Bugatti Type 44

For a Bugatti, this car has a rather modest body, but that is exactly what makes it so special. The bodywork was built by Bergeon & Descoins from Bordeaux, a company that has been involved in coachbuilding since around 1830.

For a Bugatti, this car has a rather modest body, but that is exactly what makes it very special. The bodywork of this Bugatti Type 44 was built by Bergeon & Descoins from Bordeaux, a company that has been involved in coachbuilding since around 1830. It is a so called faux cabriolet, an imitation convertible. The roof cannot actually be opened, but it is made of a darker colored material and has a so called pram hinge, which here serves purely as decoration. Despite its restrained bodywork, the Bugatti Type 44 should not be underestimated: under the hood sits a hefty three liter eight cylinder engine. The upholstery of this Bugatti is still completely original. Ettore Bugatti was born in 1881 into an Italian family of artists. He went to the art academy in Brera together with his brother Rembrandt, but he preferred engineering. He left the academy and, after working for several years at various bicycle and car factories, founded his own car factory in 1909 in Molsheim, in the German Alsace. His first car was the Type 13, with a 1.3 liter four cylinder engine with overhead camshaft. He also designed the small Peugeot Bebe. In 1913 he built his first eight cylinder engine by coupling two four cylinder engines.