Vehicle Description
Engine No. 11356
Designed by automotive icon Ettore Bugatti, the Peugeot Type BP1
Bebe was conceived as a lightweight, robust car which was then
licensed to Peugeot for production. As with many early Bugatti
models, the Type BP1 would offer trademark innovations such as
reversed quarter-elliptical rear springs and other advanced
features like rack and pinion steering and a driveshaft instead of
the chain drive. Pairing these engineering breakthroughs with
attractive modern styling, the Bebe accounted for an incredible 80%
of Peugeot sales in 1912. Approximately 3,000 Type BP1 Bebes were
built making it the most popular Bugatti-designed automobile ever
produced.
Powered by an 855 cc side-valve inline four-cylinder engine
equipped with a single Zenith-Peugeot carburetor, this rare and
desirable brass-era car certainly inspired many European
competitors to begin designing smaller cars of their own. Paired
with a two-speed manual transmission, the Type BP1 also offers rear
mechanical drum brakes and four-wheel leaf spring suspension.
One of the most recent acquisitions by the Steinman Collection,
this rare Type BP1 caught the attention of David G. Steinman, a
lifelong automotive enthusiast, as an enticing project to take on
and complete. Offering an excellent opportunity to pick up where
Steinman left off and continue his legacy of returning classic
automobiles to their former glory, this Type BP1 is eligible for a
number of desirable concours and touring events and remains an
intriguing option for collectors and restorers in search of a motor
car that is certainly out of the ordinary.
