Bugatti's wildest ideas come to Rétromobile

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Rétromobile and Bugatti form a duo like Burgundy and brie, and this year is no exception. What we do like is that the show’s organizers have decided to focus on something other than the oft-seen cars for 2026 (28 January to 1 February). It's their 50th anniversary year, which helps. In their own words: “Rétromobile pays tribute to the genius of Ettore Bugatti by showcasing one of the Italian inventor's lesser-known creations: the Presidential Railcar. Alongside it, seven other mechanical oddities will highlight the craftsmanship and avant-garde vision of the artist-engineer.”

Presented in partnership with a number of train-related partners, the Presidential Railcar — it is in fact the sole surviving Bugatti Autorail — promises to be the centrepiece of an exhibition dedicated to Bugatti’s most inventive mechanical creations. You may or may not know that the story of the Autorail begins with the Type 41 Royale. Originally envisioned in 1926 as the ultimate luxury automobile, the Royale pushed the boundaries of power, size, and luxury. Weighing over three tons, it was equipped with an aviation-derived eight-cylinder engine producing roughly 250 horsepower. Though Ettore Bugatti hoped to sell 25 examples, only six (some say seven…) were built, and just three found owners during his lifetime — none of them the kings envisaged, but instead a tailor, a gynaecologist and an industrialist. It was a commercial failure.

But in 1932, Bugatti proposed an idea that would recycle the Royale engines: to repurpose them for high-speed railcars. In nine months’ time, Bugatti designed a 23-metre streamlined railcar fitted with four of these engines, detuned to 200hp. These trains could reach 140 kmh in regular service and even set a record of 194 kmh. Eighty-eight were built, but only one survives today.

And the Autorail is only one facet of the exhibition. Visitors will also discover several of Bugatti’s prototypes, including the electric Type 56 “works hack”, one of the post-war Type 73 sports sedans, and the Type 251 Formula One car with its rear transverse-mounted engine. Love it.

Words: Jeroen Booij
Pictures: Rétromobile / L’Alsace

Details:

• Event: Salon Rétromobile
• Dates: 28 January - 1 February 2026
• Location: Expo Porte de Versailles, Paris
• Tickets: Click here>>

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