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{{Infobox automobile
|name         = Bugatti Type 41
|image        = Rétromobile 2015 - Bugatti Royale Coupé Napoléon - 1929 - 002.jpg
|caption      = Coupé Napoléon
|manufacturer = [[Bugatti]]
|aka          = Bugatti Royale
|production   = 1927–1933
|assembly     = 
|predecessor  = 
|successor    = 
|class        = [[Luxury car]]
|body_style   = Berline, coupé, cabriolet, roadster, brougham, coupé de ville
|layout       = [[Front-engine, rear-wheel-drive]]
|engine       = {{convert|12763|cc|L cuin|1|abbr=on}} [[straight-8]]
|transmission = 3-speed [[Manual transmission|manual]]
|wheelbase    = ~{{convert|4.3|m|in|1|abbr=on}}
|length       = ~{{convert|6.4|m|in|1|abbr=on}}
|width        = ~{{convert|2.1|m|in|1|abbr=on}}
|height       = 
|weight       = ~{{convert|3175|kg|lb|abbr=on}}
|related      = 
|designer     = 
}}
The '''Bugatti Type 41''', better known as the '''Royale''',<ref>{{cite web |last1=Yost |first1=Mark |title=Bugatti: The Marriage of Art and the Automobile |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052702303725404579459341152650948 |publisher=[[The Wall Street Journal]] |access-date=9 November 2021 |date=26 March 2014}}</ref> is a large [[luxury car|ultra-luxury car]] built by [[Bugatti]] from 1927 to 1933, With a 4.3&nbsp;m (169.3&nbsp;in) [[wheelbase]] and 6.4&nbsp;m (21&nbsp;ft) overall length, it weighs approximately 3,175&nbsp;kg (7,000&nbsp;lb) and uses a 12.763&nbsp;litre (778&nbsp;cu&nbsp;in) [[straight-eight engine]]. For comparison, against the [[Rolls-Royce Phantom VII]] (produced from 2003 to 2017), the Royale is about 20% longer, and more than 25% heavier. This makes the Royale [[List of automotive superlatives|one of the largest cars]] in the world.{{Sfn|Buckley|2002}}{{Sfn|Pattinson|2009|pp=1, 4, 5}} With a production run of just seven vehicles, it is both one of the rarest and most expensive.

[[Ettore Bugatti]] planned to build twenty-five of these cars and sell them to royalty as the most luxurious car ever, but the [[Great Depression]] undermined his effort:  only three of the seven made were sold; six still exist, with one wrecked in a crash. Unused engines were installed in newly constructed high-speed [[railcar]]s for the French National Railway ([[SNCF]]).

==Design==
[[File:Goodwood2007-055a Bugatti Hood Ornament Type 41 Royale.jpg|thumb|upright|Type 41 radiator cap with elephant mascotte]]
The Type 41 is said to have come about because [[Alsace|Alsatian]] autobuilder [[Ettore Bugatti]] took exception to the comments of an [[England|English]] lady who compared his cars unfavourably with those of [[Rolls-Royce Limited|Rolls-Royce]].{{Sfn|Buckley|2002}}{{Sfn|Kimes|1990|p=640}}

===Engine===
The [[overhead cam]] [[straight eight|straight 8]] engine was based on an aero design that had been done for the French Air Ministry, but never produced.{{Sfn|Conway|1969|pp=17–20}} Its huge iron block was [[Monobloc engine|cast in one unit]] with an integrated [[cylinder head]]. At approx. {{convert|1.4|m|ft|abbr=on}} long x {{convert|1.1|m|ft|abbr=on}} high, is physically one of the largest engines ever made for a passenger automobile; it also had one of the largest displacements,{{convert|12.7|l|cuin|0|abbr=on}},{{Sfn|Conway|1969|pp=17–20}}{{Sfn|Rogliatti|1973|p=232}} with each cylinder displacing more than the entire engine of the contemporary [[Bugatti Type 40|Type 40 touring car]].{{Sfn|Conway|1969|pp=17–20}}

