Bugatti Baby 1/2 size Type 35 Children's Car (Electric)

 The original Bugatti Type 35 was a dominant race car that won over 1000 races in its time. At its peak, the Type 35 averaged 14 race wins each week, gaining popularity everywhere it raced from people of all ages. 

Ettore Bugatti built a half size ‘Baby’ - known as a ‘Baby Bugatti’ (sometimes incorrectly referred to today as a Type 52) - based on the full sized Type 35, to entertain his second son, 5-year-old Roland.  It was shown at the Bugatti display area at the Milan Auto Salon. There was an incredible amount of interest among families, so Bugatti made the decision to put the Baby Bugatti into production. 

While this Baby on display is a replica, it is nearly identical to the Baby Bugatti’s that were built at the Bugatti Factory in Molsheim, France. As you might expect, Bugatti did not build a miniature inline-eight-cylinder engine to fit in the Baby Bugatti. Instead, the Baby was powered by a single 12-volt electric motor with forward and reverse gears. The replica also uses a Paris-Rhone electric motor! 

When production concluded, a total of 500 Baby’s were built, 150 with a short wheelbase and 350 with a 6 inch longer wheelbase to accommodate bigger kids. Many examples were used as toys, though races were also organized so kids could compete against each other. While it wasn’t as grueling as the 630-mile Targa Florio that the original Type 35 won in five consecutive tries, kids were always smiling at the wheel of their Baby Bugatti.