B u g a t t i

Class, Distinction, Luxury. All those words typifies the storied tradition of the Bugatti Royale. Designed and styled in 1932 by Jean Bugatti himself, he knew this car was something for the ages. The first Bugatti Royale, or type 41, was one of the most extreme luxury cars ever built.

When the company was already getting recognition in the automotive industry premier car manufacturers in the 1920’s, Jean Bugatti still had his sights on building the ultimate car. The creative and flamboyant Bugatti wanted to build a car so gorgeous and so fine that it would never have to be replaced by its owner. This car would feature a radiator cap with a statue of a performing elephant which just shows how upper-classy this automobile is.

That storied vehicle would be called the Royale. The name was given to basically highlight its superiority to the other cars and cater to the rich and famous, and among the few that could afford to buy the car was King Alphonso XIII of Spain. Its engine would be the most powerful one ever installed in an automobile at that time. Jean had convinced his father Ettore on the upsides of using overhead camshafts and multiple valves, so the new car was equipped with this engineering masterpiece. The Royale came out in the deepest part of the Depression. Nonetheless, it was a work of art.

The car itself was as glorious as the engine. Overall length was 232 inches, wheelbase was 169 inches or 6.4m and the car’s weight was a staggering 3175kg or around 7000-7500 pounds. It used a humungous 12.7 liter straight-8 engine. The cooling system held 15 gallons; the crankcase held 5 gallons and the brake drum diameters were 18 inches. Inside, the appointments were made of the finest materials available and the dash, while simple compared with today, was set in fine walnut. Its cast “Roue Royale” wheels measured 610 mm (24 inches) in diameter. All six production Royale’s still exist (the prototype was destroyed in an accident in 1931), and each has a different body, some having been re-bodied several times.

Between 1926 and 1932, only 5 Royales were made excluding its prototype. One of which broke the world record by changing hands at US$9.8 million in 1987, which was only eclipsed by Ferrari 250GTO later. The word going aroun this 1931 Bugatti Royale was sold in early June for $17 million, thus making it the priciest automobile in history.

The six Royales still exist in various collections. The most famous of these is car # 6, the Berline de Voyage. It was originally bought by Briggs Cunningham and eventually found its way, in 1985, to Tom Monaghan of Domino Pizza fame for the reported sum of $8,100,000. It now is in the hands of a Korean investor.

So the question is: Is the Bugatti Royale the finest car ever constructed? We will never know and that’s an impossible question to answer. But definitely, for its time Royale was the finest and grandest, not to mention one of the most expensive. Up until now, it is still legendary. It is a car that we can only dream of ever driving. Only the richest can afford it, thus the name.