{{Sfn|Conway|1969|pp=17–20}} It had a bore of {{convert|125|mm|in|1|abbr=on}} and stroke of {{convert|130|mm|in|1|abbr=on}},{{Sfn|Conway|1969|pp=17–20}}{{Sfn|Rogliatti|1973|p=232}} [[multi-valve|3 valves per cylinder]] (two inlet:one exhaust) driven by a centrally positioned [[single overhead camshaft]].{{Sfn|Conway|1969|pp=17–20}}{{Sfn|Rogliatti|1973|p=232}} Only three bearings and only a single custom [[carburettor]] was used. Output was {{convert|275|–|300|hp|kW|abbr=on|disp=flip}} @ 1800 rpm, and {{convert|875|lbft|Nm|abbr=on}} of torque.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.topspeed.com/cars/bugatti/1926-bugatti-type-41-royale/ |title = 1926 Bugatti Type 41 Royale| date=19 February 2011 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.supercars.net/blog/1930-bugatti-type-41-royale-2/ |title = Bugatti Type 41 Royale| date=23 April 2016 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bugatti.com/media/news/2020/bugatti-legends-type-41/ |title = Bugatti Legends Type 41 La Royale – A royal vehicle {{!}}}}</ref>{{Sfn|Conway|1969|pp=17–20}}{{Sfn|Kimes|1990|p=632}} 

Grinding of the engine valves was a regular maintenance requirement, and removing them required removing and disassembling the large monobloc engine.{{Sfn|Rogliatti|1973|p=232}}

===Chassis===
The chassis featured a conventional semi-elliptic [[leaf spring]] suspension in front,{{Sfn|Conway|1969|pp=17–20}}{{Sfn|Rogliatti|1973|p=233}} and both forward and rear-facing Bugatti quarter-elliptic springs in the rear.{{Sfn|Conway|1969|pp=17–20}}

In order to reduce noise an aluminium clutch box was attached to the chassis rather than the engine; and the aluminium gearbox was placed in the rear as a [[transaxle]] to offset the weight of the engine.<ref name="Cheetham">{{cite book|last1=Cheetham|first1=Craig|title=Vintage Cars - The Finest Prewar Automobiles|date=2004|publisher=Grange Books|location=Rochester, United Kingdom|isbn=1840136359|pages=54}}</ref>

Massive manual brakes were mechanically operated via cable controls, effective but requiring significant leg strength.{{Sfn|Conway|1969|pp=17–20}} The car's light alloy "Roue Royale" wheels measured {{convert|24|in|mm|disp=flip}} in diameter, and were cast in one piece with the brake drums.{{Sfn|Rogliatti|1973|p=233}}

===Controls===
Dashboard controls were made of [[whalebone]], and the steering wheel was covered in [[walnut]].{{Sfn|Conway|1969|pp=17–20}}

===Body===
All Royales were individually bodied. The radiator cap was a posed [[elephant]], a sculpture by Ettore's brother [[Rembrandt Bugatti]].<ref name="Cheetham" />

===Performance===
A road test performed in 1926 by W. F. Bradley at the request of [[Ettore Bugatti]] for the ''[[Autocar (magazine)|Autocar]]'' demonstrated balanced handling at speed, similar to smaller Bugatti sports cars, despite the car's weight and size.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.bugatti.com/en/tradition/history/bugatti-stories/driving-report-royale.html|title= Royale Driving Report|publisher= bugatti.com|accessdate= 2013-07-15|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20130309072047/http://www.bugatti.com/en/tradition/history/bugatti-stories/driving-report-royale.html|archive-date= 2013-03-09|url-status= dead}}</ref>

==Production==
In 1928, [[Ettore Bugatti]] asserted that "this year [[Alfonso XIII of Spain|King Alfonso]] of Spain will receive his Royale", but the Spanish king was deposed in April 1931 without taking delivery of a Royale, and the first of the cars to find a customer was not delivered until 1932.{{Sfn|Conway|1969|pp=17–20}} The Royale with a basic chassis price of $30,000, was launched just as the world economy began to deteriorate into the 1930s [[Great Depression]]. Six Royales were built between 1929 and 1933, with just three sold to external customers. Intended for royalty, none was eventually sold to any royals, and Bugatti even refused to sell one to [[King Zog of Albania]], claiming that "the man's table manners are beyond belief!"{{Sfn|Kimes|1990|p=632}}

Six of seven production Royales still exist, as the prototype was destroyed in an accident in 1931,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://bugattiroyale.com/car-1/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190630060910/https://bugattiroyale.com/car-1/ |archive-date=2019-06-30 |title=car 1 - BugattiRoyale.comBugattiRoyale.com}}</ref> and each has a different body, some having been rebodied several times.

