "Grand Sport" were to become a new generation of cars from Bugatti. The engine, a 3-valve SOHC design, was based on the 3-valve straight-8 from the Type 35. Two versions were made: a 3.0 L (180 cu in) version fitted to a Type 47 prototype shared the Type 36's cylinder dimensions, while the Type 45 prototype used a stroke of 84 mm (3.3 in) for a displacement of 3.8 L (230 cu in). Output would have been 200 to 250 hp (150 to 190 kW) with a Roots-type supercharger.

The entire vehicle was unique, including its chassis. The Type 45 used a 2,600 mm (100 in) wheelbase, while the Type 47 was stretched to 2,750 mm (108 in). Both had a 1,250 mm (49 in) track.

Type 56

The Type 56 was an electric vehicle. Originally designed for private use by Ettore Bugatti as a factory runabout, popular demand from previous customers convinced him to build more examples. [2] The number built is controversial; six seems the most likely answer.

The Type 56 was a tiny 2-seat open car very much in the style of turn-of-the-century horseless carriages or voiturettes. Power came from a single 28  amp electric motor producing 1 hp (0.75 kW). Energy was stored in six 6  volt accumulators in series for a total of 36 volts. The motor was mounted directly to the frame and drove the rear wheels through gears. Electric braking was integrated, and both hand- and foot-brakes operated on rear wheel drums. Four forward speeds were available, and the vehicle could accelerate to 28 km/h (17.4 mph). Steering was via a tiller.

Ettore Bugatti's personal Type 56 is part of the collection at the Musée National de l'Automobile de Mulhouse.

Type 64

The Type 64 was an Atlantic-style coupe produced in 1939 with papillon [French for "butterfly"] doors, designed by Jean Bugatti. It was fitted with a 4.4 L (270 cu in) 2-valve DOHC straight-8 engine and rode on a 3,300 mm (130 in) wheelbase. Production was begun on three cars, but only one body was finished before Jean Bugatti's death in 1939; a second was completed in 2012. [3] [4] [5] [6]

Type 73C

Started in 1943 and completed in 1947 after WWII, the Type 73C was to be a comeback for Bugatti, but the death of Ettore Bugatti in August of that year doomed the project. An engine-less Type 73 was shown at the 1947 Paris Motor Show two months later. Although five 73C chassis had been constructed in Paris, only one body was completed, and at least three engines and one complete car were assembled and tested by the factory. Serge Pozzoli stated that he visited the Bugatti factory at Rue Debarcadere in Paris, where he saw a demonstration car which was fitted with a scaled-down body similar to the pre-war Type 50BIII "Cork Car". All the cars were dismantled and taken to Molsheim after Ettore Bugatti's death.

The Type 73C used a new 1.5 L (92 cu in) straight-4 engine with 4 valves per cylinder and a dual overhead camshaft. This was a new design with a 76 mm (3.0 in) bore and 95 mm (3.7 in) stroke, wet cylinder liners, a detachable cylinder head, and a single cast iron exhaust manifold. Much to the chagrin of Bugatti purists, the Type 73 used off-the-shelf hex fasteners rather than the custom-designed parts used in all previous cars.

The five Type 73C chassis were sold off after the company exited automobile production. Most were later assembled, and one (number 2) was even given a body based on the original Bugatti drawings.

There are a few prototype Type 73 Bugatti models:

Type 251

The final resurgence of the original Bugatti was the Type 251, completed in 1955. Designed by Gioacchino Colombo of Ferrari fame, it was powered by a new 2.5 L (150 cu in) straight-8. Uniquely, this engine was mounted transversely behind the driver. For the first time in a Bugatti, an oversquare engine was used, with a 76 mm (3.0 in) bore and 68.5 mm (2.70 in) stroke. The use of a de Dion tube rear suspension was also a novelty for the company, though it was in vogue at the time. The Type 251 was entered in the 1956 French Grand Prix, driven by Maurice Trintignant, [7] but was not competitive and retired after 18 laps.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bugatti</span> French car manufacturer, 1909 to 1963

