Bugatti: Once again to La Turbie
LEGENDARY MOUNTAIN RACE In March 1922, Jean Mabille won the hill climb from Nice to La Turbie in the Bugatti Type 13. A century later, Bugatti returns to this winding route with the Chiron Pur Sport.
The hill climb to La Turbie above the Principality of Monaco offers magnificent views of the Mediterranean. It demands full concentration from the driver, as any wrong move at the steering wheel could mean the end of the race. But Jean Mabille drives flawlessly and his Bugatti Type 13 does not let him down on the 6.3-kilometer course.
After six minutes and 24 seconds, he becomes the winner of the eighth edition of the La Turbie hill climb. Ettore Bugatti is just as thrilled as the spectators who watch the spectacle in awe. The La Turbie hill climb soon became the opening race of the annual European hill climb season.
Around the track with the Chiron Pur Sport1
But La Turbie still triggers euphoria in the motorsport world today. The small town lies around 450 meters above Monaco. To honor Jean Mabille's achievement 100 years after his victory, Bugatti visited the mountain track with a Chiron Pur Sport1, the modern equivalent of the fast Type 13.
Bugatti has been producing the Chiron Pur Sport in the Atelier at its headquarters in Molsheim since 2020. Thanks to aerodynamics with high downforce, a newly developed chassis and a shorter gear ratio, the engineers have consistently trimmed the Chiron Pur Sport for agility, handling and performance. The most agile member of the Chiron family thus embodies the philosophy of its legendary predecessor.
Lightweight body and a reliable engine
The combination of a lightweight body with a powerful and reliable engine was introduced by Ettore Bugatti in 1911. The Type 13 immediately took second place in the French GP. Production of the Type 13 resumed after the First World War, with Bugatti continuing to improve the technology.
The 1.3-liter four-cylinder engine received a four-valve cylinder head for the first time, and from 1920 Bugatti used a dual ignition with two solenoids in the four-cylinder racing version. In its first major outing, the race in the Voiturettes class at the French GP in Le Mans, the Type 13 won with a lead of around 20 minutes over the runner-up. Bugatti continued to successfully implement the Type 13 concept with other vehicles, naming the cars Type 15, Type 17, Type 22 and Type 23.
