After two decades Hugh Conway, Chairman of The Bugatti Trust Museum and Study Centre, has decided to step down, although he has agreed to remain as a trustee of the organisation founded by his father in 1987.

The popular choice by staff members and other trustees was to invite trustee Allan Rippon to become Chairman of the charitable trust that was created “for the advancement of education through the study of the works of Ettore Bugatti”.

Thanking Hugh for his dedicated and distinguished service new Chairman Allan Rippon said: “With the benefit of his leadership the Trust, amongst other things, has retained a committed and talented team of permanent staff, volunteers and Trustees
“It has provided through its extensive and ever-expanding historic archive, enormous assistance to those researching Ettore Bugatti and his many creations and ideas.

“It has received awards for the quality of its museum displays and has increasingly been enabled to pursue its educational objectives.
“Hugh's father who founded the Trust would be very proud of what our retiring Chairman has achieved.
“I look forward to working with everyone involved with the Trust to meet the undoubted challenges and opportunities that lie ahead of us.”

Trust Members and Friends will have a number of opportunities to meet Allan Rippon over the coming months, including at a Bugatti Trust celebration day for members on October 14.

The photo above was taken during the recent Vintage Sports-Car Club weekend at Prescott with from left to right: Trustee and Past Chairman Hugh Conway, Trustee Richard Day, Dan Cross from McLaren Applied who had just finished a STEM talk for us, Chairman Allan Rippon and Trustee John Venables-Llewelyn.

The Trust was started after a small fraternity of Bugatti enthusiasts gathered in October 1987, led by the late Hugh Graham Conway, and Bugatti Molsheim Limited, now known as The Bugatti Trust, was born. Hugh was acknowledged as the leading Bugatti authority of his time. A distinguished design engineer, he is well remembered for his work in the aeronautical industry and his contributions to the Design Council. The Trust was conceived as a repository for Hugh’s extensive historical collection of photographs, correspondence and Bugatti factory drawings and documents. The sale of one of Hugh Conway’s Bugattis funded construction of the Prescott Visitor Centre in which the collection is now housed. Prescott is also the home of the Bugatti Owners’ Club and location of the Speed Hill Climb. Despite the shared location, the Trust operates as a completely separate entity to the Club.

The Centre was officially opened by HRH the Duke of Edinburgh on 16th March 1990, a plaque next to the entrance commemorating the event.
Based at Prescott Hill, Gotherington near Cheltenham, The Bugatti Trust is normally open Monday to Friday between 10 am and 4 pm (please telephone 01242 677 201 before visiting). The last admission to the museum is at 3.30pm. Details at www.bugatti-trust.co.uk/

We have seen many different objects designed and/or made by Carlo Bugatti; his furniture of course is well known, but there is much more, like the silverware, boxes, a Jukebox, "Crazy Frog" horns and more.

Now recently I saw something new, in a material unknown to me to date; porcelain.

It seems to be signed Carlo Bugatti on the underside, though there's no photograph of that. Description from the auction:

"Rare, if not unique, streaked porcelain hookah in shades of white and bluish black, made by Carlo Bugatti.
Marked on the bottom Depose 'Carlo Bugatti"

For those who do not know, a Hookah is also known as a "Waterpipe" or in Italian: Narghilla

To the object

A few days before, the above photograph was launched, with the addition: "A timeless and incomparable homage to the era-defining moments in the history of BUGATTI. 10.08.23. 10 AM CEST."

Then, a few days later, on August 10 of course, the car itself was presented:

BUGATTI CHIRON SUPER SPORT ‘GOLDEN ERA’: THE PINNACLE OF HAND-CRAFTED LUXURY

The Bugatti Chiron Super Sport ‘Golden Era’ is perhaps the most challenging bespoke project that Bugatti has ever undertaken. It is the result of two years of innovative and bespoke craftsmanship, featuring entirely new techniques that elevate it from the world of automotive and into pure artistry. It is the very embodiment of the Bugatti Sur Mesure offering, in which customers’ ambitious visions for their vehicles – which stretch beyond the already near-infinite levels of Bugatti customization – are brought to life in a collaborative process with the design team.

