Welcome to the Bugatti Trust
Celebrating Bugatti History
A Charitable Trust whose objectives are to preserve and make available for study the works of Ettore Bugatti.
By joining the Bugatti Trust you help:
- Preserve the heritage of the original Bugatti marque and the technical and historic archives of the factory.
- Provide an accessible working archive to the Bugatti community and enthusiasts around the world. Bookings for group visits and talks are available.
- Preserve the heritage of the artists in the Bugatti family including Rembrandt, Carlo and Lydia.
- Support an active educational STEM outreach programme working with schools, colleges and universities throughout the UK as well as inspire the next generation of engineers and designers. Initiatives include Formula Student, STEM Racing, Formula SAE, VEX Robotics, DofE, drawing classes and bespoke collaborative projects.
Founded over 35 years ago, the Bugatti Trust is a UK registered charity, home to 27,000 technical drawings, over 10,000 historic photographs and thousands of historic documents. Above, a new display created around a Benoist trophy recently purchased for our permanent collection.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION PRIOR TO VISITING
The Bugatti Trust
Prescott Hill
Gotherington
Cheltenham
Gloucestershire GL52 9RD
The Bugatti Trust is normally open Monday to Friday between 10 am and 4 pm except on Tuesday when we open at 10.30 due to staff training.
Please telephone 01242 677 201 before visiting.
The last admission to the museum is at 3.30pm.
Please note the Bugatti Trust will be closed on the following dates:
Monday 12th October
Monday 19th October
Prescott Engineering & Innovation Festival 2026 Delivers Inspiring Weekend of Engineering, Competition and Innovation
The 2026 Prescott Engineering & Innovation Festival proved to be a resounding success, bringing together leading engineers, innovators, motorsport enthusiasts, exhibitors, competitors and students for a packed weekend celebrating engineering achievement and automotive heritage.
Organised jointly by the Bugatti Owners’ Club http://www.prescotthillclimb.co.uk and the Bugatti Trust Museum & Study Centre http://www.bugatti-trust.co.uk, the festival showcased a diverse exhibitor line-up spanning motorsport, advanced manufacturing, technology, education, heritage engineering and future mobility. Exhibitors engaged visitors of all ages, providing hands-on demonstrations and valuable insights into careers and opportunities across the engineering sector.
A particular highlight of the weekend was the festival’s educational programme. Students attending the event not only had the opportunity to interact with engineers and industry professionals but were also treated to passenger rides in Bugatti cars on Prescott’s famous hill, creating memorable experiences that brought automotive engineering to life.
Thank you to all the Bugattistes who gave young learners a lift up the historic hill climb!
Photograph Copyright : Tom Gay
The festival’s guest speaker programme at The Bugatti Trust also proved exceptionally popular, with every talk selling out in advance. Visitors heard from Pikes Peak competitor Damien Bradley, who shared the engineering challenges behind one of the world’s most demanding motorsport events; renowned pre-war Bugatti engineering expert Tim Dutton; and Jim Budd with Rebecca Gunn from Moog Engineering, who offered fascinating insights into modern engineering innovation. The capacity audiences reflected the growing appetite for engineering-focused content and technical discussion within the Prescott community.
Running alongside the festival was two days of competitive hill climb action featuring rounds of the FASSI Classic Speed Championship, New Barn Speed Championship and numerous club championships, providing visitors with a unique opportunity to watch historic, classic and modern machinery compete on the renowned Prescott Hill Climb course.
Saturday Competition Highlights
Saturday’s action saw competitors battling for class honours across a wide variety of machinery.
The fastest time of the day was recorded by Mike Luck in his Dart 1800, who stopped the clocks at an impressive 43.18 seconds, demonstrating the pace of modern competition machinery.
Among the Bugatti Owners’ Club classes:
Johnny Hulme claimed victory in BOC Class 1 with his Renault 5 GT Turbo Coupe.
Robert Ian Blackstock won BOC Class 2 Sports Cars in his MG TF160.
Mike Hawke took honours in BOC Class 3 Race Cars aboard his historic Formula 750 Phoenix.
In championship action:
Peter House won the AMOC Speed Championship class in his Aston Martin Vantage GT4.
