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The younger amongst you will only know Bugatti as a Volkswagen Group vanity project, designed to bludgeon physics and airflow out of its way until it reaches 400km/h while costing as much as a small private island.
All well and good, but the original Bugatti company was so much more interesting than that. Not only did it make fast, expensive cars which won races and Grands Prix, it also made them beautiful. Ettore Bugatti, the company's founder, was an engineer by trade but an artist at heart.
Now, you can get to see some of Ettore's artwork up close, as a super-rare 1920s Type 13 Bugatti Brescia will be making a headlining appearance at the Axa National Classic Car Show at the RDS on March 5th and 6th. The Brescia (named for a famous race win in the Italian town of Brescia) is not only fast, not only gorgeous but also historically significant, as it was one of the first cars to feature a four-valve cylinder head - something that would not become mainstream in road cars for another sixty years.
Bob Montgomery, Show Director, said: "This car has been in several Irish hands over the years. Wilf Fitzsimmons, who competed in hill climb races in the car while at Trinity College, preceded the famous Irish composer Brien Boydell as owner of this stunning vehicle. In fact, at one of the recent Phoenix Park motor races the present owner of the car, Bill Clarke, united these two men with the vehicle they had both cherished."
"The car's exceptional engineering and design made it a super car of its time. Something that the more modern Bugattis have continued to represent.
"This is an extremely rare classic car and to see it in the flesh is a privilege. Beautifully designed, the Brescia is a must-see work of art. Bugatti as a brand, despite going out of business in the 1960s, was synonymous excellent engineering and design. This was the reason that Volkswagen bought the right to the Bugatti brand name so it could build the Veyron to match the marque's spectacular brand values."