Vol 2 Issue 1

Bugattis were frequently serviced and rebuilt at Zumbachs on West 54th Street, which was known as New York's Mecca for exotic machinery.

The first automobiles to bear the Bugatti name were completed in 1910. Displacing 1,327cc from a single-overhead camshaft, four-cylinder engine, the power output for the small, exclusive and expensive Type 13 was a modest 15 horsepower. In 1912, the United States saw its first Bugatti when, according to the late Andy Rheault, "an unnamed captain, on a dare, drove a two seater T13 off a pier" in San Francisco.

First Visitors

By all accounts, Stephen Kjeldsen of New York City was the first Bugatti Agent in the United States. Already the director of the Mercedes Distributing and Importing Company, as Rheault recounts, in 1913 and 1914 Kjeldsen placed an order for 17 T22 and T23 models, which were developed from the original T13. The first four T22 eightvalve chassis for Kjeldsen were commissioned in September 1913 and by October they were in Colmar with Widerkehr to receive their three-seat bodies. The four cars (Chassis 587, 590, 592 and 593) were loaded on a Red Star steamer in Antwerp on December 8th for shipment to New York. According to Rheault, only eight of the cars ordered were ultimately delivered, with one going to multi-millionaire William "Willie" K. Vanderbilt, known for his love of exotic automobiles and fast driving.

It wasn't long before the United States witnessed Bugatti in competition. In 1914 the Bugatti works sent a 5- liter Type 24 to Indianapolis for the 500 mile race. To be more competitive, the stroke was increased to enlarge the capacity of the engine from 5,067cc to 5,657cc (390cid) and the car was converted to shaft drive. Piloted by long-time Bugatti employee Ernst Friderich, the white, number 34 Bugatti started 18th. Official records show that Friderich (who claimed he was in third place) was running near the back of the pack for much of the race until the pinion gear failed after 134 laps. The car was classified 15th overall. Through the auspices of Stephen Kjeldsen, another 5- liter Bugatti – this time with the standard chain drive – was sent to the United States for Charles W. Fuller of Rhode Island. According to British motoring historian Jonathan Wood, this Type 21 (long believed to be a Type 18) was driven in a number of events – including a 300 mile championship race at Venice, California – during 1915 by Johnny Marquis, Louis Strang's former riding mechanic. Marquis campaigned the car extensively that year with modest results. To run at Indianapolis, the 5-liter engine was rebuilt by the White Motor Company with a reduced stroke so that it would come in under the 300cid regulation imposed for 1915. Barney Oldfield was tapped to be the driver, but is said to have considered the car too slow. On the big day, the destroked Bugatti was driven by Oldfield's long-time friend and riding mechanic, George Hill. After just 20 laps, the water pump failed and Hill was classified as finishing 23rd out of 24 cars.

With the interruption of World War One, there was relatively little new Bugatti automotive activity for a few years after 1915. However, an aircraft engine design by Ettore Bugatti was built in the United States as the King-Bugatti, but proved unsuccessful. In the 1920s quite a few new Bugattis were individually imported into the United States. The biggest single shipment consisted of the five racing Bugattis that Argentine sportsman Martin de Alzaga entered in the 1923 Indianapolis race. The cars displaced 122cid and produced 104 bhp by way of four carburetors feeding their three-main bearing, single-overhead cam straight-eight engines. Driven by Prince de Cystria, Pierre de Vizcaya, Count Louis Zbrowski, Raoul Riganti and Alzaga, only the Prince — who finished 9th — was running at the finish. Three of the cars suffered rod failure, probably because of insufficient oiling and because the engines were fitted with plain bearings instead of the roller bearings that Alzaga requested.