خط تولید Bugatti

 

Bugatti
Bugatti EB110.........Still standing tall among modern supercars
By L.Marvin / Senior Editor........Photos L.Marvin "All copyrights" 2005

 

 

It is often said that history is the best judge of the accomplishments of man. This is never truer than the look back at the EB110 & EB110SS. While it may not seem like it, we need to jump back almost 20 years to really apperciate both the rebirth of Bugatti as a living automotive marque. Well know and know legendary Bugatti fanatic Romano Artioli put Bugatti the brand back among the living automotive supercars

There has been much written by well meaning authors who's text is based on rumors and gossip, all seen from a distance. This is a shame

The factory as new, before the assembly line was setup

In order to create this look back at EB110 and the Campogalino factory in the late 1980's & early 1990's from a inside. I chose to use my personal first hand experiences at Bugatti. As well as some of my original ( never before published ) photos

EB 110 Blocks waiting for full build up

One of the many army of machine tooling stages

My introduction to Bugatti came via our friends at Zagato. As such my direction was to help advise on currency risk, as well as technical efforts towards the American market. The fluxuations of the Italian Lira vs US Dollar, and other major currencies. This would create major negative cost factors for everything in Bugatti's future

The ever beautiful EB110 & Bugatti's equally stunning Press Mgr. in the background

Romano Artoili was a very personable and direct communicator. An aggressive, forceful businessman, always seeking to expand his business advantage. It was this almost reckless aggressiveness that lured Artioli, over extending his business empire. The EB112 Program would have given Bugatti a new luxury touring sedan and a deeper luxury worldwide customer base. The EB112 program was on a successful path to profitability. The temtation to acquire Lotus outragious cash drain,doomed Artoili's automotive empire. The EB112 programs failure created serious muilt-million dollar losses for the other important partner of the EB112 porgram, Italdesign. 

The cash drain created by acquisition of Lotus, and it's management were fatal. It is important remember that without Artioli's personal desire there would have been the modern Lotus Elise, for which continues to be the product Lotus surrives on today!  The Elise has been a massive success. 

Add into this mix that FIAT senior management did not want Bugatti to ever see the light of day. As it was seen as a threat to Ferrari and Maserati. so every effort was made to thwart Bugatti, much like what happened to Tucker in USA. Bugatti hired away employees from Ferrari, Maserati and Alfa Romero

It's a tuff job..but someone has to hang out and preserve history

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Paying 3 times the hourly wages that his workers recieved at previous employers, also created a very high labor cost per unit. No wonder the workers were so happy to show for work

Engine Assembly Shop, a very open enviorment

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So take and pile all of these risks, supply problems, as well as lavish promotional events, a new factory and you get a cocktail of explosive results. Sadly Bugatti became on of the largest house of cards in modern history. But the EB110 perfromance has become a enduring icon in a chapter of Bugatti's history.  Now the question is will the EB16 suffer a similar fate? Only time will tell. 

Mr.Artioli's passion for Bugatti produced not only a great collectable supercar. Also spectacular factory, more than a rival any of the other famous performance or luxury companies of the late 1980's

EB assemblyline

The engine that Artioli envisioned was a engineering tour de force,even by today's standards. However unlike the VW vision of a Bugatti engine concept.  Artioli's vision was the classical 3.5 liter displacement, as a V12. The EB110 was the first supercar to have quad turbos, and five valves per cylinder. Which delivered a totally useable 550 HP. The EB110SS deliver 600+ Hp of useable performance

Ah, the foundational Bugatti concept 3.5 liters, then add 4 turbos

So we can see that even the basic power concept of 4 turbo on EB16 is directly similar to the EB110 power package. Not to mention the EB110's 4wh drive concept to allow for control of power to the ground for basic consumer experienced drivers

Beauty & Power blended into dynamic combination

This made for an almost effortless performance package, even at speeds over 200mph!  Rising star of F1 , Michael Schumacher took his crome yellow EB110SS, with OEM street tires, set a unofficial speed record of 218 mph! All this with a stone stock, street car off the showroom floor

 The EB16 is a much heavier car, 4300 lbs in all. While does produce a 1000Hp. Purchase price of the EB16 is almost 3 times the cost of a EB110SS.  Also you pickup an almost 1150 lbs. additional weight. All for the EB16's extra 35 mph of top speed over the EB110SS.    Iam not sure that "gain" is a good deal. As Bugatti himself always claimed, "the ulitmate enemy is weight

