Bugatti Type 252 - The Dream Car That Stayed a Dream! - AllCarIndex

Bugatti Type 252 - The Dream Car That Stayed a Dream!

Apr 11, 2025

Bugatti makes you think of fast, shiny cars like the Chiron or that huge Royale, right? Crazy designs and insane speed—total jaw-droppers. But there’s this other Bugatti, kind of hidden away in the past: the Type 252. Built from 1957 to 1962, it was just one car—a prototype that never got to zoom down a road. Giovanni Michelotti, a design rockstar, shaped it, and Roland Bugatti pushed the idea. I love how this classic Bugatti model is a wild mix of big dreams and a big flop—it’s a story worth digging into.

Tough Times, Big Ideas

Back in the late ‘50s, Bugatti wasn’t doing so hot. Ettore Bugatti, who started it all, died in 1947, and the company couldn’t get its old magic back. Money was tight—really tight. They scored some cash from defense deals, but the car dream was fading fast. Then Roland, Ettore’s youngest kid, stepped up. He had this plan: the Type 252, a smaller sports car to shake things up. To make it happen, he hired Michelotti, an Italian dude famous for slick Triumph and Maserati rides, to draw something cool.

This car wasn’t like Bugatti’s old beasts. There are two doors, a roof off, and an engine up front driving the back wheels. It had a 1.5-liter engine, four cylinders, with twin cams overhead, so it could’ve been quick and nimble. Suspension? MacPherson struts front and back—fancy stuff for the time, promising a smooth trip. On paper, the Type 252 looked like a game-changer, a fresh start for Bugatti.

Problems Pile Up

Turning a cool idea into a real car is not easy. The Type 252 hit bumps—lots of them. Work kicked off in 1957, suspension got sorted by ‘59, and they wrapped up in ‘62. But that engine was a total headache. Pierre Macoin, the test driver, kept breaking down out there—not what you expect from Bugatti. Those glitches weren’t small; they sank a company already broke.

Roland tried hard, pitching it to rich folks for cash. Michelotti’s design was killer, but no one bit. The ‘60s car world was changing, and Bugatti looked shaky—too risky. They even tweaked the engine and chassis one last time, but by ‘62, it was over. The next year, Bugatti was sold to Hispano-Suiza, and that was it for the Type 252. Kind of sad, huh? The final shot from the Bugatti family, and it never even started.

Sitting Pretty Today

Now, that lone Type 252 chills in a museum—Cité de l’Automobile in Mulhouse, France. It’s in the Schlumpf Collection, the biggest Bugatti stash around. You can stare at its smooth curves, and picture its engine roaring, but it’s stuck—never moving. Not like the Type 57 or Royale tearing up roads; this one’s quiet, a “what could’ve been” moment. Still, car nuts like me dig its vibe.

More than just a car, it’s Bugatti caught in a weird spot—old glory meeting new doubts. Michelotti’s touch—some call it “Etorette” or “La Barquette”—feels classic yet fresh. Specs-wise, it could’ve raced with the best back then. Never hitting the streets just makes it cooler, a rare find for collectors and gearheads.

Why It Hooks Us

What’s so special about this Type 252, years later? Maybe the “what ifs” get you. What if that engine worked? What if cash rolled in? Could it have saved Bugatti, and kicked off a new era? No answers—just a mystery that keeps it alive. I think it’s Bugatti’s real first concept car, built from zero to try something wild—not some tweak on an old model.

Not driving doesn’t make it less awesome. It shows how tricky car-making is—big wins, big flops. For every Chiron screaming past, there’s a Type 252 sitting silent, proof that even champs stumble. Mulhouse keeps it safe, letting us see Bugatti’s guts—later shining with stuff like the EB110 or Veyron.

Worth a Nod

The Type 252 never peeled out, but it’s still got a pulse. Ambition birthed it, genius drew it, bad luck killed it—a Bugatti tale we shouldn’t skip. While we cheer today’s Bugatti wins, this little guy matters too—a dreamer that didn’t wake up. If you are near Mulhouse someday, hit the museum. Stand by the Type 252—let its quiet style tell you about promises that didn’t pan out. It is a Bugatti like no other, for sure.