Towards the end of World War II, Ettore Bugatti set about creating an all-new and altogether more affordable production model due to be constructed in a purpose-built factory in Levallois near Paris. Known as the Type 73, the four-cylinder engined machine duly debuted at the 1947 Paris Auto Salon. Sadly, all momentum was lost with the death of Ettore Bugatti himself during the same year, and the ambitious project was abandoned altogether. While the company was restructured, Bugatti’s general manager Pierre Marco and Ettore’s youngest son from his first marriage, Roland, created the Type 101. Very much a stopgap until a brand new Bugatti was ready, this was effectively a Type 57 with a contemporary body. The mechanicals were only changed where strictly necessary. At the Paris Auto Salon, Bugatti showed two examples of the Type 101, a Coupe and Cabriolet both clothed by longterm partner Gangloff. Underneath the modern, pontoon fender bodies, the Type 101 was every bit a Type 57, which was introduced nearly two decades earlier. Retained were the basic ladder frame as well as the solid axles on both ends, which were already far from state-of-the-art when Type 57 production ceased in 1940. One of the rare changes compared to the earlier design was the addition of a Weber carburettor as the Strombergs previously used were no longer available. Running on the low grade fuel available, the supercharged straight eight was good for around 140 bhp.