Andrew Webber secured victory in the National Historic Speed Championship class with his Lotus Europa 47D.
Matt Waltham led the Triumph Register contingent to victory in his Triumph TR5. Aaron Bland topped a highly competitive New Barn Speed Championship class in his Mini Cooper S.
The FASSI Classic Speed Championship competitors also produced some excellent performances:
Class 1 was won by Ben Thorne in an Austin Mini Clubman. Class 2 honours went to Tim Lakin in his MGB GT.
In the prestigious Williams Monaco Trophy for Bugattis, Rupert Marks took victory in his Bugatti Type 13 Brescia.
Sunday Competition Highlights
Sunday maintained the momentum with another full day of competition across the hill.
In the Bugatti Williams Monaco Trophy class, Paula Larisa Dragusanu claimed victory in her Bugatti Type 51, ahead of Yushan Ng in a Bugatti Type 35 GP and Winston Teague in a Bugatti Type 35.
Other Sunday class winners included:
Robert Ian Blackstock (BOC Standard Cars) in an MG TF160. Owen Pritchard (BOC Road Cars) in a Mini Cooper S (R53). Kevin O’Keeffe (BOC Modified Cars) in a Volvo Amazon.
Ramunas Cepulis (BOC Sports Libre Cars) in a Honda NSX.
Hamish Cameron Eveleigh (BOC Racing Cars) in a Cooper MK8.
On outright pace, Mike Luck again demonstrated exceptional speed, taking class honours in Racing Cars with a best run of 35.76 seconds.
A Festival to Inspire the Next Generation
With sold-out technical talks, an extensive exhibitor showcase, student engagement initiatives, memorable Bugatti passenger rides and thrilling competition on the hill, the 2026 Prescott Engineering & Innovation Festival successfully delivered on its aim of inspiring current and future generations of engineers.
The combination of motorsport, engineering excellence, heritage and education once again demonstrated why Prescott remains one of the UK’s most distinctive venues for celebrating both engineering innovation and automotive culture. The event’s success further strengthens its position as a key fixture in the engineering and motorsport calendar, with visitors, exhibitors and competitors already looking forward to returning in 2027.
Looking Ahead to 2027
Following the success of this year’s event, the Bugatti Owners’ Club and the Bugatti Trust Museum & Study Centre are delighted to announce that the Prescott Engineering & Innovation Festival will return on 2nd and 3rd October 2027. Building on the momentum generated by this year’s sold-out talks, extensive exhibitor showcase, thrilling hill climb action and inspiring educational activities, plans are already underway to make next year’s festival even bigger and better. Visitors, exhibitors, competitors and engineering enthusiasts are encouraged to save the date and join Prescott once again for a unique celebration of engineering, innovation, motorsport and automotive heritage.
Above: We continue our support of the Cotswold School’s VEX Robotics Club sponsoring their teams and helping judge during the competition days they organise welcoming teams from all over the UK. For 2026 The Trust is increasing the amount of STEM Racing teams sponsored and welcomed the JCB Academy’s STEM Racing club in January.
UWE Racing, FS Team from Bristol, one of the 7 teams we sponsor for 2026 which include TBRe from Bath, Phoenix Racing from Coventry, Cardiff Racing, UoL Racing from Leicester, GCU Racing from Glasgow and London’s UCL Racing. We are also excited to start an Automotive and Transport Design challenge with Coventry’s MA course.
Slipstream STEM Racing Team from the Crypt School who performed brilliantly at the national finals this year.
Coventry University Automotive and Transport Design students during a visit to the Trust to kick off their post-war Bugatti design challenge
for 2026.
Prescott Engineering & Innovation Festival Launched as New Joint Venture Between the Bugatti Owners’ Club and The Bugatti Trust
A unique celebration of motorsport engineering, innovation and education comes to Prescott, Gloucestershire, UK, on Saturday 3rd and Sunday 4th October 2026.
Friday 14th August 2026, The Bugatti Owners’ Club (BOC) and The Bugatti Trust Museum and Study Centre are delighted to announce the launch of the Prescott Engineering & Innovation Festival, on Saturday 3rd and Sunday 4th October 2026. This new co-promoted event will combine the excitement of competitive hill climbing with a vibrant showcase of engineering excellence, technological innovation and educational engagement.
