While most of us learned to drive in our parent’s car, some lucky kids around the world will be putting their L plates on a Bugatti, albeit not a full-sized one.

First revealed at the 2019 Geneva motor show, Bugatti announced its 110th birthday present to itself, the reimagining of the original Bugatti Baby. 

The design and testing phase has been completed,  the car has gone into series production and clients will soon be taking delivery of the very first cars. 

Developed in partnership with The Little Car Company, the Baby II has been described by those who have had the opportunity to drive it as ‘more of an unruly teenager than a Baby’.

While all 500 cars were accounted for just three weeks after last year's show, some clients have had a change in circumstances due to recent global events, meaning a very few build slots have become available and will be allocated on a first come, first serve basis.

The car is aimed at kids aged 14 and older – and has a top speed of 70 km/h. 

The original Bugatti Baby was born in 1926 when Ettore and his son Jean decided to build a scaled-down Type 35 for Ettore’s youngest son, Roland, on the occasion of his fourth birthday. Ettore and Jean had intended the present as a one-off car, however the feedback from customers visiting Molsheim was so positive that the Baby went into production and was sold between 1927 and 1936. Cherished by Bugatti enthusiasts worldwide, today no collection is complete without a Baby. However, with only around 500 ever made, they have been the preserve of the lucky few.

While the original Bugatti Baby was a 50 per cent scale version of the car that brought Automobiles Ettore Bugatti to fame in the 1920s, the Bugatti Baby II offers more in terms of size and considerably more in terms of performance. Eight year olds would struggle to fit in the original half-scale Baby, whereas at 75 per cent scale and designed for ages fourteen and above, the Baby II has definitely become more of a young adult.

“Ettore Bugatti himself was already interested in catering to the children of Bugatti enthusiasts and designed the Type 52 miniature car as a genuine Bugatti. That was a sensation at the time,” says Stephan Winkelmann, President of Bugatti.

 “We are continuing this tradition with the new edition of the Bugatti Baby II, and I am delighted that we have found The Little Car Company, a partner that shares the same values as us. With the Bugatti Baby II, we invite a young generation of enthusiasts to fall in love with the wonderful world of Bugatti.”

The Bugatti Baby II is available in three versions, a base model with a composite body and a 1.4kWh battery pack. The Vitesse model has a carbon fibre body, 2.8kWh battery pack and an upgraded powertrain including a Speed Key like it’s big brother, the Chiron 1. While the Pur Sang model is targeted at collectors. 

The Pur Sang offers the same powertrain as the Vitesse but with beautiful, hand-formed aluminium bodywork. Using the same traditional coachbuilding techniques as the original Bugatti Type 35, each aluminium body takes more than two hundred hours of skilled craftsmanship to create.

“When you first sit in the car and look at each tiny detail, it reminds me in some ways of the first few months with the Chiron. You get the same feeling walking around the car, as everywhere you look there are beautifully engineered solutions and design details that really are quite amazing“ says Andy Wallace, Bugatti test driver and Le Mans winner. 

“It would be easy to create something like this with a quarter of the quality, but that’s what’s so brilliant about this car: it’s absolutely top-of-the-line, a work of art on wheels. In its most powerful mode, when you have the ‘Speed Key’ inserted, the Baby II is a very fast car. It’s quite impressive and brilliantly fun. You get a lovely feel of balance, it handles just like the original Type 35 and the regenerative braking is a very cool touch. It’s truly an authentic Bugatti, there are no questions about that.”

The Little Car Company CEO Ben Hedley said: “To develop the Baby II we had to walk a fine line. We wanted to pay tribute to the original Bugatti Baby and Type 35, but also wanted to integrate modern technology and make it fun to drive. We are delighted to deliver the hand-built Baby II to customers and allow multiple generations to share the joy of driving. 

“We believe that the vehicle is something really special, delighting collectors and car enthusiasts around the world. As a counterpoint to Bugatti’s production car world speed record last summer, we have developed a vehicle which you can enjoy at much lower speeds with your children and grandchildren”.

With the Base model starting at €30,000 (NZ$52,000), the Vitesse at €43,500 ($76,290) and the collectable Pur Sang topping the range at €58,500 ($102,560). 

The Baby II’s performance has grown, too. Still rear wheel drive, all versions of the Baby II have a limited slip differential, high performance hydraulic brakes and selectable driving modes. The Base model comes with two modes; Novice which is limited to 20km/h and 1kW of power, and Expert which is limited to 45 km/h and 4kW of power.

The Vitesse and Pur Sang versions include the Novice and Expert driving modes, but also offer extra performance from an upgraded powertrain, unlocked by the legendary Bugatti Speed Key. This enables you to deploy up to 10kW and with an all up weight of just 230kg, the Vitesse & Pur Sang models will try and spin their rear Michelin tyres from standstill, on the way to a 70km/h top speed.

Other features which will appeal to enthusiasts include faithful working replicas of the original Type 35’s instruments, with some adaptation for modernity. For example, the fuel pressure gauge has now become the battery gauge and in a nod to the Bugatti Veyron, the oil gauge has transitioned into a power gauge. 

The scale replica of the famous four spoke steering wheel now has a quick release to make access to the cockpit easier. The adjustable pedals are machined from solid aluminium billet and proudly display Bugatti’s famous “EB” logo, while the fuel pump handle has been exactly reproduced, but now serves as the forward, neutral and reverse selector.

In addition, all owners of Baby IIs will receive membership of The Little Car Club and the Bugatti Owners’ Club, and be able to attend events where they, their children and grandchildren can drive their cars at famous motor racing circuits.

Sure beats learning to drive in your mum’s Toyota Starlet.