===41100 - Coupé Napoleon===
[[File:Bugatti Type 41 Royale Packard Prototype 1926.jpg|thumb|upright=1.14|Recreation of the Bugatti Royale Packard Prototype]]
[[File:Bugatti Type 41 Royale Coupe 001.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.14|Chassis no.41100, known as the Coupé Napoleon, at home in the [[Musée National de l'Automobile de Mulhouse]]]]
*The first car is chassis number 41100, now known as the Coupé Napoleon.
*It originally had a [[Packard]] body. It was rebodied by Parisian coach builder [[Weymann Fabric Bodies|Weymann]] as a two-door fixed head coupe. The Weymann body was replaced after the car was{{Sfn|Conway|1969|pp=17–20}} crashed by Ettore Bugatti, who in 1930 or 1931 fell asleep at the wheel travelling home from [[Paris]] to [[Alsace]], necessitating a major rebuild.{{Sfn|Conway|1969|pp=17–20}}
*Bricked up with 41141 and 41150 during World War II at the home of the Bugatti family in [[Ermenonville]], to avoid being commandeered by the [[Nazi]]s.{{Sfn|Buckley|2002}}
*It remained in the family's possession, housed at their [[Ermenonville]] chateau, until financial difficulties forced its sale in 1963.{{Sfn|Conway|1969|pp=17–20}} It subsequently passed from L'Ebe Bugatti into the hands of Bugatti collector [[Fritz Schlumpf]].{{Sfn|Conway|1969|pp=17–20}}
*The car would eventually find its way into [[The Harrah Collection]]. The car was then sold at the 1986 Harrah auction where [[Houston, Texas]] real estate developer [[Jerry J. Moore]] paid $6.5 million for it. He kept it for 1 year, and then sold it to Domino’s Pizza founder [[Tom Monaghan]] for [[USD|US$]]8.1 million (£5.7 million). 
*Resides in the [[Musée National de l'Automobile de Mulhouse]], alongside 41131 that the Schlumpf brothers had acquired from John Shakespeare.{{Sfn|Buckley|2002}}
*The 2011 recreation claims to use the original chassis from this car, stating that a new chassis frame was used in the rebuild of 41100 after the crash.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Bugatti: 2011 news |url=http://www.bugattipage.com/2011news.htm |access-date=2022-08-26 |website=www.bugattipage.com}}</ref>
{{clear}}

===41111 - Coupé de ville Binder===
[[File:Revival04 005a.jpg|thumb|The Royale Coupe De Ville Binder 41111 at the 2004 Goodwood Revival]]
*The second car built, but the first to find a customer, is chassis no.41111
*Known as the ''Coupé de ville Binder''
*Sold in April 1932 to French clothing manufacturer {{Interlanguage link multi|Armand Esders|fr}} .{{Sfn|Conway|1969|pp=17–20}} Ettore's eldest son, Jean, fashioned for the car a dramatic two-seater open body with flamboyant, full-bodied wings and a [[dickey seat]], but no headlamps.<ref name="Cheetham" /> In this form it became known as the ''Royale Esders Roadster.''<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bugattipage.com/voitures/bugatti/esders.htm|title=The Most Beautiful Bugatti Royale Ever Made|publisher=bugattipage.com|accessdate=2009-01-03}}</ref>
*Purchased by the French politician [[Raymond Patenôtre]],<ref name="UCP">{{cite web|url=http://www.ultimatecarpage.com/car/3494/Bugatti-Type-41-Royale-Binder-Coupe-de-Ville.html|title=Bugatti Type 41 Royale Binder Coupe de Ville|publisher=ultimatecarpage.com|accessdate=2009-01-01}}</ref> the car was rebodied in the Coupé de ville style by the coach builder [[Henri Binder]].{{Sfn|Conway|1969|pp=17–20}} From this point onwards, known as the ''Coupé de ville Binder''
*Never delivered to the [[Carol II of Romania|King of Romania]] due to [[World War II]],<ref name="UCP"/> it was hidden from the Nazis by storing it in the [[sanitary sewer|sewer]]s of [[Paris]]
*Briefly located in the [[United Kingdom]] after World War II, and was then acquired by Dudley C. Wilson of the US in 1954.{{Sfn|Conway|1969|pp=17–20}}  On his death in 1961 it passed to banker [[Mills Lane (banker)|Mills B. Lane]] of [[Atlanta, Georgia|Atlanta]].{{Sfn|Conway|1969|pp=17–20}} 
*Sold in 1964 to [[The Harrah Collection]] at [[Reno, Nevada]], bought at the then sensational price of $45,000 (approximately what the car had cost new).{{Sfn|Buckley|2002}}
*Sold in 1986 to an American collector, home builder, and [[United States Air Force|US Air Force Reserve]] Major General William Lyon; he offered the car during the 1996 Barrett-Jackson Auction by private treaty sale, where he refused an offer of US$11 million; the reserve was set at US$15 million.
* Sold in 1999 to [[Volkswagen AG]], the new owner of the Bugatti brand, for a reported US$20 million. Used as a brand promotion vehicle, it travels to various museums and locations.

