Bugatti Type 18 I gallery (1912–1914)

The Bugatti Type 18, famously known as the Garros after the celebrated French aviator Roland Garros who purchased one of the first cars, was Bugatti's premier high-performance road-racing machine produced between 1912 and 1914. It rode on an elongated, robust steel frame with semi-elliptic leaf-spring suspension engineered to withstand the enormous torque of its powerplant. Under the bonnet was an immense 5.0-litre (5027 cc) inline-four engine featuring a single overhead camshaft and three valves per cylinder (two intake, one exhaust), producing approximately 100 horsepower. Power was routed through a heavy-duty four-speed manual gearbox and sent to the rear wheels via twin chain drives. Coachwork consisted primarily of two-seat roadsters and open sports torpedoes crafted by distinguished French and British coachbuilders, characterized by an exceptionally long bonnet and tapered tail section. Only about six or seven units were ever assembled, making it one of the rarest pre-WWI performance machines. The outbreak of World War I brought an end to production, but the Type 18 firmly cemented Bugatti's reputation for engineering record-breaking, high-speed luxury sports cars.