In this case, that vision came from a Bugatti collector with a deep appreciation for Bugatti history and for the intricate engineering of the W16 engine. Not only did he choose a Chiron Super Sport to celebrate the combustion engine design, but he wanted to appropriately pay homage to the history that had led to the creation of this engine. With this vision presented to Bugatti, the design team developed a proposal that captured the essence of what makes Bugatti special, told through its most memorable and extraordinary creations. And the result is: ‘Golden Era’.

Achim Anscheidt, former Bugatti Design Director in charge of this creation, explains the ideation’s starting point: “Our customers can be incredibly creative and we take great pride in helping them realize what they dream of, but extensive special commissions such as this are exceedingly rare – we usually see no more than one or two creations on this scale each year. Given the vision and exacting nature for this project – and the fantastical ideation we wanted to realize – ‘Golden Era’ is probably the most demanding piece of tailored personalization work that my team and I have ever worked on.

"A very important customer came to us and during our conversations, he expressed that he believed the Chiron Super Sport and its W16 engine represented a landmark moment in the world of the automobile. He wanted to do something truly unique in celebration. We looked back through Bugatti history to find a number of these landmark moments, including the times of Ettore Bugatti, Jean Bugatti and Roland Bugatti, which really marked the first golden era for the brand. And then, of course, the modern-day incarnation of Bugatti from 1987, picking out the icons from these times that came to define the Bugatti brand. Our team proposed a concept featuring 45 sketches of the brand’s icons that would be hand-drawn directly onto the car itself, and the owner immediately fell in love with the idea. The implementation may sound quite straightforward, but achieving a perfect finish, and one that would last the test of time, took more patience and craftsmanship than you could ever imagine.”

The customer himself has a great appreciation of Bugatti, and the designers’ collaborative process with the owner – in which he made countless visits to the team to see the vision come to life – was sparked by his unbridled passion. Initiating the relationship between the customer and the Bugatti team in Molsheim – and overseeing the project through to its final stage – was Bugatti's trusted dealer partner located in Greenwich, Connecticut.

Bugatti Managing Director, Hendrik Malinowski, says: “Sur Mesure literally translates as tailored and it is this complete ultra-luxury customer-centric approach to car design that really sets it apart. Our teams will work hand-in-hand with our customers to craft exactly what they want, and then work closely with them over the course of months or even years to transform it into a reality. Each step, every decision and – in the case of the Golden Era – every stroke of the pencil, was completed with the close oversight and input of the owner to exceed his expectations in a way that no other brand is able to do.”

The overall project for the car would capture the incomparable legacy of Bugatti, a story told through a composition of beautifully intricate sketches depicting milestones from the legendary brand. On the passenger side, 26 hand-drawn sketches reveal icons like the Type 41 Royale – lauded as the most luxurious car when revealed in 1926 – and the Type 57 SC Atlantic, widely regarded as the most beautiful car ever designed. It is a showcase of the moments when Bugatti changed the course of automotive history with its new innovations. On the driver’s side, 19 sketches portray the rebirth and enduring success of Bugatti since 1987, tracing from the EB110, through the Veyron and Chiron2. A beautifully simple representation of the 3,712 individual components that come together to create the legendary W16 engine – the most advanced automotive engine ever built – rightfully takes its place as a part of the masterpiece.

The team honed and refined their artwork for the project until they achieved precisely the right scale, proportion and form for each of the individual sketches, bringing them together to form one beautiful artwork. But this art would need an appropriate canvas. A bespoke color, a timeless and celebratory shade of gold named ‘Doré’, was created and applied to the car with a gradiented color split into a special metallic variant of ‘Nocturne Black’, creating the perfect base for the designers to begin the daunting process of sketching directly onto the car.

Achim Anscheidt continues: “It was very clear to us from the beginning that we can only achieve an authentic finish for these sketches – and at Bugatti authenticity is paramount – if we actually used the pencils that we use for sketching on paper – anything else would result in something looking fake or low in quality. So that’s why we had to find a process that would allow us to use pencils and do all of the sketches by hand, directly onto the paintwork.”

Of course, even for the most experienced and skilled designer, the task of sketching, purely by hand, onto a specially commissioned hyper sports car, was extremely intimidating. From the very first stroke of the pencil, this painstaking, manual process saw Bugatti’s uniquely talented team of designers elevating their craft further still in pursuit of perfection. Inevitably, this took a great deal of time, and involved some setbacks along the way. But with extremes of passion, a degree of trial and learnings, the last one of the sketches was eventually completed, having developed a brand new technique to achieve the desired finish for the exterior artwork. In all, this stage of the process took more than 400 hours – testament to the complexity of the artwork.

