Bugatti Designed a Classic "Space Frame" Bicycle and You Can Get Your Hands on One

Between 1907 and 1909, Ettore Bugatti would go on to build the Type 10 concept for his own personal pleasure. A few years later, the same almost happened with the very "space-frame" bicycle before you. However, Ettore shelved the idea, and the world never really got to see what Bugatti could build in terms of a bicycle.

Years down the line, around the 1970s, California-based Art Stump got their hands on a set of drawings, supposedly from the great Ettore himself, and went on to build what the schematics showed. The Art Stump Bugatti Bicycle was the result of the work, with two initial frames being built that sources say took over 1,000 hours a piece to craft. Suppose you've noticed the network of slim tubes and nearly inexistent welds. In that case, you can understand that this number may not be so farfetched, especially with the tech available in the 70s.

All that brings us to the beauty that sits before us today, and if you're interest isn't peaked by now, how about the fact that what you're looking at, the 19th Stump Bugatti frame, is currently up for auction with an estimated value between $4,000 (€3,700 at current exchange rates) and $8,000. This could be the Bugatti memorabilia you've been waiting for folks!

But, there is a tad of a disclaimer I want to bring to light about so-called frame 19. According to Gooding & Company's auction page, Art Stump only built two units based on Ettore's drawings, so how is this the 19th frame of the bunch? What am I missing? Honestly, I tried to find the answer to this question, but to no avail. I did find a piece of information stating that Stump crafted approximately another ten "diamond" frames, but it's not clear at all if they were Bugatti frames or not. Still, 12 is a tad shy of 19.

Nonetheless, there's still plenty to talk about this bicycle, so let's dive a tad deeper, and all that starts off with that fishbone-like frame design. What blew me away about this bike is how it's built, with a square-tubing baseline. But, those squares are composed of four thin tubes reinforced two-by-two with support struts. Moreover, the would-be top tube is one with the seat stay, and the down tube is one with the chainstay. It's friggin magical if you ask me!

Part number two, which blew me away regarding this frame's execution, was the welding. Be sure to find a solid image for this one, and once you do, take a close look at how each frame is joined by a partial seat tube and head tube. Then there are the dropouts, brought to life by welding all the tube endings in one place. At this point, I don't even care who made this piece of engineering excellence. Feel free to comment on how you think it was all welded.

Frame aside, a few other big names pop up on this bicycle, one of which is cycling drivetrain brand Campagnolo, the one and the same that's been in this game since 1933 and seen carrying countless athletes across finish lines. Manual shifters are found mounted to the frame's tubing.

Another name we see is the handlebar manufacturer, Sakae Custom, a Japanese team that crafted systems from the early 1970s to the 1980s, which was right in line with Stump's time. The saddle manufacturer is Ideale, from France, and by the looks of it, that hunk of riveted leather is stiff just from traveling through time and space alone.

The final feature strapped to the frame is nothing more than an of-era air pump. None other than Silca, who's still around today, brings their Silca touch to this bicycle, and with it, we're done with all that Stump and Bugatti had to offer. Well, almost; in truth, I could sit here and talk about this baby all day, but we both have other things to do today.

Disclaimer number two when it comes to the Bugatti Stump bicycle is the fact that this thing has been sitting in long-term static storage for some time now and may not be operational. That said, it can be the restoration project of your lifetime.

Think about the result once this puppy has been cleaned and restored to its former glory. Every ride around town is sure to attract lovers of both classic and modern cyclists alike, and honestly, very few bicycles have this power. Personally, I'm into mountain biking, but I still couldn't resist passing up the opportunity to share the news. So, if this one's winking at you or you have the time and energy for one hell of a restoration project, this one's for you; just remember that price tag.