===41121 - Cabriolet Weinberger===
[[File:BugattiType41Royale1931.jpg|thumb|upright=1.14|Chassis no.41121, Bugatti Type 41 Royale 'Weinberger Cabriolet' 1931]]
*The third car is chassis no.41121
*Known as the ''Cabriolet Weinberger''
*Sold in 1932 to [[Germany|German]] [[obstetrician]] Joseph Fuchs, who specified coach builder [[Ludwig Weinberger]] of [[Munich]] to build him an open [[cabriolet]]. Painted black with yellow, the car was delivered to Dr. Fuchs in May 1932.{{Sfn|Conway|1969|pp=17–20}}
*As political tensions rose in pre-war Germany, Fuchs relocated to [[Switzerland]], then [[Shanghai]], before permanently relocating to [[New York City|New York]] around 1937, bringing the Royale with him.<ref name="Fuchs">{{cite web|url=http://www.ultimatecarpage.com/car/3496/Bugatti-Type-41-Royale-Weinberger-Cabriolet.html|title=Bugatti Type 41 Royale Weinberger Cabriolet|publisher=ultimatecarpage.com|accessdate=2009-01-01}}</ref>
*Admired in Dr. Fuchs' ownership by [[Charles Chayne]], later vice-president of Corporate Engineering at [[General Motors]]. Chayne later found the car in a [[scrap yard]] in New York, buying it in 1946 for US$75.<ref name="Fuchs"/> Chayne would amass an impressive collection of classic cars in the 1940s and 1950s.
*Chayne got the car running, then modified it to perform better; he is said to have spent over US$10,000 through 1947, with the completed car featuring a new [[intake manifold]] with four carburetors instead of the original single unit; a new paint scheme of oyster white with a dark green trim; and a new convertible roof
*In 1957 Chayne donated the car to the [[The Henry Ford|Henry Ford Museum]], in [[Dearborn, Michigan]], US, where it is still located.{{as of when|date=April 2025}}<ref name="Fuchs"/> The associated placard, in its entirety, reads: "1931 Bugatti Royale Type 41 Cabriolet, Ettore Bugatti, Molsheim, France, Body by Weinberger, OHC, in-line 8 cylinder, 300 horsepower, 779 cu.in. displacement, {{convert|7035|lb|abbr=on}}. Original price: $43,000, Gift of Charles and Esther Chayne."

===41131 - Limousine Park-Ward===
[[File:Bugatti Limousine Type 41 1933 Mulhouse FRA 002.JPG|thumb|right|upright=1.14|Chassis no.41131, known as the ''Limousine Park-Ward,'' at home in the [[Musée National de l'Automobile de Mulhouse]] ]]
*The fourth car is chassis no.41131
*Known as the ''Foster'' car or ''Limousine Park-Ward''{{Sfn|Buckley|2002}}
*Sold in 1933 to Englishman Captain Cuthbert W. Foster, heir through his American mother to [[Eben Jordan]], founder of [[Jordan Marsh]], a large [[Boston]] department store.{{Sfn|Buckley|2002}} Foster had a [[limousine]] body made for the car by [[Park Ward]], created in the style of a 1921 Daimler he had once owned.{{Sfn|Buckley|2002}}
*Acquired in 1946 by British Bugatti dealer Jack Lemon Burton for around £700, who was forced to replace the huge tires with ones from an artillery piece, necessitating the need to remove the skirting from the fenders.
*Sold June/July 1956 to American Bugatti collector John Shakespeare, becoming part of the largest collection of Bugattis at that time. Shakespeare paid £3,500 for the car, which was in mint condition. This was a substantial price for a collector car in 1956. Two show-condition [[Duesenberg Model J|Duesenberg SJs]] could be bought at the same price that year. Brand new [[Ferrari]]s started around this price in 1956 as well.
*Facing financial problems, in 1963 Shakespeare sold his car collection to [[Fritz Schlumpf]]
*Part of the [[Schlumpf Collection]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ultimatecarpage.com/car/973/Bugatti-Type-41-Royale-Park-Ward-Limousine.html|title=Bugatti Type 41 Royale Park Ward Limousine|publisher=ultimatecarpage.com|accessdate=2009-01-01}}</ref>
*Resides in the [[Musée National de l'Automobile de Mulhouse]], alongside 41100 that the brothers Schlumpf had acquired from the Bugatti estate.{{Sfn|Buckley|2002}}