To create a fully immersive celebration, the design team ensured their proposal would be reflected in the interior. On each of the door panels, three Bugatti icons were hand-applied with a bespoke paint and fine paint brush that would allow one of the design team to draw directly onto the leather. The EB110, Veyron and Chiron, legends of the present day, are facing the icons of the past that had inspired them: the Type 35 – the world’s greatest racing car – Type 57 SC Atlantic – the most beautiful car in the world – and Type 41 Royale – renowned as the most luxurious car ever created – applied to the opposite side of the interior. When Bugatti’s innovative past meets with its revolutionary future in a car that symbolizes the epitome of Bugatti’s savoir-faire. New methods and processes were crafted to ensure that these details would stand the test of time. They sit proudly within the interior as a focal point of beautiful bespoke touches, including subtle ‘Golden Era’ stitching and hand-written ‘One-of-One’ motifs.

A timeless and incomparable homage to the era-defining moments in Bugatti history, the Chiron Super Sport ‘Golden Era’ is beyond comparison in the scale of its bespoke ambition; a project that could only have sprung from the minds of true Bugatti enthusiasts, and one that could only have been finished to such a perfect level of detail by the craftsmen in Molsheim. The car now awaits an official handover to its owner at Monterey Car Week.

So, what do you think of this "artwork" car? What do I think of it? Personally, I think that the sketches, however well they may look on paper, are just not good enough for such a high-end (in fact, the highest-end of all high-end cars) automobile. And that apart from some minor errors in perspective and details.

Compare it with a beautiful woman; does she get more beautiful with tattoos? In my opinion, no. If you want to make sketches, use paper for it, not a human body or an automobile.
Which of course does not imply that art-cars in themselves can not be beautiful, like the Bugatti painted by Sonia Delaunay, picture (of a miniature in 1:8 scale) on the right. I could imagine the Chiron with really beautiful, abstract or figurative, paintings on either the sides or the roof (for a top-view) becoming really a more attractive automobile to look at.
(editor)

As you can imagine, Bugatti will not sacrifice the DNA of the thermal-engined Chiron with its new hybrid vehicle. The next Bugatti hypercar will retain the classic design elements that have become the brand's symbol, such as the iconic horseshoe grille and the distinctive C-shaped design on the body sides.

However, the car will be built around a new chassis and is expected to be lighter due to the adoption of a V8 powertrain. Frank Heyl, Bugatti's design director, explained that the integration of the hybrid component's batteries required a reassessment of the overall architecture of the car, but did not elaborate on this.

For his part, Aldo Maria Sica, the brand's interior designer, revealed that the powertrain was a significant departure from the Bugattis of yesteryear, but that the interior would remain faithful to the elegance and luxury of the Chiron. Nevertheless, the new model should accommodate a central screen for infotainment purposes, which was not the case on the old models.

Finally, regarding its price, the next Bugatti hypercar should exceed the 5 million dollars of the limited edition Mistral, the last Bugatti model equipped with the W16 engine, of which only 99 were produced. See you in 2024 to find out all about the hybrid Chiron.

As a reminder, we already know that the 100% electric Chiron is not expected before 2030

Donington auctions - THE BUGATTI AUCTION, Australia, July 23, 2023

• Bugatti Brescia radiator, probably from T23, Possibly from Chassis 2449, Sold for AUD $ 3,205
• Trophy cup awarded to Elisabeth Junek for the 1926 Zbraslav-Jiloviště Hill Climb, Estimate AUD $85,000 - AUD $95,000: Not Sold
• 'The Bugatti 100P record plane - Created by Ettore Bugatti and Louis de Monge' hardcover book by Jaap Horst, Sold for AUD $ 230
  I sold them for 40 euro.... I really must get going with that 3rd edition!