Held alongside Prescott’s traditional October hill climb meeting which will feature over 150 competition cars each day, ranging from top flight single seater racing cars to road-going daily commuters, the new festival will transform Prescott Hill Climb into a dynamic engineering showcase, offering visitors the opportunity not only to experience the thrill of motorsport but also to discover the technology, creativity and expertise that drive performance on and off the track.
Designed as a celebration of ingenuity, speed and innovation, the Prescott Engineering & Innovation Festival will bring together engineers, restorers, manufacturers, students, educators and motorsport enthusiasts for a day of competition, learning and inspiration. An essential element of this inaugural edition of the Festival will of course be Bugatti engineering.
A key feature of the event is its collaborative approach, marking a significant milestone in the partnership between the Bugatti Owners’ Club and The Bugatti Trust. The Festival has been developed as a long-term joint venture, with both organisations working together to create a distinctive event that showcases the heritage, present and future of engineering and motorsport.
Visitors can look forward to a wide range of attractions beyond the hill climb action, including:
Free-to-attend engineering and innovation talks hosted at The Bugatti Trust
An enhanced Formula Student presence showcasing the next generation of engineering talent
A dedicated Bugatti Restorers and Engineers Zone
Educational and careers-focused displays from universities, colleges and industry organisations
Participation from engineering and automotive heritage bodies
An exciting Innovation Row, featuring historic and contemporary vehicles that have redefined engineering boundaries
The Festival aims to showcase the remarkable engineering achievements behind Bugatti, hill climbing and the wider motorsport industry while creating opportunities for learning, inspiration and career exploration for visitors of all ages.
The Bugatti Owners’ Club and The Bugatti Trust share a vision of establishing the Prescott Engineering & Innovation Festival as a fixture in both the motorsport and educational calendars. Organisers intend for the event to grow year on year, developing into a flagship showcase that celebrates engineering excellence and heritage while strengthening Prescott’s reputation as one of the UK’s most distinctive and inspirational motorsport venues.
Colin Bullock, Bugatti Owners’ Club Chairman and Allan Rippon, Bugatti Trust Museum and Study Centre Chairman commented: “The Prescott Engineering & Innovation Festival represents an exciting new chapter for both organisations. By bringing together the sporting spectacle of hill climbing with the educational and inspirational opportunities offered by engineering innovation, we are creating an event that celebrates not only what motorsport achieves on the track but also the ingenuity and expertise behind it. This partnership reflects our shared commitment to preserving engineering heritage while inspiring future generations of engineers and innovators.”
Further details, programme announcements and exhibitor information will be released in the coming months
For further information please contact
The Bugatti Trust Museum and Study Centre
Angela Hucke
Curator & Education
01242 677201
Current Exhibition
From Race to Road: The Story of the Bugatti Type 30
A new exhibition highlighting the pivotal role of the Bugatti Type 30 in the evolution of Bugatti road and racing cars, the factory, and engineering innovation
Early Bugatti Type 30 outside the Paris Showroom 116 Avenue de Champs Elysées. Photo Courtesy The Bugatti Trust Archive.
The Bugatti Trust Museum and Study Centre, Gloucestershire, is delighted to announce a new exhibition opening in June, dedicated to exploring the importance of the Bugatti Type 30 in the development of the Bugatti marque and factory.
As Bugatti’s first production eight-cylinder model, introduced in 1922, the Type 30 marked a step change in performance, engineering sophistication and design, representing a vital link between the early four-cylinder models and the later Grand Prix legends such as the Type 35. Through carefully selected archive material including historic documents and photographs, original factory film footage and technical drawings from the Trust’s extensive collection, the exhibition will show how the Type 30’s advanced inline eight-engine, four-wheel braking and the modified chassis design helped shape Bugatti’s approach to both road and competition cars.
Visitors will discover how the Type 30 underpinned later developments at the
Molsheim factory and how its engineering solutions influenced some of the most successful racing Bugattis of the 1920s.
The Bugatti Trust’s established STEM outreach work which already includes initiatives such as Formula Student, STEM Racing and VEX Robotics as well as collaborative design challenges, will be complemented by new learning resources developed specifically around the Type 30 exhibition.
