The Bugatti Type 41 “Royale” is one of the largest, most extravagant cars ever built. Ettore Bugatti designed it in the late 1920s for the kings and emperors of Europe, with a 12.7-litre straight-eight engine and a wheelbase of more than 14 feet. But it arrived as the Great Depression began, and no royal family ever bought one. Only seven were built between 1927 and 1933, and the surviving cars are among the most valuable automobiles in the world.

At a glance
Maker Bugatti, Molsheim, Alsace (France)
Years 1927–1933
Built Seven (six survive)
Engine 12.7-litre straight-eight
Wheelbase About 4.3 meters (over 14 feet)

Bugatti’s ambition

Ettore Bugatti, an Italian-born engineer and artist, built exquisite racing and sports cars in Alsace. Reportedly irritated by a remark comparing his cars unfavorably with Rolls-Royce, he set out to build the grandest car in the world — one fit only for monarchs.

A giant engine

The Royale’s engine was enormous: nearly 13 litres, with a single overhead camshaft and three valves per cylinder. The car’s scale was matched by its details, including a cast silver elephant mascot designed by Ettore’s brother, the sculptor Rembrandt Bugatti.

Seven cars, few customers

Bugatti planned a production run of 25, but the Depression destroyed the market. Only three Royales were sold to customers at the time; the rest remained with the Bugatti family. Surviving cars carry famous coachwork names such as the Coupé Napoléon, the Kellner and the Esders roadster (a recreation of its original body exists).

Engines for trains

To recover costs, Bugatti used leftover Royale engines to power high-speed railcars (autorails) for French railways, which operated successfully for years.

Where they are now

Two Royales are in the Cité de l’Automobile in Mulhouse, France, part of the famous Schlumpf collection, and others are in museums and private collections, including in the U.S. Their values are estimated in the tens of millions of dollars.

Legacy

The Royale embodies the golden age of coachbuilt luxury, when the richest buyers commissioned cars as works of art. Read about its contemporaries: Duesenberg Model J, Hispano-Suiza and Maybach Zeppelin.