Automobiles Ettore Bugatti was a German then French manufacturer of high-performance automobiles. The company was founded in 1909 in the then-German city of Molsheim, Alsace, by the Italian-born industrial designer Ettore Bugatti. The cars were known for their design beauty and numerous race victories. Famous Bugatti automobiles include the Type 35 Grand Prix cars, the Type 41 "Royale", the Type 57 "Atlantic" and the Type 55 sports car.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Straight-eight engine</span> Inline piston engine with eight cylinders

The straight-eight engine or inline-eight engine is an eight-cylinder internal combustion engine with all eight cylinders mounted in a straight line along the crankcase. The type has been produced in side-valve, IOE, overhead-valve, sleeve-valve, and overhead-cam configurations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Allard Motor Company</span> British car manufacturer

Allard Motor Company Limited was a London-based low-volume car manufacturer founded in 1945 by Sydney Allard in small premises in Clapham, south-west London. Car manufacture almost ceased within a decade. It produced approximately 1900 cars before it became insolvent and ceased trading in 1958. Before the war, Allard supplied some replicas of a Bugatti-tailed special of his own design from Adlards Motors in Putney.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dino (marque)</span> Motor vehicle

Dino was a marque best known for mid-engined, rear-drive sports cars produced by Ferrari from 1957 to 1976. The marque came into existence in late 1956 with a front-engined Formula Two racer powered by a brand new Dino V6 engine. The name Dino was used for some models with engines smaller than 12 cylinders, it was an attempt by the company to offer a relatively low-cost sports car. The Ferrari name remained reserved for its premium V12 and flat-12 models until 1976, when "Dino" was retired in favour of full Ferrari branding.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bugatti EB 110</span> Motor vehicle

The Bugatti EB 110 is a mid-engine sports car produced by Bugatti Automobili S.p.A. from 1991 until 1995, when the company was liquidated. A small number of post-production cars were completed afterwards, with the last one built by Dauer in 2002 and another unfinished example completed in 2019. It was the only production model made by Romano Artioli's Italian incarnation of Bugatti.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Multi-valve</span> Type of car engine

In automotive engineering a multi-valve or multivalve engine is one where each cylinder has more than two valves. A multi-valve engine has better breathing and may be able to operate at higher revolutions per minute (RPM) than a two-valve engine, delivering more power.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bugatti Type 57</span> Bugatti automobile

The Bugatti Type 57 and later variants was a grand tourer car built from 1934 through 1940. It was an entirely new design created by Jean Bugatti, son of founder Ettore. A total of 710 Type 57s were produced.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bugatti Type 13</span> One of the first cars by Bugatti

The Bugatti Type 13 was the first true Bugatti car. Production of the Type 13, and later Types 15, 17, 22, and 23, began with the company's founding in 1910 and lasted through 1920, with 435 examples produced. Most road cars used an eight-valve engine, though five Type 13 racers had 16-valve heads, some of the first ever produced. The road cars became known as pur-sang ("thoroughbred") in keeping with Ettore Bugatti's feelings for his designs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bugatti Type 35</span> Bugatti racing car, 1924 to 1930

The Bugatti Type 35 is an iconic race car design produced by Bugatti at their Molsheim premises between 1924 and 1930. It was extremely successful when raced by the factory works team. It was also bought by a diverse roster of privateer clientele from around the world. It pioneered the concept of a holistically conceived, race-ready car available for purchase.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bugatti Type 18</span> Motor vehicle

The Bugatti Type 18, also called the Garros, is an automobile produced from 1912 through 1914. Produced shortly after the start of the business, the design was something of a relic. It had much in common with the cars Ettore Bugatti had designed for Deutz Gasmotoren Fabrik but with the radiator of the Type 13. Only seven examples were built, and three are known to survive.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bugatti Royale</span> Motor vehicle

