When people think of Bugatti, luxury and speed come to mind. This brand has established itself as an important name in the automobile world. However, there are many things people don’t know about them—things that you would find interesting and may make you appreciate the car brand better. This is what sets Bugatti apart from other brands.

The Features of the Logo

Bugatti’s logo has its fair share of interesting features, from the EB letters—the initials of the founder’s name, Ettore Bugatti—to the red, white, and black colors, which symbolize power, elegance, and excellence, respectively. The sixty pearls surrounding the logo remain mysterious. His father, Carlo Bugatti, designed the logo.

Bugatti’s First Car Was Not a Supercar

Some people may be surprised to hear that Bugatti didn’t start by making supercars. Ettore first car was a lightweight racing car called the Type 10, later developed to be the Type 13. This car was later bought by a private collector and can be seen today—rarely.

The Veyron Broke Records

Bugatti Veyron gets its name from Pierre Veyron, who was a French racer. Besides being Top Gear’s best car of the 2000s decade, it also shattered the record set by SSC Ultimate Aero TT to become the fastest production vehicle. Representatives from Guinness World Records witnessed its speed of 431.072 km/h.

Bugatti Has Gone Bankrupt Before

A civil court declared Bugatti Bankrupt in 1995. What brought the brand back to life was Volkswagen’s acquisition which happened in 1998. After this, Volkswagen held onto Bugatti for decades until they let them go in 2021. Bugatti then merged with Rimac Automobili to become Bugatti Rimac.

Bugatti Wins Over 2,000 Races

One of Bugatti’s cars, the Type 35, is said to be one of the greatest sports cars of all time because of its rich racing history. In the early 20th century, this car won 2000 races in less than a decade. Among these countless races was the first Monaco Grand Prix which occurred in 1929.

The “Horseshoe” Front Grille

It’s easy to notice the egg-shaped or horse-shoe-like grille in front of Bugatti vehicles. While it’s a great design choice that gives the car a sporty appearance, it is more than just aesthetics as Bugatti uses it to improve air supply to the engine.

Two-Time Le Mans Winner

One of the most challenging sporting events in the world is the 24 Hours of Le Mans. It’s an endurance race that lasts for 24 hours, and the winner is decided by who covers the most distance. Bugatti first won the Le Mans in 1937 and won it again two years later.

Bugatti Cars Are Built by Hand  

At Bugatti’s factory, they don’t depend on robots to mass produce their cars. They produce them one by one by hand. Because of this method, building vehicles is slower—the Chiron can take up to half a year—and they don’t make up to 100 cars every year. 

Family/Brand Tragedy

Jean Bugatti, a car designer and tester and the son of the founder, Ettore, met his end while testing one of Bugatti’s cars at 30 years old. About eight years later, his passing affected the company by leaving it without a successor when the founder passed away.

Bugatti Changed Nationalities

When Bugatti was founded, it was a German brand, but today, it’s French. How did that happen? The car’s home city, Molsheim, was a German city when Bugatti was founded, but in 1919, it became a French city. Molsheim would become German again in 1940 and French in 1944.