It may come as a surprise that Ettore Bugatti’s first straight-8 engine did not power one of his rolling sculptures, it was to take to the skies in an airplane.
The prototype was designed in France, during World War I. However, in the U.S. something called the Billing Commission was established to acquire European aeronautical technology for American construction and use. As a result, Fred and August Duesenberg’s company was chosen for the job of building the Bugatti-designed motors.
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