- 27 Jan 08, 01:02#30448Toleman may be British but the company who bought them was Benetton who was/is Italian. We can argue this all day and no one will agree. The Brits are going to always say Benetton was British and the Italians the opposite. Btw Renault doesen't own Nissan. Its a joint venture similar to the now dissolved Damilar-Chysler one. And yes I know Renault has a high stake in the joint venture but Renault doesn't own Nissan and the Joint Venture can be dissolved as well eventually.
Now the big question. Sometime ago someone insisted that Bugatti now was German because it was owned by Volkswagen. This is how I showed him he was wrong. I'll post a lightened version that hopefully gives the same message.
About Bugatti.
Bugatti, although the origins of the man who created the original company was Italian, is French. And to this day (except for the EB110 models which are Italian) Bugatti is still French and not German despite the fact that it is owned by Volkswagen. Here is why. Lets start with the original Bugattis.
First off about Ettore Bugatti, the man who created the marque and original company.
Ettore Arco Isidoro Bugatti (September 15, 1881, Milan, died on August 21, 1947) was an Italian automobile designer and manufacturer.
He came from a notably artistic family with its roots in Milan. He was the elder son of Teresa Lorioli and her husband Carlo Bugatti (1856–1940), an important Art Nouveau furniture and jewelry designer. His younger brother was a renowned animal sculptor, Rembrandt Bugatti (1884–1916), his aunt, Luigia Bugatti, was the wife of the painter Giovanni Segantini, and his paternal grandfather, Giovanni Luigi Bugatti, was an architect and sculptor.
Before founding his own automobile company, Ettore designed a number of engines and vehicles for others. Prinetti & Stucchi produced his 1898 Type 1. From 1902 through 1904, Dietrich built his Type 3/4 and Type 5/6/7 under the Dietrich-Bugatti marque. In 1907, Bugatti went to work for the Deutz Gasmotoren Fabrik, designing the Type 8/9.
On his own time, Bugatti developed the Type 2 (in 1900 and 1901), and the 1903 Type 5. While at Deutz, Bugatti built his Type 10 in the basement of his home. In 1913, Bugatti designed a small car for Peugeot, the Type 19 "Bébé".
Although born in Italy, Bugatti's eponymous automobile company was set up in Molsheim in the Alsace region, now part of France. Ettore Bugatti was its technical innovator, developing a number of engines and chassis for the numerous models produced over the next three decades. The company was known for the advanced engineering in its premium road cars and its success in early Grand Prix motor racing, a Bugatti winning the first ever Monaco Grand Prix.
And now the company, the original company.
Founder Ettore Bugatti was born in Italy, and the automobile company that bears his name was founded in Molsheim a town in the Alsace region of France. The company was known for both the level of detail to its engineering in its automobiles as well as the artistic way in which the designs were executed, not surprising given the artistic nature of his family. The company also enjoyed great success in early Grand Prix motor racing, winning the first ever Monaco Grand Prix. The company's success culminated with driver Jean-Pierre Wimille winning the 24 hours of Le Mans twice (in 1937 with Robert Benoist and 1939 with Pierre Veyron).
Why the Bugatti EB100 models are Italian and the also the first re-born Bugattis were Italian.
Bugatti Automobili SpA
Note the SpA is like Pty. Ltd. Used by Australian companies which indicate a company is Australian if it has Pty. Ltd. In Similar way a company who uses GMBH and AG are German as these are used by German Companies. SpA is used for Italian Companies and means the following. Società per Azioni (S.p.A.) in Italian (sometimes transliterates as 'joint-stock corporation'). If it were German then it would be AG which means Aktiengesellschaft. Ie Volkswagen AG is German as the AG clearly indicates it’s a German Company. Bugatti Automobili SpA was an Italian company as indicated by SpA so was clearly Italian.
Italian entrepreneur Romano Artioli acquired the famous Bugatti name in 1987 and established Bugatti Automobili SpA. The new company built a factory designed by the architect Giampaolo Benedini in Campogalliano, Italy, a town near Modena, home to other performance-car manufacturers De Tomaso, Ferrari, Pagani and Maserati.
