Bugatti Type 101 Lepoix 1952 Prototype

The Bugatti Type 101 (also: Bugatti T 101) was the last passenger car that the French automobile manufacturer Bugatti developed and built. With him, the traditional Alsatian factory attempted to resume regular automobile production after the Second World War. As a further development of the Type 57, the T101 is considered by many to be the last real Bugatti car. In total, only one prototype and six production vehicles were built, plus two converted Type 57s. The seven chassis were built by four different body builders: Gangloff, Guillore, Antem and Virgil Exner / Ghia. Unfortunately, Bugatti was unable to build on the prewar successes.

The prototype of the T 101 had a body that had been designed by the French industrial designer Louis Lucien Lepoix. Lepoix had designed a four-door notchback sedan with fenders that flowed smoothly into the door panels. The headlights had a special design feature. They were free-standing and set back in two openings on either side of the grille. The cream-colored car is now in the Schlumpf collection. The last Type 101 was built by Ghia in 1965 and designed by Virgil Exner for the last remaining Type 101 chassis to revive the brand. It was exhibited at the Turin Motor Show, but the funding could not be arranged and the production plans were discarded.