Bugatti · 1898–1900
Bugatti Type 1
The Bugatti Type 1 or Prinetti & Stucchi Type 1 was an automobile designed by Ettore Bugatti and produced by Prinetti & Stucchi in 1899. It had four engines, two on each side of the rear axle. The first real production Bugatti was the Bugatti Type 13. At the age of 17, Ettore Bugatti won a race at Reggio Emilia on the Type 1.
Text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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Type 0
The Type 0 was the original "Bugatti" branded vehicle, being constructed in 1897; it was originally a Prinetti & Stucchi motorcycle, however it was fitted with two De Dion-Bouton motors, which made it significantly more powerful than the 0.75 hp (0.76 PS; 0.56 kW) 98 cc (6.0 cu in) Single in the Prinetti and Stucchi, with a 400 cc (24 cu in) 2.25 hp (2.28 PS; 1.68 kW) De Dion-Bouton twin. Bugatti would describe it as "Lethargically slow but fantastic handling". The vehicle would have three wheels. The car was a proof of concept for Bugatti for the Type 1. The car would be dubbed the Type 0 in 1913, and before then be labelled as just the "1897 Bugatti". It would ultimately remain a one off, and would be destroyed in World War I.
Type 1
The Type 1 was designed by Bugatti while he was an apprentice at Prinetti & Stucchi. When the 1899 Reggio Emilia race was announced, Ettore was allowed to convert a Prinetti & Stucchi into a Tricycle so he could race with it. This original Type 1 was fitted with two De Dion-Bouton Singles, which unlike the Type 0 would be two engines put together instead of just a twin. The car was a tricycle. The versions with multiple engines would be labelled the "Type 1/1" for the single motor version, "Type 1/2" for the twin motor version, and the "Type 1/4" for the quad motor version.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0); text is shortened. Read the full article for the complete history and citations.
Specifications
- name
- Bugatti Type 1, Prinetti & Stucchi Type 1
- Designer
- Ettore Bugatti
- Manufacturer
- Prinetti & Stucchi
- Engine
- 1, 2, or 4 De Dion-Bouton Singles , each motor being 301.5 cc
- Successor
- Bugatti Type 2
- Assembly
- Milan
- Kerb weight
- 231 kg (Type 0) , 195 kg (Single Motor) , 235 kg (Dual Motor), 270 kg (Quad Motor)
- Model years
- 1898-1900 (4 made, 1 converted to Bugatti Type 2)
- Transmission
- 3-speed Manual
- Length
- 2000 mm (Type 1) , 1898 mm (Type 0)
- Wheelbase
- 1897 mm (Type 1) , 1548 mm (Type 0)
- Width
- 333 mm (Type 1) , 349 mm (Type 0)
- Height
- 1470 mm (Type 1) , 1622 mm (Type 0)
- sp
- uk
Specification summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Check the linked sources for citations.
More photos
Sources
- Wikidata — https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4986138CC0 1.0 · retrieved 2026-10-01
- Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bugatti_Type_1CC BY-SA 4.0 · Text © Wikipedia contributors; revision 1360964819 · retrieved 2026-10-01
- Car Model Index — https://models.autoculturesociety.com/Compiled record. Sources that do not permit reuse are not copied; this index is credited instead.