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Ettore Bugatti (1881–1947) - This is the man we can thank for such  good-looking vehicles: Italian-born French automobile designer and manufacturer Ettore Bugatti, who founded Automobiles E. Bugatti in 1909.

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Bugatti Type 13 - At the Paris Motor Show in 1919, Ettore Bugatti exhibited three vehicles, including a Type 13 with a racing body (pictured). This was the first true Bugatti car. (Photo: Wikimedia/CC BY-SA 3.0)

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Bugatti Type 35B - In 1929, a Bugatti won the first-ever Monaco Grand Prix. Bugatti also won the 24 hours of Le Mans twice, in 1937 and 1939. (Photo: Wikimedia/CC BY-SA 3.0)

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Bugatti Type 50 - Produced in the 1930s, the Bugatti Type 46, and later Type 50, were large enclosed touring cars. (Photo: Wikimedia/CC BY-SA 4.0)

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Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic - Created from a design by Jean Bugatti, son of founder Ettore, Type 57s were built from 1934 through 1940. Pictured is a 1938 supercharged version, which today belongs to fashion designer Ralph Lauren. (Photo: Wikimedia/CC BY-SA 3.0)

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Bugatti Type 57SC Aéro Coupé - This is the famous 1936 metallic grey-blue Bugatti sold to Victor Rothschild, 3rd Baron Rothschild. He was to later abandon the vehicle in a field after the engine blew up. (Photo: Flickr/CC BY 2.0)

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Bugatti Type 59 Grand Prix racer - The company's premier race car of the 1930s, the Bugatti Type 51 series included the Type 59. The model pictured is also from the Ralph Lauren collection. (Photo: Wikimedia/CC BY-SA 3.0)

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Precision engineering - Under Ettore Bugatti, the company was renowned for both the level of detailed engineering in its automobiles... (Photo: Flickr/CC BY-NC 2.0)

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Artistic design - ...and the aesthetic manner in which car designs were executed, influenced perhaps by the fact that Ettore's father was a celebrated Art Nouveau furniture and jewelry designer. (Photo: Flickr/CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

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Bugatti Type 43 - Evolved from the Bugatti 8-cylinder line introduced in 1922, the Type 43 made headlines as the world's first 100 mph (161 km/h) production car. (Photo: Flickr/CC BY 2.0)

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Bugatti Type 57S Atalante - Pictured is the interior of a Bugatti Type 57S Atalante. Just 710 examples of Type 57s were built. The Type 57S/SC variants are some of the most iconic Bugatti cars.

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Bugatti Type 41 Coupé Napoleon - Better known as the Royale, Bugatti's large luxury series was built from 1927 to 1933. These are ultra rare models: only three of the seven made were sold, and there are just six left in the world. The Coupé Napoleon pictured was Ettore Bugatti's personal vehicle. (Photo: Flickr/CC BY-SA 2.0)

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Bugatti Type 41 Coupé de ville Binder - In 1999, this car was purchased by Volkswagen AG (the current owner of the Bugatti brand) for a reported US$20 million, a figure today worth US$31 million when adjusted for inflation. (Photo: Wikimedia/CC BY-SA 3.0)

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Bugatti Type 35 - The emblematic Type 35 was the most successful of the Bugatti racing models, winning over 1,000 races in its time. (Photo: Flickr/CC BY-NC 2.0)

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Bugatti Type 37 - The Type 35 chassis and body were reused on the Type 37 sports car.

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Toys for boys - In 1926, Ettore Bugatti made a half-scale Type 35 roadster for his son Roland's fourth birthday. The Baby Bugatti was all-electric and included a leather seat and wrapped aluminum dashboard, just like the full-sized Type 35.

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Jean Bugatti (1909–1939) - The eldest son of Ettore Bugatti, Jean Bugatti was responsible for much of the Type 41 Royale design and four bodies for the Type 57. He also frequently tested the company's prototypes. Sadly, he was tragically killed in 1939 while road-testing a Type 57 tank-bodied racer. (Photo: Wikimedia/CC BY-SA 4.0)

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Bugatti Type 73 - After WWII, Bugatti designed and planned to build a series of new cars, including the Type 73 road car (pictured) and the Type 73C single seat racing car. However, only five Type 73 cars were ever built.

