The €30,000 Bugatti Baby II You Can Drive Without a License

Ettore Bugatti’s famous 1926 “Bugatti Baby” is being re-released in a limited edition run of 500 units and has started series production.

Last year at the 2019 Geneva International Motor Show, Bugatti revealed plans to re-release the original 1926 “Bugatti Baby” in collaboration with The Little Car Company.

Originally developed back in 1926 by Ettore Bugatti and his son Jean, the Bugatti Baby was built as a scaled-down version of the Type 35 (and affectionately known as the “Type 52”) to celebrate the fourth birthday of Ettore’s youngest son Roland.

Initially, it was only going to be a one-off build. However, as others witnessed little Roland tearing around the Molsheim homestead and workshop in the miniaturized Type 35, it quickly became apparent that other parents wanted in, and the popular Bugatti Baby went into production between 1927 and 1936, producing around 500 units during that time.

While the original Bugatti Baby was a 50% scale of the Type 35, it struggled to fit a child any older than eight. In contrast, the Bugatti Baby II has been designed at 75% scale and will be suitable for ages fourteen upwards.

“Ettore Bugatti himself was already interested in catering to the children of Bugatti enthusiasts and designed the Type 52 miniature car as a genuine Bugatti. That was a sensation at the time,” says Stephan Winkelmann, President of Bugatti. “We are continuing this tradition with the new edition of the Bugatti Baby II, and I am delighted that we have found The Little Car Company, a partner that shares the same values as us. With the Bugatti Baby II, we invite a young generation of enthusiasts to fall in love with the wonderful world of Bugatti.”

To cater to clients’ varying needs, the Bugatti Baby II is being produced in three different versions:

The Bugatti Baby II Base model 

• Prices starting at €30,000
• Composite body 
• 1.4kWh battery pack
• Novice drive mode – 1kW of power and limited to 20km/h (12mph)
• Expert drive mode – 4kW of power and limited to 45km/h (30mph)

The Baby Bugatti Vitesse model

• Prices starting at €43,500
• Carbon fiber body
• More powerful 2.8kWh battery pack with an upgraded powertrain and a Chiron-like “Speed Key” to enable it to go even faster
• Novice drive mode – 1kW of power and limited to 20km/h (12mph)
• Expert drive mode – 4kW of power and limited to 45km/h (30mph)
• Bugatti Speed Key option to increase to 10kW of power and a top speed of 70km/h (42mph)

– The Bugatti Baby II Pur Sang collector model

• Prices starting at €58,500
• Hand-built aluminum bodywork (most closely represents the traditional coachbuilding techniques – taking over 200 hours to create)
• More powerful 2.8kWh battery pack with an upgraded powertrain and a Chiron-like “Speed Key” to enable it to go even faster
• Novice drive mode – 1kW of power and limited to 20km/h (12mph)
• Expert drive mode – 4kW of power and limited to 45km/h (30mph)
• Bugatti Speed Key option to increase to 10kW of power and a top speed of 70km/h (42mph)

Although more attuned to the power and dynamics of the much larger models, even Bugatti test driver Andy Wallace has been impressed with the smaller version sharing, “When you first sit in the car and look at each tiny detail, it reminds me in some ways of the first few months with the Chiron. You get the same feeling walking around the car, as everywhere you look there are beautifully engineered solutions and design details that really are quite amazing. It would be easy to create something like this with a quarter of the quality, but that’s what’s so brilliant about this car: it’s absolutely top-of-the-line, a work of art on wheels. “

“In its most powerful mode, when you have the ‘Speed Key’ inserted, the Baby II is a very fast car. It’s quite impressive and brilliantly fun. You get a lovely feel of balance, it handles just like the original Type 35 and the regenerative braking is a very cool touch. It’s truly an authentic Bugatti, there are no questions about that.”

The Little Car Company CEO Ben Hedley shared, “To develop the Baby II we had to walk a fine line. We wanted to pay tribute to the original Bugatti Baby and Type 35, but also wanted to integrate modern technology and make it fun to drive. We are delighted to deliver the hand-built Baby II to customers and allow multiple generations to share the joy of driving. We believe that the vehicle is something really special, delighting collectors and car enthusiasts around the world. As a counterpoint to Bugatti’s production car world speed record last summer, we have developed a vehicle which you can enjoy at much lower speeds with your children and grandchildren”.

And if roaring around town isn’t enough to get the adrenaline pumping for your young ones (and let’s be honest – probably yourself after you’ve attempted to squeeze into the driver’s seat), as a Bugatti Baby II owner you’ll also get the added perk of becoming a Bugatti Owner’s Club member and be invited to all member events, allowing your kids and grandkids to race around some of the most famous motor racing circuits in a pint-sized Bugatti!

Bugatti Baby: www.bugattibaby.com