1914 Bugatti Type 22

Ettore Bugatti was born in Milan, Italy, and the company that bears his name was founded in 1909 in Molsheim (Alsace region), which was part of the German Empire from 1871 to 1919. The Versailles Treaty formalized the transfer of Alsace from Germany to France.

Prior to the formation of his company, the very early Bugatti-built vehicles were referred to as De Dietrich Bugatti, known as the Type 2 through 7. His Type 2 of 1901 was built with financial support from Count Gulinelli, and its mechanical prowess and design earned it an award from the Milan Trade Fair that year. Equally impressed was Baron Adrien de Turckheim, managing director of the Lorraine-Dietrich automobile factory in Niederbronn (German Alsace region). He hired the 21-year-old Bugatti, and under his guidance emerged the (known today as) Type 3 through Type 7 before leaving to join Strasbourg-based Mathis in the German Alsace in 1904. Between 1902 through 1904, approximately 100 examples of the Types 1 through 7 were constructed.

While working as chief engineer at Deutz Gasmotoren Fabrik in Cologne, Germany, Bugatti built a prototype known as the Type 10 in his basement. It was powered by a monobloc straight-four-cylinder engine to a design penned by Ettore. It had a 60 mm bore, 100 mm stroke, a 1.1 liter (1131cc) displacement, and an overhead-cam unit with two valves per cylinder. The roadster coachwork was suspended by solid axles and a front-leaf suspension system. The rear was devoid of suspension. Drum brakes were operated via cables.

When Ettore's contract with Deutz concluded, he left in the Type 10 and headed to the Alsace region (still part of the German Empire) in search of a factory to produce his vehicle. His journey led him to a factory in Molsheim and he would later (in 1928) acquire Château St. Jean as the place where he received his customers to celebrate their purchases in unique style. The Château was approximately 1000 feet away from the factory.

The Type 13 was a 1.4-liter (1,368cc) automobile that had an enlarged 65mm bore and a four-valve head design. With the help of dual Zenith carburetors, it produced 30 horsepower. Unlike the Type 10, the Type 13 received leaf springs at both the front and the rear. Five examples were entered in the French Grand Prix at Le Mans in 1911, along with many other racing and hill climb events. At Le Mans, the Bugatti placed second overall.

The Type 13, the company's first true production automobile, was followed by the Type 15, Type 17, Type 22, and Type 23. The Type 15 had a longer 94.5-inch wheelbase (approximately 16 inches longer), semi-elliptical rear leaf springs, and a six-sided radiator. The Type 17 rested on a 100.4-inch wheelbase and had a hexagonal radiator. The Type 22 had an oval radiator, quarter-circle springs, and a larger body. The Type 23 had a boat-tail body, an oval radiator, and a two-valve engine.

The Type 22

Like the automobiles Ettore had built before the Type 22, it relied on elegance, sophistication and a lightweight frame and mechanical componentry. Interestingly, the Type 22 of 1913 and 1914 used the same wheelbase size as those used for the later-built 1920s Type 22.

The early Bugatti's were powered by the 'signature motor,' so-named because they bore Ettore Bugatti's signature on the motor. The Type 22 had an ovalized brass radiator, rounded edges, wire wheels, and swooping fenders. The shape of the radiator is attributed to Ettore's love of horses or to the archway in front of his chateau.

The 1,400cc engine had two valves per cylinder, a roller bearing (all bearing) camshaft with banana tappets (no rocker arms or pushrods), a cast nickel header system, a copper water tank, a bronze impeller, and a brass radiator. Bronze, brass, and copper were used for the trim; 1913 was the last year brass was used (also, the first year for electric lights - there was no electric starter). The interior housed jaeger gauges that included a clock, altimeter, electric brass horn, volt meter for the dry cells, and pressure gauge for the fuel. The race-car style seating used a right-hand drive configuration with the shift and brake controls located outside, resulting in more room for the driver and passenger. Behind the engine, and beneath the foot panel, was the transmission that attached to both frame rails and stiffened the chassis.

After World War I, production of the Type 13 resumed and they took the top four places at the Brescia Grand Prix in 1921 (Italian Grand Prix for Voiturettes at the racetrack in Lombardy), earning it the nickname, the 'Brescia' (all subsequent four-valve Bugatti models bore the Brescia moniker). Long wheelbase versions followed, known as the Type 22 and Type 23 models.

by Daniel Vaughan | Dec 2022