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.