The Bugatti Type 41, better known as the Royale, is a large luxury car built from 1927 to 1933 with a 4.3 m (169.3 in) wheelbase and 6.4 m (21 ft) overall length. It weighs approximately 3,175 kg (7,000 lb) and uses a 12.763 litre (778 cu in) straight-eight engine. For comparison, against the Rolls-Royce Phantom VII, the Royale is about 20% longer, and more than 25% heavier. This makes the Royale one of the largest cars in the world. Furthermore, with the limited production run and the premium nature of the vehicle, it is also both one of the rarest and most expensive vehicles in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bugatti Type 32</span> Motor vehicle

The Bugatti Type 32, commonly called the Tank de Tours, was a streamlined racing car built in 1923. It was built to compete in the French Grand Prix, which was held on July 2 in Tours on the same year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bentley 3 Litre</span> Motor vehicle

The Bentley 3 Litre was a car chassis manufactured by Bentley. The company's first, it was developed from 1919 and made available to customers' coachbuilders from 1921 to 1929. The Bentley was very much larger than the 1368 cc Bugattis that dominated racing at the time, but double the size of engine and strength compensated for the extra weight. The 4000 lb (1800 kg) car won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1924, with drivers John Duff and Frank Clement, and again in 1927, this time in Super Sports form, with drivers S. C. H. "Sammy" Davis and Dudley Benjafield. Its weight, size, and speed prompted Ettore Bugatti to call it "the fastest lorry in the world", which was regarded as a compliment. Built in 3 main variants, Blue label, Red Label Speed models all carrying a 5-year warranty, and the coveted and rare Green Label 100 mph cars, which only carried a 12-month warranty reflecting the high state of tune.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mitsubishi 3G8 engine</span> Reciprocating internal combustion engine

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">ALFA 40/60 HP</span> Motor vehicle

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bugatti U-16</span> U engine designed by Ettore Bugatti

The Bugatti U-16 was a 16-cylinder water-cooled double-8 vertical in-line "U engine", designed by Ettore Bugatti in 1915 to 1916 and built in France in small numbers. The US Bolling Commission bought a license to build the engine in the US, and small numbers of a slightly revised version were built by the Duesenberg Motor Corporation as the King-Bugatti. Probably about 40 King-Bugattis were made before the end of World War I caused building contracts to be canceled.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Škoda Superb (1934–1949)</span> Motor vehicle

The original Škoda Superb is a full size luxury car that was made by the Czechoslovak car manufacturer ASAP, later AZNP from 1934 to 1949. It was the company's first car with a V8 engine and all-wheel drive.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Duesenberg Model A</span> Motor vehicle

The Duesenberg Model A was the first automobile in series production to have hydraulic brakes and the first automobile in series production in the United States with a straight-eight engine. Officially known as the Duesenberg Straight Eight, the Model A was first shown in late 1920 in New York City. Production was delayed by substantial changes to the design of the car, including a change in the engine valvetrain from horizontal overhead valves to an overhead camshaft; also during this time, the company had moved its headquarters and factory from New Jersey to Indiana. The Model A was manufactured in Indianapolis, Indiana, from 1921 to 1925 by the Duesenberg Automobiles and Motors Company and from 1925 to 1926 at the same factory by the restructured Duesenberg Motor Company. The successors to the company began referring to the car as the Model A when the Model J was introduced. With a top speed of 71mph.

Leo William Goossen was a draftsman, mechanical engineer and automobile designer. He is known for his work with Harry Miller and his long involvement in the design and ongoing development of the four-cylinder Offenhauser ("Offy") racing engine.

References

  1. "Bugatti 29/30". rmw.lv. Retrieved 16 January 2023.
  2. "Type 56 (Electric Vehicle)". bugatti.com. Archived from the original on 2011-07-28. Retrieved 2011-05-01.
  3. "1939 Bugatti Type 64 Coupe is incomplete perfection"
  4. "Mullin Automotive Museum To Unveil 1939 Bugatti Type 64 Coupe At The Quail"
  5. "Mullin Completes 1939 Bugatti Type 64 "
  6. "70-year-old Bugatti Type 64 chassis gets a body, the old-fashioned way"
  7. "Grand Prix Racing - the whole story". Archived from the original on 2006-11-25. Retrieved 2006-12-13.