By 1989, the plans for the new Bugatti-revival were presented by Paolo Stanzani and Marcello Gandini, famous designers of the Lamborghini Miura and Countach. The first completed car was labelled the Bugatti EB110 GT, advertised as the most technically advanced supercar ever produced.
From 1992 through 1994, famed racing car designer, Mauro Forghieri, was technical director.
On August 27, 1993, through his holding company, ACBN Holdings S.A. of Luxembourg, Romano Artioli purchased the Lotus car company from General Motors. The acquisition brought together two of the greatest historical names in automotive racing and plans were made for listing the company's shares on international stock exchanges.
Bugatti also presented in 1993 the prototype of a large sedan called the EB 112.
By the time the Bugatti EB110 came to market the North American and European economies were in recession and operations ceased in September 1995. A model specific to the United States market called the "Bugatti America" was in the preparatory stages when the company closed.
Bugatti's liquidators sold Lotus to Proton of Malaysia.
In 1997, German manufacturer Jochen Dauer bought the EB110 license and remaining parts stock to Bugatti in order to produce a dozen Dauer EB110 SS units.
The factory was later sold to a furniture making company, which also collapsed before they were able to move in. The factory still remain unoccupied to this day.
And now the present day Bugatti which is clearly French again and not German despite being owned by Volkswagen AG.
Bugatti Automobiles SAS
As the SAS part clearly indicates it’s a French company and not German. If it were German then it would have been called something like Bugatti Automobil AG. But its not.
Bugatti Automobiles S.A.S. is a French automobile manufacturer located in the French town of Molsheim, Alsace, France. It is a subsidiary of Volkswagen AG and was founded in 1998 as a successor to the legendary Bugatti company.
Volkswagen AG purchased the rights to produce cars under the Bugatti marque in 1998. They commissioned ItalDesign to produce the Bugatti EB118 concept, a touring sedan which featured a 555 hp DIN (408 kW) output and the first W-configuration 18-cylinder engine in any passenger vehicle, at the Paris Auto Show.
In 1999 the Bugatti EB 218 concept was introduced at the Geneva Auto Show; later that year the Bugatti 18/3 Chiron was introduced at the IAA in Frankfurt. At the Tokyo Motor Show the EB 218 reappeared and the Bugatti EB 16.4 Veyron was presented as the first incarnation of what was to be a production road car.
So why is Lamborghini Italian and not German if it is now German owned?
So why is then Lamborghini still Italian despite being owned by Audi AG who in turn is owned by Volkswagen AG? Because its called Lamborghini Automobile SpA, that right SpA clearly indicating it is Italian and not German. It would be Lamborghini AG if it were now German.
Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A., commonly referred to as Lamborghini, is an Italian manufacturer of high performance sports cars (supercar) based in the small Italian village of Sant'Agata Bolognese, near Bologna. Lamborghini is now a subsidiary of German car manufacturer Audi AG, which is in turn a subsidiary of Volkswagen Group.[1] [2] Its' latest model, the Lamborghini Reventón, is one of the fastest and most expensive Italian supercars. The company was founded in 1963 by businessman Ferruccio Lamborghini (April 28, 1916–February 20, 1993), who owned a successful tractor factory, Lamborghini Trattori S.p.A..
AND FINALLY IN THE CASE OF BENETTON TEAM THE COMPANY WHICH STILL IS IS BENETTON GROUP S.p.A. S.p.A = ITALIAN COMPANY. I NOW REST MY CASE. AMEN.
ANTE GOTOVINA : JUNAK ZAUVIJEK
JUVENTUS 31 VOLTE CAMPIONE D'ITALIA
Ferrari. Non c'è niente migliore!!!!!
HAJDUK ŽIVI VJEČNO. STO GODINA 1911-2011.
Now McLaren Fan if you disagree with my explantion as to why Benetton was Italian then how about give me your opinion with a full and valid explanation in a civillised way? This is what I would like to discuss?
