Bugatti

Based in Molsheim, Alsace, since 1909, the company founded by Ettore Bugatti first built its legend in Grand Prix racing, where the Type 35 piled up victories throughout the 1920s with a mechanical elegance that became proverbial. At the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Bugatti arrived as a conqueror in the second half of the 1930s, just as its duel with Alfa Romeo was captivating the whole of Europe. It was with the Type 57G, nicknamed the "Tank" for its enveloping aerodynamic bodywork, that the marque struck its first great blow at La Sarthe. In 1937, Jean-Pierre Wimille and Robert Benoist drove the Tank to victory, proving that aerodynamic research could triumph over brute force. Two years later, in 1939, Wimille won again at the wheel of the Type 57C Tank, this time partnered by Pierre Veyron, in the final edition held before the war interrupted the race. Bugatti thus left the Le Mans stage with two wins from the last three pre-war editions. The fate of the men in those crews adds a singular dimension to the story: Robert Benoist, a hero of the French Resistance, would pay for his commitment with his life during the war, while Jean-Pierre Wimille established himself as one of the very finest drivers of the immediate post-war years. As for Pierre Veyron, his name would be immortalised decades later by the Bugatti Veyron hypercar, the manufacturer's direct tribute to its 1939 Le Mans winner. After Ettore Bugatti's death in 1947, the marque never returned to top-level competition on a lasting basis. Reborn in Molsheim in the modern era as a maker of exceptional hypercars, Bugatti nonetheless maintains an intimate bond with La Sarthe: its two victories of 1937 and 1939, won by avant-garde cars and exceptional drivers, rank among the most elegant pages in the history of the 24 Hours.

• Country : FRA
• Founded : 1909
• Le Mans wins : 2
• First win : 1937
• Last win : 1939