Le Mans Yesterday and Today: Bugatti

Just outside the Top 10 of the most successful constructors at Le Mans, in 11th place, sits a brand that needs no introduction: Bugatti. In the first 24 Hours race in 1923, Bugatti entered two small Brescia 16S cars, renowned for their lightness and reliability, in an era when many race cars were large and unwieldy. Despite a challenging race due to almost continuous rain, drivers de Pourtalès and de La Rochefoucauld managed a 10th place finish—a promising start hinting at the potential Bugatti could bring to endurance racing.