The Bugatti name is among the most revered and respected brands today. The launch of the now legendary Veyron back in 2005 shattered long-held car records and wrote several new ones that have now set the benchmark for upcoming supercars.

Most recently, the company again astounded the motoring world with the introduction of its successor, the Chiron, a Supercar built to again rewrite and redefine what a supercar is capable of.

The Bugatti name, however, isn't just limited to these two outstanding examples. With its origins dating back to 1909, the company has a history that is both interesting and surprising.

Having conceptualized and built fantastic machines other than cars, the brand was a reflection of its founder - ambitious and extraordinary.

From its beginning, its amazing concepts for air and water transport, its racing heyday, to its decline and resurgence, we look at Bugatti, beyond their Supercars.

15 Italian, French And German Origins

Bugatti Type 10

Ettore Bugatti, founder of the Original Bugatti Company started building cars in Italy, gaining acclaim when he entered his "Type 2" in the Milan Trade Fair of 1901. This impressed and forged a partnership with Baron Adrien de Turckheim, resulting in him designing cars in France. Years later, Bugatti left this partnership and in 1904 relocated to Strasbourg, Germany.

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14 The O.G Fiery Italian Car Manufacturer

Ettore Bugatti, the O.G. Italian car maker
via Bugatti

As his family, Ettore Bugatti was aristocratic and artistic, a trait evident in his designs, where form and function blended seamlessly. Taking pride in his work, Ettorre knew his competition, did better than them and wasn't afraid to call them out, and was once quoted as describing Bentleys as "fast lorries".

Bugatti Logo

A brand's identity is encapsulated by its logo. Designed by Bugatti to showcase the flair and elegance, his surname was incorporated with three primary colors - Red for passion and excitement, white for elegance and nobility, black for courage and superiority, and finally framed by sixty pearls around the oval, an influence by Etorre's father, renowned jeweler, Carlo Bugatti.

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12 The Bugatti Grille

Bugatti Veyron Collection

Aside from cars, Ettore Bugatti's other passion was horses. Owning, riding and breeding expensive thoroughbreds, Bugatti even designed a harness and door opener for his horses. This passion gave rise to the theory that the signature grille was inspired by a horseshoe, when in fact, it was the egg shapes that his father Carlo adorned his works with.

11 A Flying Bugatti

Bugatti 100 Airplane

While the Veyron broke speed records, it's still no match for the Bugatti 100, its granddaddy of sorts. In 1938, Bugatti began work on a racer for the Deutsch de la Meurthe Cup. Made of lightweight wood and powered by twin Bugatti 50P engines, his ingenious airplane design resulted in several patents for engine and flap designs.

10 A 36 Seater Bugatti

Bugatti Railcar

A testament to the genius of Ettore Bugatti was his successful design of a Railcar System. Started in 1933, it was a technological leap from the steam trains of the era. The proven efficiency of his system resulted in over a hundred of the railcars operating French Transport Routes, and in 1934, earned Bugatti a Rail Speed Record.

9 Bugatti Submarine

Bugatti boat and submarine
via Business Insider

A Bugatti concept that never materialized was his idea of Luxury Water Transport. This watercraft, according to his design, was to have eight engines, churning out twice the Veyron's horsepower, allowing trans-Atlantic crossings in fifty hours. However, in 2015, Bugatti teamed up with Palmer Johnson on a yacht project to match the Bugatti Chiron.

8 Racing Pedigree

Monaco Gran Prix race

Before Ferrari and Porsche. Ettore Bugatti was making cars and racing them. They were so good, they won the first Monaco Grand Prix. Other examples of their successes include the Type 35 being the dominant car of its time, and Bugatti cars claiming a straight five-year victory in the predecessor to rally racing - the Targa Florio.

7 What's In A Name?

Bugatti Chiron and Shiron Super Sport

Champion Bugatti drivers Pierre Veyron and Louis Chiron have the most recent Bugatti Models named after them. Albert Divo now has a version of the Chiron named after him. Before all of this, Bugatti's naming conventions were based on the sequence of production, i.e., Type 1, Type 10, Type 22.

6 Closures And Revivals

The Amazing Bugatti Factory

When the original Automobiles Etotte Bugatti closed down in 1952, attempts were made to bring the brand back to life, including one by Ettorre's son, Roland Bugatti which unfortunately didn't materialize.

It was in the '90s, however, when efforts by Italian businessman Romano Artioli resulted in a short comeback and production of the EB 110 put the brand back on track.

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5 The 1965 Type 101

!965 Bugatti Type 101

Among the early attempts at a brand revival was the Type 101, a vision of Legendary Car Designer Virgil Exner to build a modern (for its time) Bugatti. With a Ghia Roadster body that dramatically improved its appearance compared to the 1951 original. Further production for this unfortunately halted due to a lack of investors.

4 The Original Bugatti Supercar

90's Bugatti 110

Before the Veyron came along, the Bugatti EB 110 was the brand's halo car. Among the best of the supercars in its heyday, its styling, top speed, and engineering were clearly a Bugatti. Though finally bringing the marquee name back, this celebratory car was short-lived, owing to the untimely economic recession during the same time period.

3 Beyond Speed Records

Ralph Lauren owned Type 57SC

At 40 million US dollars, this car, owned by Famed Fashion Designer Ralph Lauren, is among the only two remaining examples in the world, making it not just the most expensive car in the world, but also among the rarest.

2 Rivals Under One Banner

Volkswagen Group

If he were alive today, it would be interesting to see how founder Ettore Bugatti would react, seeing his beloved company is now owned by mega-corporation Volkswagen. With Twelve of the best-known car companies under their belt, including longtime rival Bentley, the once changing fortunes of Bugatti seem to be finally in place.

1 Exclusive Then And Now

Bugatti Voiture Noire

To give an idea of Bugatti's exclusivity, during its production run, the Veyron came out with just 450 units. The current model Chiron will be limited to just 500 units. Compare this to the Ferrari LaFerrari with over 700 built or the Lamborghini Aventador at 8,000 units built, the Bugatti's past and present fully represent another class altogether.

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