===41141 - Kellner car===
*The fifth car is chassis no.41141
*Known as the ''Kellner'' car
*Unsold, it was kept by Bugatti
*Bricked up with 41100 and 41150 during World War II at the home of the Bugatti family in [[Ermenonville]], to avoid being commandeered by the [[Nazi]]s.{{Sfn|Buckley|2002}}
*Sold together with 41150 by L'Ebe Bugatti in the Summer of 1950 to American [[Le Mans]] racer [[Briggs Cunningham]], in return for [[French franc|FR₣]]200000 (US$571), plus a pair of complimentary new [[General Electric]] [[refrigerator]]s, then unavailable in post-war France.{{Sfn|Buckley|2002}} Note that the [[French franc]] had been drastically devalued in the years immediately following the war. The refrigerators were included out of gratuity. The car was rough but drive-able. Taking the refrigerators into account, he essentially paid about US$600 per car. Restoration costs would bring the total cost up to about 1 million Francs, or US$2,858, per car. The cars were delivered to the States in January 1951.
*After closing his museum in 1986,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.briggscunningham.com/cmuseum.html |title=The Cunningham Museum |publisher=briggscunningham.com |accessdate=2009-01-01 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080922225823/http://www.briggscunningham.com/cmuseum.html |archive-date=September 22, 2008 }}</ref> in 1987 the car was sold direct from Briggs Cunningham's collection by [[Christie's]] for £5.5 million or US$9.7 million at the [[Royal Albert Hall]], to [[Sweden|Swedish]] property tycoon {{Interlanguage link multi|Hans Thulin|sv}}.
*The car was also offered for auction in 1989 by Kruse in [[Las Vegas]], US. Ed Weaver bid to US$11.5 million, which was declined by Thulin as the reserve was US$15 million. On collapse of his empire, Thulin sold the car in 1990 for a reported $15.7 million to Japanese conglomerate the {{Interlanguage link multi|Meitec Corporation|ja|3=メイテック}},<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.coachbuild.com/index.php?option=com_gallery2&Itemid=50&g2_itemId=10214|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090214233221/http://www.coachbuild.com/index.php?option=com_gallery2&Itemid=50&g2_itemId=10214|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 14, 2009|title=Kellner Bugatti T41 Royale|publisher=coachbuild.com|accessdate=2009-01-01}}</ref> and it resided in their modern building basement before being offered for sale for £10million by [[Bonhams|Bonhams & Brooks]] by private treaty in 2001.{{Sfn|Buckley|2002}}
*Ownership is presently unknown, but it has been shown in recent years by [[Switzerland|Swiss]] broker Lukas Huni.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ultimatecarpage.com/chassis/708/Bugatti-Type-41-Royale-Kellner-Coach-41141.html|title=Bugatti Type 41 Royale Kellner Coach|publisher=ultimatecarpage.com|accessdate=2009-01-01}}</ref>

