1956 Bugatti Type 101 C Ghia Roadster

Bugatti tried a comeback after WWII with a modified chassis of the type T57. The new model called "T101", had the same (although slightly updated) straight-8, 3257cc engine, which in its supercharged version "T101 C" (C=Compresseur) produced around 200hp. Due to the heavy damage inflicted to Bugatti factory and the death of Ettore, la marque built only 7 chassis before going bankrupt, having the very last one (#101 506) been sold to Exner in 1961 for $2500. The chassis even says "Fini" (the End) in the end of the chassis number.

At Ghia, the car designed by Virgil Exner Jr. (who also did a lot of other designs in the same time as a independent designer) had its chassis shortened 460mm and the bodywork with the design of the Bugatti Revival Car was placed on it with some minor changes. The car was presented at Turin 1956.

The Revival Cars project

The Type 101 C Ghia was only one of seven design projects idealized by Virgil Exner Jr. Exner presented too proposals for the revival of Duesenberg, Stutz, Mercer, Packard, Pierce-Arrow and Jordan. However, only Duesenberg, Bugatti and Mercer ever left the drawing board and gained substance as one-offs. Duesenberg actually got prepared for production, by a new company formed by Fritz Duesenberg, son of the founder Fred Duesenberg, who died testing one of his own creations, the impressive supercharged Duesenberg SJ.

After prototype was shown in 1956, 50 buyers signed up for the car, being Elvis Presley the most notorious among them. Unfortunately, the company encountered financial problems before the production could start and it quickly closed, the car being taken as a part of payment for debts.

The Exner Bugatti destiny

After several years, Exner was obliged to sell the car to Thomas Barett III, who after that sold it to Irving Tushinsky and subsequently to Mr. Anderson. The Blackhawk Behring Museum bought it in about 1984 and sold it in December 1988 to William Lyon, its current owner who also owns the famous "Bathtub", the first real Bugatti which Ettore built in the basement of his house, while working for Deutz.

Source: João de Góis Silva