Bugatti: Type 50 & Supercars A Century of Genius 2 Book Set

Launched in 1930, the Bugatti Type 50 heralded a new era with the introduction of the Molsheim marque’s first twin-cam design, a supercharged 4.9-litre straight-eight engine of prodigious power. At a time when brute force was needed to win the Le Mans 24 Hours, a competition version was developed and three such Type 50s took part in 1931. The car around which this book is focused, 50177, was leading the famous endurance race when the team withdrew it owing to tyre failures that had afflicted the sister cars, causing one to crash heavily at high speed. 

The fascinating story of 50177, and the Type 50 in general, is told in this brilliantly researched and superbly illustrated book in the Great Cars series. Introductory chapters explain the economically perilous world of 1931, the genius of Ettore and Jean Bugatti, the bloodline of large-capacity Bugatti engines, and the Type 46 from which the Type 50 was derived. There follows an in-depth exploration of the Type 50’s design and development, including the Miller inspiration behind its twin-cam engine. The four Le Mans races in which Type 50s took part form the core of the book and tell a story of promise unfulfilled. The subject car, 50177, raced three times, in 1931 as a works entry with race no. 5 (driven by Albert Divo and Guy Bouriat) and in 1934 and 1935 with works assistance as no. 2 (driven by Pierre Veyron and Roger Labric). A section about the drivers presents illustrated biographies of the four men who raced 50177 as well as the four others in the 1931 works team — Louis Chiron and Achille Varzi in no. 4 and Maurice Rost and Count Caberto Conelli in no. 6. Post-war, three-time Le Mans winner Luigi Chinetti bought 50177 in 1949 and took it to America, where it spent nearly 50 years with five different owners. The last of them was Miles Coverdale, a passionate Bugatti collector who kept the car for 23 years and uncovered much of its history through correspondence with former works mechanics, notably Robert Aumaître. 

Co-authors Mark Morris and Julius Kruta, well-known in the Bugatti world for their immense knowledge and enthusiasm, present a wealth of fresh information and illustration in this fine book. Brilliantly setting the scene – the book introduces the economically perilous world of 1931, the genius of Ettore and Jean Bugatti, the bloodline of large-capacity Bugatti engines, and the Type 46 from which the Type 50 was derived. Exploring in depth – the authors examine the T50’s design and development, including the Miller inspiration behind its twin-cam engine, and a detailed description of its technical features and iconic coachwork. A wealth of fresh information – the expert authors, well-known in the Bugatti world for their knowledge and enthusiasm, present this brilliantly researched and superbly illustrated new book in the publisher’s acclaimed ‘Great Cars’ series.

In a fresh view of Bugatti, this book frames the design highlights of a series of Bugatti supercars that colour the marque’s journey from its origins as an early ‘supercar’ to its reborn reality as a modern ‘hypercar’. These Bugatti's have been chosen to tell a story that uniquely covers the original Bugatti's and the very latest iterations of Bugatti. Joining the two Bugatti camps, old and new, together creates a new roadmap of Bugatti coverage that is essential reading for both those familiar with the marque and for more recent Bugatti enthusiasts across a wider motoring landscape.

Blending engineering, styling, art and more, Bugatti’s unique story has stretched over one hundred years, giving us cars that capture the soul through exquisite engineering and design. Illustrated with stunning photographs, many of which are previously unpublished, the seasoned enthusiast, the established aficionado and the younger generation of Bugatti newcomers are provided with an up-to-date album of Bugatti information. The text is a guide by which to enter and explore Bugatti and also a conversation about Bugatti details and delights for those with deeper knowledge of the marque.