Bugatti

Most people today know about Bugatti only because of its amazing supercar, the Veyron. But in fact Bugatti has one of the most interesting and storied backgrounds of any automaker currently operating.

Bugatti is a French car manufacturer founded in 1909 in Molsheim, Alsace, as a manufacturer of high-performance automobiles by Italian-born Ettore Bugatti.Bugattis were well known for the beauty of their designs (Ettore Bugatti was from a family of artists and considered himself to be both an artist and constructor) and for the large number of races they won. The death of Ettore Bugatti in 1947 proved to be the end for the marque, and the death of his son Jean in 1939 ensured there wasn't a successor to lead the factory. No more than about 8000 cars were made. The company struggled financially, and released one last model in the 1950s, before eventually being purchased for its airplane parts business in the 1960s. Today the name is owned by Volkswagen Group, who have revived it as a builder of limited production exclusive sports cars. In 1998 the Volkswagen group acquired the Bugatti name. It commissioned ItalDesign to build an 18-cylinder grand touring sedan, the concept being dubbed the EB118. After that, a series of ultra-performance sports/GT coupe concepts were built, ultimately leading to the 16.4 (16-cylinder with four turbochargers) Veyron. Debuting on showroom floors for the 2006 model year and built fittingly enough in Molsheim, France, the 16.4 Veyron featured midengine architecture, all-wheel drive and a staggering 1,001 hp from its 8.0-liter W16 engine. All that technology might allow the Veyron to lay claim to the title of fastest car in the world with a top speed of 253 mph.

Through the years, a few, even more special versions of the Veyron have become available. The Pur Sang featured a clear-coated body that showed off the Veyron's exotic aluminum/carbon-fiber construction while Grand Sport features a removable roof panel — aka targa top — that provides the additional thrill of al fresco motoring. The Veyron continues to be Bugatti's only car (it's also the most expensive mainstream new car sold in America) but it's possible the company will debut a less expensive model in the coming years.