More results, note that these are in AUD $, which is 0.60 euro

Bonhams' Goodwood Festival of Speed auction, UK, July 14, 2023

• 1914 Bugatti Type 22-Style 'Eight-Valve' 'Prince Henry 3-Seat Open Tourer, Chassis "678", Estimate: £120,000 - £160,000: Sold for £110,833.34 inc. premium
• Mido for Bugatti wristwatch, circa 1925, Ex-Colonel Sorel, Case nr. 200753, Estimate: £50,000-80,000: Not sold

Artcurial auction: Le Mans Classic 2023, June 30, 2023

• 2007 Bugatti Veyron 16.4, Chassis n° VF9SA15B96M795097, Estimate 1,250,000 - 1,500,000 €: Sold for: 1,358,800 € (including premium)

What was indicated to be a kind of a museum annex showroom initially, now seems to be an expansion of the facilities in Molsheim
Below the official news

Bugatti’s headquarters in Molsheim, France, is set for substantial expansion and development.

Part of an ongoing investment program that will support the development of new automobiles beyond the Chiron era, a new facility – located next to the Atelier – is to be added to the Molsheim site in the second half of 2024. The new addition to the Molsheim operations will support ongoing programs, including the production of the Bolide, the most extreme Bugatti ever created, and the W16 Mistral, the ultimate Bugatti roadster, as well as future-focused development projects like the first car that will be produced under the governance of the Bugatti Rimac.

The new facility – which will span two floors totaling a 2,120 m2 space – will be a unique place for Bugatti employees to gather, fostering new levels in project management. It will also house new team members that will join the brand. Bugatti is accelerating its global recruitment campaign to attract new talents to Molsheim and target growth in departments such as quality control, planning, logistics and production. The brand has also launched its all-new apprenticeship program which has already been a great success with all trainee positions having been rapidly fulfilled. At Molsheim, where the headquarters lies, the brand plans to increase its workforce by more than 50% by the end of 2027.

“The addition of this new facility at our home in Molsheim will be timed perfectly with the expansion of the brand and product range, showcasing the strength of Bugatti as we head into an exciting future,” said Christophe Piochon, President of Bugatti Automobiles.

Having produced and delivered the greatest number of Bugatti automobiles in a 12-month period to customers across the world, 2022 became a record-breaking year for the French luxury marque. As Bugatti embarks upon a new automotive era, under the formation of Bugatti Rimac, the brand’s position as the leading manufacturer of hyper sports cars has been further highlighted in the first half of 2023 and will continue to flourish into the future as a new range of performance-defining automobiles are created and high-tech facilities in Molsheim are established and become operational.

Bonhams' The Bonmont Sale, June 18, 2023

• 1929 Bugatti Type 44 Gangloff Roadster, Chassis no. 44380, Engine no. 121, Estimate: CHF300,000 - CHF500,000: Sold for CHF483,000 inc. premium
• 2020 Bugatti Chiron, Estimate: CHF3,000,000 - CHF3,500,000: Sold, result not disclosed

Finarte Online Auction, Italy, June 5, 2023

• 1936 Bugatti Type 57 cabriolet by Graber, 1936, chassis no. 57448, engine no. 57339, Estimate: €600.000 - 700.000: Not sold

Bugatti will make again an appearance at Le Mans, after their last victory in 1939 with the Type 57C, and their later quite impressive appearance with the EB110 in 1994.

However, as the races in 1939 and 1994 were serious business, this is just a demonstration run, to be held on the Saturday afternoon (June 10).

Would be interesting to see the Bolide actually competing!

The new Bugatti company writes the following, I corrected where applicable

THE HISTORY OF BUGATTI AT 24 HOURS OF LE MANS
This year the Le Mans 24 hours race, perhaps the most famous test of car and driver in the world, celebrates its centenary. And in those 100 years of history, the legend of Bugatti is interwoven, right from the very first race in 1923.

In that inaugural year, Bugatti fielded two Brescia 16S cars, with one driven by Max de Pourtalès and Sosthène de La Rochefoucauld. The Brescia was a car renowned for its light weight and steadfast reliability, introduced at a time when many racing cars were large and unwieldy. Despite a race afflicted by rain for almost the whole 24 hours, the Brescia driven by de Pourtalès and de La Rochefoucauld secured a top-10 finish – a promising start that hinted at the formidable potential Bugatti could bring to the world of endurance racing. The other Brescia, driven by R Marie and L Pichard, also finished, 22nd, though 2nd in class

Bugatti returned to the Circuit de la Sarthe, where the 24 Hours of Le Mans is run to this day, in 1930 with a Type 40, which was entered by private owner Odette Siko. Remarkably, Siko and her co-pilot Marguerite Mareuse competed as an all-female duo at a time when many believed women simply weren’t capable of completing such a grueling race. But with determination and skill, the pioneering pair were carried by their Bugatti Type 40 to a commendable seventh-place finish. Their exploits at Le Mans were just one example of daring women competing at the very highest levels in motorsport in Bugatti vehicles, with icons like Hellé Nice and Eliška Junkova joining them.

