Collectors & Aficionados
Part 3 - A Bugatti in your garage? Some good reasons to having one
The Bugatti Baby, a miniature replica of the Type 35, was created by Ettore Bugatti in 1927 for his son Roland. With an electric engine and 12 Volt battery, it reached speeds over 12 mph. Today, well-preserved models can sell for $30,000 to $50,000.
With no visual references to show that it is exactly half the size of a real Type 35, the Bugatti Baby could fool just about anyone when seen in a photograph. A toy for fortunate children, the Baby was created in 1927 by Ettore for his son Roland, who was five at the time. Equipped with an electric engine of the sort used as a starting motor for the Royale, it is powered by a 12 Volt battery that allows the car to reach more than 12 miles an hour.
The beauty of the model encouraged Ettore to put it into production, each unit with its individual chassis number, just like the adult versions. We do not know exactly how many were produced, but experts surmise that over 300 left the factory, some with a lengthened wheelbase to suit slightly older children. Given its potential performance, it was even used for mini-races that might nurture the passion for cars among the very young. Since the price was fully in line with that of a Bugatti 35 racing vehicle, the Bugatti Baby (the name Type 32 was never officially endorsed) delighted the junior members of various royal families, including Prince Ranier of Monaco and Baudouin, the future king of Belgium, as well as becoming a favorite plaything of the Agnelli children at their hillside residence near Turin. Even Mussolini, the Italian Dux, owned two of them: the one given to his son Vittorio is still in the hands of an Italian collector.
