The oldest Bugatti car club in the world signs an official partnership with The Little Car Company
In 2019, The Little Car Company launched the Bugatti Baby II, a modern tribute to Ettore Bugatti’s original masterpiece, the Bugatti Baby
Together, they celebrate the marque and inspire a new generation of enthusiasts to fall in love with the world of Bugatti
The partnership offers exclusive opportunities for respective members of the two clubs
The Bugatti Owners’ Club and The Little Car Company has announced an official partnership, following the highly successful launch of The Little Car Company’s limited edition Bugatti Baby II. The stamp of approval from the world’s oldest Bugatti Owners’ Club gives the Bugatti Baby II certified status and marks the start of a prestigious relationship between The Little Car Company and the Bugatti Owners’ Club.
Founded in 1929 and with over 2000 members, The Bugatti Owners’ Club, based at Prescott Hill Climb in the UK, is the oldest club for the marque in the world. The partnership will allow like-minded members of The Little Car Company and members of the Bugatti Owners’ Club to connect and share a common passion of exquisite design and engineering. Additionally, the partnership offers a host of opportunities for respective members of the two parties to enjoy, including events at the Bugatti Owners’ Club clubhouse nestled in the iconic setting of the Prescott Speed Hill Climb, in Gloucestershire, UK.
The Little Car Company’s Bugatti Baby II is an authentic modern-day remastering of the original Bugatti Baby - not only significant in preserving the history of the Bugatti marque, but also inspiring a new generation of young Bugatti enthusiasts, a shared common purpose between The Little Car Company and the Bugatti Owners’ Club.
Gemma Price, General Manager of the Bugatti Owners’ Club, said: “As the oldest Bugatti Car Club in the world we are delighted to have formed a new partnership with The Little Car Company, focused on their Bugatti Baby II. We are looking forward to working with The Little Car Company closely and developing a strong partnership centred around the excellence of Ettore Bugatti’s design and engineering prowess that has proven to be visionary and timeless throughout the decades. This has been exceptionally captured and reimagined with the Bugatti Baby II and we look forward to celebrating this common affection through the development of the association of our two organisations.”
The original Bugatti Baby was first created in 1926, when Ettore and his son Jean decided to build a 50% scale version of the Type 35 for Ettore’s youngest son, Roland, for his fourth birthday. However, what had intended to be a one-off car, had received such positive feedback from customers visiting Molsheim, that Bugatti decided to place the Baby into production - making 500 units between 1927 and 1936. Now, fans of the marque have a chance to own a piece of history with the Bugatti Baby II.
The Baby II is based on a digital 3D scan of an original Lyon GP car with identical geometry and suspension, meaning the handling is as authentic as an enthusiast could hope for. The only nod to modernity is the introduction of adjustable dampers, allowing clients to tailor the handling in ways not possible in the Type 35’s heyday. Indeed, the Baby II’s handling was refined at the Prescott Speed Hill Climb course, home of the Bugatti Owners Club.
Other features which will appeal to enthusiasts include faithful working replicas of the original Type 35’s instruments, with some adaption for modernity. For example the fuel pressure gauge has now become the battery gauge and in a nod to the Bugatti Veyron, the oil gauge has transitioned into a power gauge. The scale replica of the famous four spoke steering wheel now has a quick release to make access to the cockpit easier. The adjustable pedals are machined from solid aluminium billet and proudly display Bugatti’s famous “EB” logo, while the fuel pump handle has been exactly reproduced, but now serves as the forward, neutral and reverse selector.
Designed for ages fourteen and above, the fully-electric Bugatti Baby II is larger in size at 75% scale of the original Type 35 and considerably faster than its predecessor, with a 0- 60kph time of just six seconds (dependent on the weight of the driver). In a nod to Bugatti’s modern engineering, the Vitesse and Pursang models even come with a ‘Speed Key’, unleashing a top speed of 70kph (42mph) As per the original, just 500 cars will be made.
Ben Hedley, CEO of The Little Car Company, said: “The Bugatti Owners’ Club have been incredibly supportive from day one and have been instrumental to the success of the Bugatti Baby II project. As custodians of Ettore Bugatti’s legacy we knew their approval would always be the hardest to earn, a remarkable undertaking that we are incredibly proud to have achieved. We are honoured that with this partnership we are able to help ensure that the extraordinary craftsmanship of Ettore lives on to be enjoyed for the generations to come.”
Click here for further information on the strictly limited edition Bugatti Baby II