Over the ensuing years, Bugatti experienced mixed fortunes at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Despite a series of solid performances – finishing sixth in 1932, ninth in 1934, and 14th in 1935 – all the ingredients for a Le Mans podium never quite came together. But that would all change in the most astonishing way in 1937.

As a response to the new regulations put forth by the organizers of the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1936, Bugatti promptly commenced work on a new race car – the Type 57 Grand Prix. Later shorted to Type 57G, this car was designed for top-level motorsport, equipped with a 3,266cc in-line eight-cylinder engine, capable of delivering 170 PS. The car’s core structure featured a chassis punctured with holes in a meticulous process to save crucial weight. It was equipped with a full-width, streamlined magnesium-alloy body that encased even the wheels. This distinctive form led to the car being affectionately dubbed the “Tank”. On the iconic back straight of the Circuit de La Sarthe, it boasted a top speed of nearly 220 km/h (135 mph).

It was Jean-Pierre Wimille, the exceptional French driver, who wielded the full might of the Type 57G Tank to maximum effect. In 1937, partnered with Robert Benoist, one of the top French drivers of the interwar period, Wimille piloted the car to a stunning victory. They finished the race having travelled around 100km further than the second-place car, perfectly showcasing the technical genius and pioneering approach of Bugatti. The victory was not only Bugatti’s first win at Le Mans, but Wimille and Benoist also set a new distance record, covering an impressive 3,287 kilometers in a single race.

Wimille’s mastery of the Type 57 was far from exhausted. Although Bugatti had to pull out of the 1938 race with technical difficulties. (Not correct: In 1938 no Bugatti's competed: After the 1937 victory, Ettore Bugatti stated that he wouldn't return, until his record of that year would be improved. In 1938 a Delage took the victory, however, at a lower average. Jean had to convince his father to compete in 1939, but Bugatti would participate only under the following condition, only one car was to be entered: "As there is never more than one winner, one car only must be enough." ed.) In 1939, Bugatti and Wimille returned to the Le Mans circuit, this time with Pierre Veyron as co-driver, driving a development of the Type 57G.

Under the streamlined body of his Type 57C there was an upgraded 8-cylinder engine producing around 200 PS. This allowed for speeds of over 255 km/h on the straight and, through additional upgrades, Bugatti managed to reduce the weight of the round, pontoon shaped bonnet. The rear axle, crank shaft and other parts were also optimized. Most important though, were the very clever aerodynamics, Ed

From the start of the race, the Bugatti faced enormous competition from Raymond Sommer in a new Alfa Romeo. He led the race from the start, but the Bugatti pro drove exceptionally, taking clean lines in the curves while preserving his tires and brakes. Until late at night, the cars were driving with more and more speed. Sommer and Wimille’s fierce fight for first place was soon joined by Louis Gérad and Georges Monnert, drivers for Delage. But their race car could not withstand the strain: on Sunday morning, an engine problem forced them to stop in the pit lane. Meanwhile, Pierre Veyron drove on, pushing the Type 57 C 'Tank' lap after lap.

With a track distance of almost 13.5 kilometers per lap, Wimille and Veyron covered 3,354 kilometers – 248 laps – in 24 hours, which earned them an impressive victory. The Bugatti achieved an average speed of 139 km/h, the runner-up car of the race was three laps behind and the third car nine laps. Of the 42 cars that started, only 20 crossed the finish line. Ettore Bugatti (Jean Bugatti, actually, Ed.) would later claim that during the race, the mechanics never once had to open the bonnet, since the 8-cylinder engine was so reliable.

The start of World War 2 marked the beginning of a ten-year hiatus for the 24 Hours of Le Mans. A Bugatti wasn’t seen at the world-famous race until 1994, exactly 55 years after the last victory for the brand from Molsheim. The car in question was an EB110 Super Sport which, unfortunately, suffered an accident caused by a technical problem and couldn’t complete the race.

