Romano Artioli is an Italian entrepreneur and one-time owner of Bugatti and Lotus automobile makers. Artioli was born in Moglia in the Province of Mantua, and raised in Bolzano where in the 1980s he ran one of the largest Ferrari dealerships in the world, selling in northern Italy and southern Germany. He also imported Japanese cars, owning Autoexp� which in 1982 became the first Italian importer of Suzuki. He had a large collection of Bugatti automobiles, and was encouraged by Ferruccio Lamborghini and Paolo Stanzani to establish Bugatti International, a holding company that bought the Bugatti trademark name in 1987. Artioli became chairman of Bugatti Automobilie S.p.A., which made the Bugatti EB110 between 1991 and 1995. In 1993, his wife Renata Kettmeir formed the Bolzano-based Ettore Bugatti luxury item maker, also using the Bugatti "EB" logo. Their involvement ended in September 1995 due to bankruptcy, and the company was eventually bought by Volkswagen in April 1998. Artioli purchased Lotus from General Motors in August 1993 and became its chairman until 1996 when he stepped down to be Special Projects director until 1998. 

January 1st, 1932 in Moglia (Age 92)