1976 Bugatti 1928 Type 35 Replica

Ettore Bugatti was born in Milan, Italy on September 15 1881. The youngest son of Carlo Bugatti, an artist and furniture designer, he was soon drawn to the mechanical arts and by the age of 19 had in fact designed his own car which won a gold medal at a Milan trade fair in 1901. The winning design was sold to a Baron. His very great natural ability would later work against him when his designs came up against scientific reality. But for now he was a young man on the move. After World War I Bugatti continued to build and race cars. The big break came in 1921 when a 5 car team of Bugattis entered the Voiturette GP at Brescia and came home with the first four places. This lead to many new orders for the "Brescia " model and the establishment of Bugatti as a manufacturer of racing cars for private entrants. In 1924 he designed and built the car which made him a legend, the Type 35. While success in racing was not immediate, interest from prospective buyers was. At first reluctant to use a supercharged engine he finally relented and had a supercharger based on the Roots blower design added. From 1927 to 1931 the cars from Bugatti dominated the racing scene. The Type 35 would prove to be one of the most successful cars in history. Their fine workmanship and the ability to be competitive "right out of the box" provided for their appeal.

In total about 400 Type 35s were built and raced by a legion of drivers from raw amateurs to established stars such as Rene Dreyfus, 1929 Monaco winner William Grover Williams and Louis Chiron. Together this army of drivers scored approximately 1,850 victories both big and small between 1924-1927. In spite of this success, Bugatti was slow to incorporate new innovations that were not created in house. While hydraulic brakes became standard elsewhere, Bugatti continued to use cables. According to legend when one of his customers complained about the brakes he was said to have replied, "I make my cars to go, not to stop." 

Titled as a 1976 Bugatti, this Type 35 replica is designed to resemble one of the most elegant roadsters of the 1920’s and 1930's  This replica was originally built in the early eighties using a 1962 VW Beetle drivetrain and engine. The narrow wire wheels and tires that builder Llyod Hebbring used, were to stay true to the image of the early Bugatti's. The smooth running 1200 CC VW engine has just completed a major rebuild. The car is fully serviced and ready to be enjoyed for years to come

Branson Auto Museum was conceived in August of 2007 and opened on May 15, 2009. Partners in the Museum,knew that the Branson area was hungry for car and automotive related things to do. Branson Auto Museum was originally scheduled to go into a purpose built 20,000 sq. ft. building on the Strip. When the partners discovered that the former crafts mall the "Engler Block" was available, they knew it would be the perfect fit for what they were planning. The buiding is layed out in sections that wander through the building which is the ideal setting for a museum. The charm and character of the building also lends itself nicely to a museum.