1924 Bugatti Type 35 Centenary

Without equal at its launch in 1924, the epoch-defining Bugatti Type 35 secured more than 2,500 race victories during its active time, and its beauty, technical ingenuity and driving brilliance remain just as appealing a century later.

To understand the Bugatti Type 35, one must first understand its creator, Ettore Arco Isidoro Bugatti. Without the one, there could have never been the other.

On its debut in 1924, the Bugatti Type 35 rewrote the rulebook to such an extent, introduced so many technical innovations and raised the art of motor racing to such new heights that it could only have come from a mind utterly unrestrained by the conventions and constraints of the time.

Ettore Bugatti possessed such a mind. Born into a family influenced by the arts, design and creativity for centuries, Bugatti’s interests were numerous and diverse, and his knowledge was extensive. Although he had many successful projects to his name before he created the Type 35, Bugatti was not a trained engineer.

Perhaps, in the case of the Type 35, the lack of formal training was an advantage, not an obstacle. If Bugatti had been tutored in traditional automotive engineering, he might not have pushed the boundaries quite so far with the Type 35. And he would certainly not have created the beautiful design attributes integral to each of the technical innovations found on the car. That the Bugatti Type 35 did break new ground to such startling and never-before-seen depths was instantly apparent to all observers in 1924.