===41150 - Berline de Voyage===
*The sixth car is chassis no. 41150
*Known as the ''Berline de Voyage''
[[File:Bugatti_Type_41_Royale_Berline_de_Voyage_1929_(41150).jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.14|Chassis no.41150, Bugatti Type 41 Royale Berline de Voyage 1929]]
*Unsold, it was kept by Bugatti
*Bricked up with 41100 and 41141 during World War II at the home of the Bugatti family in [[Ermenonville]], to avoid being commandeered by the [[Nazi]]s.{{Sfn|Buckley|2002}}
*Sold together with 41141 by L'Ebe Bugatti in the Summer of 1950 to American [[Le Mans]] racer [[Briggs Cunningham]], in return for [[French franc|FR₣]]200,000 (US$571), plus a pair of complimentary new [[General Electric]] [[refrigerator]]s, then unavailable in post-war France.{{Sfn|Buckley|2002}} Bear in mind that the [[French franc]] had been drastically devalued in the years immediately following the war. The refrigerators were included out of gratuity. The car was rough but drive-able. Taking the refrigerators into account, he essentially paid about $600 per car. Restoration costs would bring the total cost up to about 1 million Francs, or US$2,858, per car. The cars were delivered to the US in January 1951.
*On their arrival in the United States, Cunningham sold 41150, first to Cameron Peck in early 1952 for about $6,500 (at the time one of the highest prices ever paid for a collector car, landing Cunningham a substantial profit).
*In 1991, [[Tom Monaghan]], founder of [[Domino's Pizza]], sold 41150 for US$8,000,000, which was actually less than the £5.7 million for which he purchased it in 1987 from Jerry J. Moore.
*The car was sold to the [[Blackhawk Museum|Blackhawk Collection]] in Danville, California, where it has been on display at various times.
*It was later sold by the Blackhawk Museum to an 'unknown buyer'. It is unclear if this is either Volkswagen or a Korean investor who is having it preserved in Korea.

===French National Railway SNCF===
[[File:Autorail Bugatti Mulhouse FRA 001-01.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.30|Most of the engines intended for the Royale were derated and found their way into a series of high-speed Bugatti [[railcar]]s.]] 

To utilize the remaining 23 engines after the final Royale was built, Bugatti built a [[:fr:Autorail Bugatti|railcar]] powered by either two or four of the eight-cylinder units. Seventy-nine were built for the French National [[Railway]] [[SNCF]], using a further 186 engines, the last of them remaining in regular use until 1956{{Sfn|Conway|1969|pp=17–20}} or 1958 (sources differ). The railcar turned the Royale project from an economic failure into a commercial success for Bugatti. The engines were derated to produce only about 200&nbsp;hp, but even in this form they provided excellent performance.{{Sfn|Conway|1969|pp=17–20}}  One of the railcars took a world average speed record of {{convert|122|mph|km/h|abbr=on}} for {{convert|43.9|mi|km|1}}.

{{commons-inline|Category:Bugatti railcars|Bugatti railcar}}

==Technical data==

 {|  class="prettytable"
 |----- bgcolor="#DDDDDD"
 !  width="20%"|
 !  width="80%"|Type 41
 |----- bgcolor="#EEEEEE"
 |Engine:&nbsp;  || align="center" |[[Front engine|Front mounted]] 8-cylinder [[Straight engine|in-line engine]]
 |----- bgcolor="#EEEEEE"
 |[[Engine displacement|Displacement]]:&nbsp;  ||align="center" |12,763&nbsp;cc (779 cu in) 
 |----- bgcolor="#EEEEEE"
 |Bore x stroke:&nbsp;  || align="center" |125 x 130&nbsp;mm 
 |----- bgcolor="#EEEEEE"
 |Max power at rpm:&nbsp; ||  align="center" |300 hp at 1800 rpm  
 |----- bgcolor="#EEEEEE"
 |Valve control:&nbsp;  ||  align="center" |1 overhead cam shaft, 3 [[Multi-valve|valves]] per cylinder, [[Overhead camshaft engine#Single overhead camshaft (SOHC)|SOHC]]
 |----- bgcolor="#EEEEEE"
 |[[Compression Ratio|Compression]]:&nbsp; || align="center" |
 |----- bgcolor="#EEEEEE"
 |[[Carburetor]]:&nbsp;  || align="center" |1 Bugatti carburettor 
 |----- bgcolor="#EEEEEE"
 |Induction:&nbsp; || align="center" | Naturally aspirated 
 |----- bgcolor="#EEEEEE"
 |[[Gearbox]]:&nbsp;  || align="center" |3-speed manual 
 |----- bgcolor="#EEEEEE"
 |[[Car suspension|Suspension]] front:&nbsp;|| align="center" |Live axle, semi-elliptic leaf springs, friction dampers
 |----- bgcolor="#EEEEEE"
 |[[Car suspension|Suspension]] rear:&nbsp; || align="center" |Live axle, quarter elliptic leaf springs, friction dampers
 |----- bgcolor="#EEEEEE"
 |[[Brake]]s:&nbsp;  ||  align="center" |Cable operated drums
 |----- bgcolor="#EEEEEE"
 |[[Chassis]] & [[Automobile body|body]]:&nbsp; || align="center" |Body on ladder frame
 |----- bgcolor="#EEEEEE"
 |[[Wheelbase]]:&nbsp; ||  align="center" |430&nbsp;cm (169 in) 
 |----- bgcolor="#EEEEEE"
 |[[Dry weight]]:&nbsp;  ||  align="center" | 3175&nbsp;kg
 |----- bgcolor="#EEEEEE"
 |Top speed:&nbsp;  ||  align="center"| 201&nbsp;km/h (125 mph)
 |----- bgcolor="#EEEEEE"
 |}

