Bugatti and Lotus Thriller

The story of a boy with a big four-wheel dream

There are men who fall in love with a dream when they are young and do everything they can to make it come true. Romano Artioli is an entrepreneur pursuing his desire to revive the world’s most prestigious automobile brand, Bugatti. With passion and dedication, he achieves this goal. Born in Mantua, birthplace of Nuvolari, the most famous race car driver of all time, Romano opens his first auto service centre in Bolzano at the age of eighteen, buys a hydraulic test bench and begins overhauling engines, immediately demonstrating great skill.

 And he founds dealerships, imports cars and becomes president of the local automobile club. He understands the importance of going all out to meet the demands of his customers, who become his friends and help him sell cars.

He convinces Enzo Ferrari to entrust him with management of the brand not only in the Triveneto, but in southern Germany as well.

After amassing experience for years travelling the world, it’s time for him to make his boyhood dream come true: he charms the French government and arranges for the sale of the Bugatti brand.

Then, having been abruptly prevented from selecting a powerful partner among the many who were interested in developing Bugatti and ensuring its future as an independent brand, he acquires the crisis-ridden Lotus Group and rapidly restores it to its former grandeur.

There, he introduces new models with great success, such as the special Lotus Elise, named after Romano’s young granddaughter.

Exploiting the unique untapped potential of his technicians, who work with passion and total commitment. In the mid-nineties, the Bugatti EB 112 is named “the world’s most beautiful sedan”.

But as in a classic thriller, just when everything seems to have turned out right comes the sneaky and unexpected twist that changes everything. With endless twists and turns and a long line of bankers’ traps, lawyers’ scams and ravenous businessmen, Bugatti & Lotus Thriller tells the story of a great dream of genius and creativity that stirs passion in every petrolhead the world over.