This year, as the 24 Hours of Le Mans celebrates its centenary, Bugatti appears at the Circuit de la Sarthe once more, with the dynamic public debut of the Bolide, driving a track lap on Saturday afternoon. More info

The eight classic cars in the running to be honoured with The Peninsula Classics 2022 Best of the Best Award have been announced.
Each of these cars has already been decorated with the highest awards at last year’s most prestigious concours events, making this grand final the ultimate prize in the concours world.

The 2022 winner will be crowned on 13 August 2023 at the Quail Lodge & Golf Club in California, and will following in the footsteps of the one-of-nine 1956 Ferrari 250GT Berlinetta Competizione that claimed the prize last year.

One of the candidates for the 2023 title is the Vanvooren-bodied 1937 Bugatti T57S Cabriolet which won Best of Show at the 2022 Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este.

“The vehicles this year exemplify the very best in automotive excellence and design,” said William ‘Chip’ Connor, co-founder of The Peninsula Classics Best of the Best Award.
“The accuracy of restorations are becoming more precise and exquisite each year, making it difficult to select just one.”

Judges for this year’s competition include Ralph Lauren, Jay Leno, Chris Bangle and Luc Donckerwolke. The Best of the Best was established in 2015 by The Hon Sir Michael Kadoorie, the aforementioned William E Connor, Bruce Meyer and Christian Philippsen.

More info on the other cars at Classic & Sportscar

RM / Sotheby's Villa Erba auction, May 20, 2023

• 2019 Bugatti Chiron, Chassis VF9SP3V34KM795196, Estimate: €2,800,000 - €3,300,000: Sold for €2,817,500 inc. premium

The coachbuilder Gangloff in Colmar presented Jean Bugatti with three roadster designs in 1936. These were designed for the then current chassis of the Type 57S, i.e. the shorter and lower T57 design.

The AUTOVISION Museum Foundation decided to create a ready-to-drive T57S Roadster of Gangloff Version 3. However, to ensure functionality of the vehicle in continuous operation, we made a few small changes compared to the original Gangloff version. The newly created, ready-to-drive T57 S has a fully retractable convertible top, which can be stowed under a metal cover when the vehicle is open.

What is remarkable about this version is the overall very low silhouette compared to other T57S convertibles ever built.

If this T57 Gangloff-Style Cabriolet is not on a Sunday jaunt, it can now be admired during the regular opening hours in the AUTOVISION Bugatti Museum in Altlussheim, accompanied by 12 other Bugatti's (take a look at the cars in the background of the photographs!), amongst which several T57S, and the T64 chassis + engine currently on display (see Events).

Some additional details on the T57 S Roadster:

• The S chassis was completely rebuilt.
• The front axle is original but newly chromed.
• The rear axle is only partially original, as the sun gear and the drive (pinion) were reproduced.
• The steering is original.
• The gearbox features new gears and shafts from Brineton Engineering (UK).
• The engine is partially original (see picture with engine number).

And a nice story about the Gangloff Roadster:
Eric Koux, the "Atlantic father", had already supported Horst Schultz's restoration team in building the T57 Atlantic, which is now also part of the Bugatti exhibition at the AUTOVISION Museum. To do this, he left Horst Schultz with the last of his Atlantic parts. When he visited the AUTOVISION Bugatti exhibition two years later to examine the completed Atlantic recreation, he was very satisfied with the result. So pleased that he gave Horst Schultz and the Bugatti Museum a complete set of dashboard instruments from an early T57 Atlantic version as a gift. These were eventually installed in the T57 S Gangloff Roadster, making it even more original (see dashboard images).

Only 16 days ago I published here the announcement (taken from Facebook, though also received through the Dutch Bugatti club) of a Baby that had been stolen.

Just two weeks later, a Dutch Bugattiste and friend of mine was browsing the French 2nd-hand sell-buy Website Leboncoin, when he saw the above advert. An alarm went off in his head, and after double checking, the one advertised looked exactly the same as the one stolen. The owner was informed, as well as the police. With 10 armed officers they went to the site, and apprehended the vilain.