==Extended production==
[[File:Rétromobile 2015 - Bugatti Roadster Royale Esders - 1932 - Reconstitution de 1991 - 007.jpg|thumb|The brothers Schlumpf copy of the ''Royale Esders Coupe'' on display at [[Rétromobile]] 2015]]

The world‘s greatest Bugatti collectors, the Schlumpf brothers, so liked the original Dr Armand Esders coupe body on chassis 41111, using original Bugatti parts they had a copy made of the car. It now resides with the two originals they purchased at the Musée National de l'Automobile de Mulhouse.<ref name="UCP"/>

==Replica cars==
[[File:Bugatti Royale Sinsheim.jpg|thumb|Replica of Coupe Napoleon, made for the French film ''[[Rebus (film)|Rebus]]'' with an American V8 engine, now residing in the [[Sinsheim Auto & Technik Museum]] ]] 

In light of the rarity of the Type 41 and its associated price, it is unsurprising that some replicas have been made.

The late [[Tom Wheatcroft]] commissioned Ashton Keynes Vintage Restorations (AKVR) to build an exact replica of Bugatti's personal car, the ''Coupe Napoleon'' (chassis number 41100), for his [[Donington Grand Prix Collection]] in [[England]]. It has since been sold and left the collection. So good was the replica, that when the ''Kellner'' car needed a replacement piston, its then Japanese owners commissioned South Cerney Engineering, part of AKVR, to provide a replacement.{{Sfn|Buckley|2002}}

On May 24, 2008, [[Prince Joachim of Denmark]] on the day of his wedding to Princess Marie (formerly [[Marie Cavallier]]) had Wheatcroft's replica waiting outside Møgeltønder Church to drive the newly married couple to [[Schackenborg Castle]].<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2fegBPMDMc |title=prins Joachim och prinsessan Maries bröllop 2008/Denmarks prince wedding 2008 |date=2017-04-09 |last=Elin Hansson |time=1:19:33 |access-date=2024-06-29 |via=YouTube}}</ref>

In 2011 a reconstruction of the 41100 Packard prototype by Dutch company Hevec Classics was presented at the Molsheim festival. It claims to use the original prototype chassis frame and other parts and was initially fitted with a replica engine (built by [[Tom Wheatcroft]]).<ref name=":0" />

In 2016, the same team that reconstructed the Packard prototype, led by Frank Slopsma, unveiled a new replica of the Royale Esders Roadster at the RETRO CLASSICS show in Stuttgart, Germany.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Bugatti: 2016 news |url=http://www.bugattipage.com/2016news.htm |access-date=2022-08-26 |website=www.bugattipage.com}}</ref>

A year later this same team showed a part-finished replica of the Weymann coach version of the 41100 Royale prototype at the Mondorf Classic Days & Concours d'Elegance. All three replicas built by the team were shown at the show, they were built for an undisclosed Dutch owner.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Bugatti: 2017 news |url=http://www.bugattipage.com/2017news.htm |access-date=2022-08-26 |website=www.bugattipage.com}}</ref>

The [[Sinsheim Auto & Technik Museum]] has a replica of the 41100 Coupe Napoleon that was built for the 1968 film ''[[Rebus (film)|Rebus]].'' 

The much smaller [[Panther De Ville]] (produced between 1974 and 1985) consciously resembled the Type 41.

==Reunion==
In the 1985 [[Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance]], all six cars appeared together on display.<ref>{{Cite news|url= https://apnews.com/a80796907a05841eb7e92604fc61e129|title= All Six Bugatti Royale Cars Displayed Together For First Time|date= 27 August 1985|agency= Associated Press|website= AP News Archive}}</ref>

In 2007, five of the six cars were on display at the [[Goodwood Festival of Speed]] to celebrate the Royale's eightieth anniversary.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.autoblog.com/2007/06/25/2007-goodwood-festival-of-speed-bugatti-royales/|title=2007 Goodwood Festival of Speed: Bugatti Royales|date=25 June 2007 |publisher=autoblog.com|accessdate=2020-12-16}}</ref>

==In fiction==
{{sources|section|date=December 2019}}
A Bugatti Royale features in the 2012 book ''Lucia on Holiday'' by Guy Fraser-Sampson, an addition to the [[Mapp and Lucia (novel series)|Mapp and Lucia]] series of novels by [[E.F. Benson]]. In the story Major Mapp-Flint is asked by a maharajah to drive the car from Paris to Bellagio, but he drives so badly and inflicts so much damage that the maharajah has the car driven into Lake Como.

