Bugatti

By (artist) Fiell, Charlotte & Peter
Short description/annotation:
Ettore Bugatti was a genius artist-engineer driven by a passion for perfection. This quest ultimately inspired the creation of some of the most beautiful high-performance cars the world has ever seen. This stunning book explores the marque’s greatest models, from landmark pre-war racers to its most recent ground-breaking hypercars.
Description:

The Man and the Legend. Ettore Bugatti was an automotive genius who combined a rare mechanical aptitude with artistic flair. Endlessly inventive, he was driven by both the visceral thrill of car racing and the desire for automotive perfection. This led to not only a remarkable portfolio of truly exceptional cars but also to the inspiration for the rebirth of his renowned marque, which has since created some of the most extraordinary hypercars ever seen. This essential TASCHEN guide showcases the crème-de-la-crème of Bugatti’s oeuvre — both past and present. Expertly written, its introduction provides insights into Ettore Bugatti’s extraordinary life, design motivations and his marque’s fascinating history, from its inception to its later phoenix-like renaissance.Showcasing a beautifully curated selection of Bugatti’s most important models, from the iconic Type 35 racer, which notched up over 2,000 wins, to arguably the most luxurious car ever made, the Type 41 Royale, right through to the firm’s recent crop of pioneering hypercars, from the immortal Veyron to the phenomenal Bolide. Each of the featured models is presented with its own in-depth descriptive text with specs detailing model, year, engine size, horsepower, top speed, transmission, and all-important production numbers together with stunning imagery taken by the world’s leading car photographers. Providing an unparalleled round-up of Bugatti’s best-of-the-best, this book is a celebration of the marque’s pursuit of “form-follows-performance” perfection.

Review quote:
“Nothing is too beautiful, nothing is too expensive.”
Biographical note:
Charlotte and Peter Fiell are well-known design authors having written over 70 books on the history, theory, and criticism of design. The Fiells have lectured widely, guest taught courses, curated exhibitions, and consulted manufacturing companies, museums, salerooms, and major private collectors around the world. Together, they have written numerous TASCHEN books, including 1000 Chairs, Design of the 20th Century, Industrial Design A–Z, 1000 Lights, Scandinavian Design, and, most recently, the double-volume Ultimate Collector Cars, Ultimate Collector Motorcycles and Ultimate Collector Watches.