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Decline - Jean Bugatti's death marked a watershed moment in the company's fortunes, but it was the passing of Ettore Bugatti in 1947 that effectively closed the door on the business. By 1952, Bugatti had ceased operations.

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Revival - The Bugatti brand revival began in 1987 as Bugatti Automobili S.p.A. During this period, the Bugatti EB110 was introduced. Formula One World Champion driver Michael Schumacher was one of the first to purchase an EB110, this in 1994. (Photo: Wikimedia/CC BY-SA 2.0 DE)

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Bugatti Veyron EB 16.4 - Volkswagen Group acquired the Bugatti brand in 1998. Its first regular-production vehicle was the Bugatti Veyron EB 16.4, named after French racing driver Pierre Veyron. (Photo: Wikimedia/CC BY 2.0)

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Bugatti Veyron EB 16.4 - The Veyron's bespoke interior provides a luxurious drive.

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Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Vitesse - The Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Vitesse can accelerate from a standstill to 62 mph (100 km/h) in 2.6 seconds. On normal roads, the Vitesse is electronically limited to 233 mph (375 km/h)... (Photo: Flickr/CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

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Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Vitesse - ...but it can achieve a staggering top speed of 254 mph (408 km/h)!

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Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport - However, Bugatti's Super Sport model is the boss of boost. It has a 267 mph (431 km/h) top speed, making it the fastest production road car in the world at the time of its introduction in 2010. (Photo: Flickr/CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

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Bugatti Chiron - The successor to the Veyron, the Bugatti Chiron made its debut in early 2016. In a world-record-setting test, the Chiron reached 249 mph (400 km/h) in 32.6 seconds. It took 9.4 seconds to brake to standstill! (Photo: Wikimedia/CC BY-SA 2.0)

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Bugatti Chiron -

It will cost you a cool €2.4 million (US$2.8 million) to drive one of these out of the showroom. No problem for some: the first 200 cars were sold before the first delivery of the vehicle. (Photo: Wikimedia/CC BY-SA 4.0)

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Bugatti Chiron - The Chiron's plush, high-tech interior.

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110 Ans Bugatti - Just 20 examples of this car were produced. A limited edition based on the Chiron Sport, the Ans was developed to celebrate 110 years of Bugatti. (Photo: Wikimedia/CC BY-SA 4.0)

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Bugatti La Voiture Noire - The "Black Car" is a one-off special introduced at the 2019 Geneva International Motor Show. While its design is based on the Chiron, the overall aesthetic is an affectionate nod towards the Type 57 SC Atlantic from the 1930s.

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Bugatti La Voiture Noire - This beast is powered by the same 8.0-liter quad turbocharged W16 engine from the Chiron. However, the 7-speed dual-clutch gearbox and the all-wheel-drive system have been seriously revised. (Photo: Wikimedia/CC BY-SA 4.0)

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Bugatti La Voiture Noire - Bugatti has confirmed that the car is still in production, and will not be released for another two years. But, wait for it... anyone wanting one of these in their backyard will have to part with an eye-watering €11 million (US$12.5 million), making this the most expensive production car in the world.

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Bugatti Vision Gran Turismo - But even that price tag pales in comparison to the €16 million (US$18 million) this single-seater concept car costs to buy. Only one Gran Turismo exists, and has so far been owned by two very wealthy individuals.

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Status symbol - Speaking of which, only the super rich can afford a Bugatti, people like Hollywood actor Jamie Foxx, who had his Bugatti Veyron's bodywork customized in gold.

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Wheels of fortune - When the "Terminator" is not burning rubber on his Harley, he too enjoys cruising around Tinseltown in a Bugatti Veyron.

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It's a bling thing - Kendall Jenner at the wheel of a Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse.

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In gear - Simon Cowell flashes a characteristic toothy grin as he takes his Bugatti Veyron out for a spin.

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Build your own Bugatti -

Very few of us will ever be able to afford a real-life Bugatti. But Lego has the next best thing—a model kit, which perfectly recreates the cutting-edge Chiron supercar. However, this gift still costs a whopping €380 (US$430).

See also: Celebrities in the driving seat. 

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