The Bugatti Royale 41150 Berline de Voyage 1931 also features throughout the 2014 book ''The Eye of Zoltar'', book 3 of [[The Last Dragonslayer]] series by [[Jasper Fforde]]. The car is referenced ten times within the book. The protagonist Jennifer Strange describes her choice of car "After looking at several I'd chosen a massive vintage car called a Bugatti Royale. Inside it was sumptuously comfortable, and outside, the bonnet was so long that in misty weather it was hard to make out the hood ornament."

The Bugatti Royale features in the [[David Grossman]] book ''The Zigzag Kid''.

A blood-red Bugatti type 41 Royale Coupe de Ville appears in [[Leslie Charteris]]' ''Vendetta For the Saint'' (Doubleday 1964, ghostwritten by [[Harry Harrison (writer)|Harry Harrison]]) as a rental car for [[Simon Templar]].

A Bugatti Royale was featured in the [[Clive Cussler]] novel ''The Wrecker''.

''The Seventh Royale'' by [[Donald Stanwood]] is about Hitler's attempt to get a Royale and efforts to thwart him.<ref>{{Cite book|isbn = 0689114494|title = The Seventh Royale|last1 = Stanwood|first1 = Donald A.|year = 1987| publisher=Atheneum }}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Rolls-Royce Phantom IV]], another luxury car model devised to be sold to the royalty.

==Notes==
{{reflist|30em}}

==References==
*{{cite web|last= Buckley|first= Martin|url= https://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/2716929/The-most-expensive-car-in-the-world.html|title= The most expensive car in the world|publisher= The Daily Telegraph|date= 2002-03-22|accessdate= 2009-01-01}}
*{{cite journal |last = Conway|first = H. G.|title = The car of Kings| journal = [[The Motor|Motor]]| pages = 17–20| date = 8 February 1969}}
*{{cite book |editor1-last= Kimes|editor1-first= Beverly Rae|title= The Classic Car|location= Des Plaines, IL US|publisher= [[Classic Car Club of America]]|year= 1990|isbn= 0-9627868-0-2|lccn= 90084421|chapter= Bugatti|pages= 627–640}}
* {{cite book |editor-last=Menon |editor-first=Sujatha |title=Super Cars, Classics of Their Time |publisher=Quintet Publishing |year=2004 |isbn=0-7607-6228-7 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/supercarsclassic0000unse }}
*{{cite news|title= The Wheels of Fortune (front page), History of the well-kept car (section, p5)|publisher= [[Evening Chronicle]]|type= newspaper|last= Pattinson|first= Rob|pages= 1, 4, 5|date= 1 January 2009|edition= Regionwide|quote= Dr Carr's hoarding instinct meant the car has remained virtually untouched and unused since the early 1960s. The current record sale for a car at auction stands at £4.7m, for a 1931 Bugatti Royale Kellner Coupe, sold in 1987.}}
*{{cite book| last = Rogliatti| first = Gianni| editor-last = Posthumus| editor-first = Cyril| editor-link = Cyril Posthumus| title = Period Cars| year = 1973| publisher = Hamlyn| location = Feltham, Middlesex, UK| isbn = 0-600-33401-5| pages = 232–233}}
* ''Great Cars&nbsp;– Bugatti'' (documentary)
* ''Classic & Sports Car Magazine&nbsp;– October 1987''
* {{cite book |author=Jasper Fforde |title=The Eye of Zoltar |publisher=Hodder & Stoughton |year=2014 |isbn=9781444707274}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Bugatti Type 41}}
* [https://bugattiroyale.com Bugatti Royale Homepage] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190630060926/https://bugattiroyale.com/ |date=2019-06-30 }}
{{Bugatti road car timeline}}{{Bugatti}}
[[Category:Bugatti automobiles|Royale]]
[[Category:Luxury vehicles]]
[[Category:Cars introduced in 1927]]
[[Category:1930s cars]]