Bugatti was hoping to deliver 4 cars per week

The EB110SS was closer to a street legal endurance race car. As it was lighter. As for fuel comsuption the EB110SS looked like a economy car in comparison to the modern day EB16. By some other automotive publications EB16 gets 2.5 miles to the gallon at top speed. That translates into car with no real driving range, to go anywhere but the next gas station

At the time of Artioli's Bugatti, program every aspect was state of the art and beyond the almost every other supercar including the McLaren.  McLaren owners were experiencing unexpected aerodynamic problems that caused many accidents. The british press reported several cases where the car flew off the road with no warning! Lifting the cars off the road, was the suggested cause.

That was never an issue for Bugatti's EB110 or EB110SS. The McLaren won the 24Hrs of LeMans in stunning fashion, also winning several other important races in Europe.  This was something Bugatti tried with the EB110 but fate would deny them this chance at glory

Early EB 110's final QC check prior to delivery

The EB110 was the first real production supercar designed to make full use of advanced composites, of real aviation grade specfications. Created before the McLaren, Bugatti cut the trail and proved the viability of road use. Some aspects of the construction rivaled even the F-1 cars of that period

Yes, Ferrari and McLaren followed quick step with incorporation of composite and carbon fiber materials. McLaren's construction was a fuller carbon fiber package, but not better in it's final result. The Ferrari F50 did not come into being until well after the EB110.

The F50 was a generational step beyond the McLaren & EB110SS, as Ferrari was building a factory section dedicated for future projects as we see in the modern Ferrari Enzio. In the late 1980's an early 1990's none of the other supercars were no where near the build sophistication of Artoli's Bugatti program

My 1st drive of EB110 "mule car", blistering the Autostrada

I can say as someone who enjoyed the opportunity to drive the mule and preproduction models of the standard EB110 & the EB110SS.  The total package was worthy of every ounce of praise that was offered in the world press at the time. The EB110SS was a real threat to any of the European sportscar status brands.

I can say as someone who enjoyed the opportunity to drive the mule and preproduction models of the standard EB110 & the EB110SS.  The total package was worthy of every ounce of praise that was offered in the world press at the time. The EB110SS was a real threat to any of the European sportscar status brand

The Silver EB110 was a magnet

Driving the Bugatti required attention as the excelleration is similar to a top fuel dragster, but with all of the control you would expect from a highend sports coupe sedan. The clutch was not short, but could be feathered in regular traffic with the ease of a Porsche Turbo. Also the drive train did not have any whiplash.

The power delivery was predictable and on the autostrada the EB110 was calm while screaming along at speeds even over 200 mph.  On tight twisty roads the Bugatti was a real joy to drive as the 4wh drive was really ensuring the drivers total command

Nothing on the EB110 was ever over looked

What was really impressive about the Bugatti perspective, was the total attention to detail in every aspect of each stage of creation and assembly. There was never any thought about time. It wasn't as if something had to get finished today. It only mattered that it was perfect, and however long that took then that was all that mattered

An Army of muilt-task tooling just installed

I came in to Bugatti when the factory was just coming together. As seen by the above photo of the new tooling stations that were being brought online. Also I wish I had gotten a photo of the number of engines that were subjected to total Dyno-Destruction testing. The EB110 engines assembled with the greatest of care. The amount of hand labor was not even trackable

All hand built , without any concern for time

The engine assembly workers were almost more like jewlers and if anything did not seek to feel right, then it was replaced with a better part that felt or fit as they saw as perfect, not just good or ok. Craftsmanship like this is still trully rare

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Italian craftsmanship with no concern of time or cost

Again one of the untimed hand labor steps was the custom porting that every cylinder head recieved. This could take hours. No matter, it was the final product that mattered

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Hand Porting, hand labor and a delicate task

Once the final engine core was ready then a similar process began to deliver a power unit that could be dyno tested and then rated for Hp output

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Jewlery pales by comparison

If an engine did not seem to respond correctly to urging from the dyno test. Then it was subjected to longer testing and then torn down for inspection

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The Silver EB110 was a magnet