BUGATTI / FRANCE

 BUGATTI / MOLSHEIM / FRANCE  ( 1909 - 1956 )

Actually, ( almost ) everything has already been written about BUGATTI and also a lot about the emblems that have been used for decades.  Most authors are content to say that it was virtually never changed, but this is wrong, as you will see. You can also read that BUGATTI emblems are always showing 60 red dots around the badge. That is also wrong. However this is only true for the most  emblems. 

The historic Bugatti emblem usually had 80 dots. However, I can show below that the first original and perfectly preserved BUGATTI emblem  even  had  120 dots. There are also white lines in the emblem that no other BUGATTI emblem shows!

just start to count the dots...

Size	9.2 cm x   4.6 cm
Year	1909 -1910
Estimate

 

 

 The “normal” BUGATTI emblem, with 60 dots and no white lines, appeared as early as 1910:

 

 

 

1914 German advertisment when the town of Molsheim still belonged to Germany showing an emblem with 60 (!) dots

 On BUGATTI emblems the red, white and black colours are not separated by metal bars. Instead the enamel powder was applied using the serigraphy technique and then fired. This is much more complicated and more demanding than the emblems where the clours are separated by metal bars.

The backside of the BUGATTI sheet metal emblem was also enamelled.

So the BUGATTI emblem could not then be soldered to the radiator as soldering tin does not adhere to enamel. That´s why all BUGATTI emblems are inserted in a metal frame:

emblem fixed in a metal frame and radiator with the typical BUGATTI  radiator cap

This emblem has been unprofessionally attached with screws, which have also severely damaged the enamel:

How many dots do you count? Also 76 ?

 

1924 advertisment showing the 60 dots  emblem and " 1 HP "

Ettore Bugatti produced radiator emblems with either round or square dots at their elliptical periphery. It is not entirely clear when Bugatti used each type. Research carried out by  Bugatti experts concluded that the early cars used emblems with round dots.  Post war cars after 1918 sometimes used emblems with square dots up to about 1928 at which time Ettore Bugatti returned to emblems with round dots.

In any case, original emblems with rectangular dots are extremely rare.  Here I can present an original example. The originality can be recognized by the fact that the backside is enameled and that the colors have run slightly over the edge of the back.

My emblem also has a small imperfection. A square dot is missing at the top right. As the reproduced emblems are machine-made, whereas Bugatti had his emblems made by hand,  using a serigraphy technique it is clear that this is an old original, which was never mounted on a vehicle because of the small imperfection.

 

rare emblem with square 77 ( ? ) dots.  How many do you count ?

 

Size	9.1 cm x 4.5 cm
Year	1919 - 1928
Estimate

 

 

1928 advertisment for MERKA spark plugs used by BUGATTI

 

At the beginning of the 1920s, the v-shaped radiator was all the fashion. BUGATTI also briefly joined this trend. For example, the Type 57 S / SC  had a V-shaped radiator with a V-shaped emblem in 1936 / 1937:

 

 

Size	18.0 cm x 6.9 cm
Year	1936  - 1937
Estimate

 

 

backside of an original v-shaped BUGATTI emblem

 

1938  BUGATTI 57 S ATLANTIC sales brochure

 And here comes an original (!) BUGATTI emblem with 80 dots.

Why it is an original emblem ?

 First:  the round dots are a little bit out of order because it was hand - made. 

Second:  please look at the distance between the letters "A" and "T" in the word BUGATTI. The right leg of the letter "A" is under the crossbar of the letter "T". Reproductions show a regular spacing here. No letter “overlaps” with another.

Third: all backsides of BUGATTI Emblems are enameled, even the repros. But original BUGATTI  emblems are not perfect in any sense.  That also applies to the back.

 

 

Size	9.0 cm x  4.6 cm
Year	1910  - 1939
Estimate

 

on top: original        down: repro

 

 There was also an original emblem where you can read on the backside: Importé d´Allemagne

I have no idea when and why it was used.

emblem collection M. Dressler

 

 And here comes a very, very rare prewar BUGATTI bumper emblem:

 

 

 Some car manufacturers were authorized to build BUGATTI vehicles under license, or to use BUGATTI designs, such as DIATTO in Italy, Crossley in England and RABAG in Germany:

 

 

If you want to learn more about DIATTO emblems please click here !

 

very rare CROSSLEY BUGATTI emblem

 Repro BUGATTI RABAG emblem:

 

look at the distance between the letters "A" and "T" !

 

1923 RABAG BUGATTI ad showing a drawn emblem without dots . Artistic freedom or real ?

 

POST WAR EMBLEMS:

 WWII was not the end of BUGATTI. In 1951 a new BUGATTI was presented, the type 101.  However, this car was unable to maintain its pre-war successes and production ceased after 5 years only.

Post war emblem made by BUGATTI with 60 dots

 

Post war emblem with spare parts number, made of 935 silver !

 

In 2016 a new badge was developed for the Bugatti Chiron. It was larger than before with a new and previously unknown visual depth. The solid badge is made of 150 grams of 970 sterling silver, dots and background made from enamel. Most badges are delivered in red. Only very few vehicles, such as the Chiron Noire or Super Sport 300+ receive an emblem in black.The badges for the Chiron increased in width by 14 millimetres and in height by 8 millimetres compared with the Veyron.

 

 

 

 

 

After WWII the American EXCALIBUR also used the design of the BUGATTI emblem. The vehicle also had the typical BUGATTI radiator in horseshoe shape. The EXCALIBUR  35 X, built in Italy,  was a replica of a Bugatti Type 35 built between 1924 and 1930. Only 27 cars were made in two years ( 1969 / 1970 ).

 

 

 In the 1980s, a replica of the BUGATTI 55 with the following emblem was built in France:

Size	11.5 cm x 5.3 cm
Year	c. 1980
Estimate

The BUGATTI  EB 110 was the first vehicle of the newly founded company Bugatti Automobili SpA in 1989, after its founder,  R. Artioli, had acquired the rights of the name “BUGATTI” in 1987. In 1997, Jochen Dauer, owner of Dauer-Racing, bought up the company's assets and continued to build the EB 110, now called DAUER EB 110 as the rights to the BUGATTI name had gone to the Volkswagen Group.

Here I can present you the DAUER EB 110 emblem:

 36 stars instead of 80 dots

Size	8.3 cm x 4.3 cm
Year	1997
Estimate

 

A (bad) repro was made by Goede in Germany with 60 red dots in a chromed frame:

kind of  "free - style " repro

backside with makers mark from GOEDE

impressive BUGATTI emblem collection

For more emblems see older posts or top right ( list of car makers).

When using a smartphone please use the button webview.