Ettore Bugatti, born in Milan, Italy, founded the automobile company bearing his name in 1909 in Molsheim then part of the German Empire until 1919.
Bugatti was known both for the level of detail of its engineering and for the their art nouveau design.
Over the years, they produced a series of luxury cars, such as Bugatti Royale, as well as some of the most famous racing cars. Bugatti Type 35 is likely to be the most successful racing car of all time, with more than 2.000 wining positions.
The death of Ettore Bugatti's son, Jean Bugatti, while testing a Type 57 tank-bodied race car, marked a turning point in the company's fortunes. Ettore Bugatti died on 21 August 1947. Following Ettore Bugatti's death in 1947, the business declined further and Bugatti finally ceased operations in 1952.