The innocent baby is back with her rightful owners, thanks to a very active Bugatti community...
And a rather stupid thief, who should have waited a year or so before trying to sell..

In December 2022 it was decided that a museum annex showroom will be built in Molsheim / Dorlisheim, alongside the current Atelier.

In order to have a setting worthy of the brand, the design of the new 2,200 m² building was entrusted to a famous Italian architectural firm, specializing in industrial real estate for luxury automobiles. This will be the firm Archilinea, who now already designs the different Bugatti showrooms all over the world.

The museum will have a separate parking area. The construction schedule remains confidential for the time being, though it is clear that construction has already started.

Bugatti is counting on attendance of around 100 visitors per day with a simultaneous presence of at most 50 people. That is between 18,000 and 36,000 visitors per year according to a study dating from 2018.

Visitor parking should be provided for approximately 100 spaces. Tickets should be available at the end of 2023.

Dear Bugattists,

The Bugatti Club invites you to be very vigilant if you are told about an authentic Bugatti Baby that could look like these photos. Take a look at the tires; one can see clearly they have never been used! And that's only one detail.

This Baby was recently stolen. If you have any information: please contact the Castres gendarmerie directly on: 05 67 87 72 11 or the club by email clubbugattifrance@gmail.com who will send your information.

Maybe as a Bugattiste community we can get this innocent baby back to her lawful owner!

Osenat Auction Fontainebleau, France, March 27, 2023

• 1934 Bugatti Type 57 Stelvio, chassis 57109, Engine 11, Estimate: €500,000 - 600,000: Not Sold

Gooding & Company, Estate of Mark Smith Auction, USA, April 7, 2023

• 1913 Peugeot BP1 Bébé, Engine 10998, Estimate $3,000 - $5,000: Sold for $22,400

Bonhams Goodwood Members' Meeting Auction, Goodwood, UK, April 16, 2023

• 1923 Bugatti Type 23 project, Chassis no. 1878, Engine no. 103, Estimate: £60,000 - £80,000: Sold for £113,850 inc. premium

Osenat Auction Fontainebleau, France, April 16, 2023

• Carrosserie four-door Bugatti Type 57 by Panigoni circa 1946, From chassis 57477, Estimate: €7,000 - 9,000: Sold for €9,600 inc. premium
• Aluminium Bugatti Grand Prix de Lyon wheel, Estimate: €350 - 550: Sold for €3,596 inc. premium
• Control stick of the Bugatti 100P airplane, Estimate: €3,000 - 5,000: Sold for €5,704 inc. premium

In an auction in Los Angeles on April 18, a couple of remarkable Carlo Bugatti items will be on sale.

Apart from a more "standard" Carlo Bugatti Chair, there will be the very impressive chair seen above and right, something which at least I had never seen before, from his later period.

According to the catalog it was made in Italy, c. 1900, and is made of lacquered parchment over wood, vellum, copper

Item description:
Attractive antique patina throughout and moderate wear consistent with age, including assorted abrasions, stains, discoloration and impressions. A few gouges and older repairs to the wood. Losses and rubbed wear to parchment throughout with areas of lifting. Copper edging along the seating area is missing a few nails and shows compression near the backrest. Metal details to the seat rail appear to be separating from the medallion. A few stable splits to the medallion details throughout. Copper caps to the feet show loss and minor separation. Considering age this example shows in overall good antique condition.

As we know, Carlo used to decorate his furniture and silverware with intricate images, almost abstract, of insects, animals and flowers. Above a collection of papers with these designs. The designs would then be copied by the craftsmen in the number required for the specific piece.

This Lot is comprised of twenty-three drawings for decorative projects, graphite and ink on tracing paper and card, sizes range from 14 x 10 cm to 43 x 50 cm.

There is a stamped signature to each example 'Bugatti' and 'Loudmer-Poulain Vente Bugatti'.

More info on the auction

September 8 - November 5, 2023 "Bugatti Unseen" in Autoworld Brussels, Belgium

About fifteen special cars will be on display in the temporary exhibition area of the museum. They are rare and have almost never been shown to the general public. Most are unique pieces, or produced in a very limited edition...
The exhibition "Bugatti Unseen" is organized in collaboration with Bugatti Brussels.

One of the cars made available to us by “the factory” is the concept car of the one and only "La Voiture Noire"! It is inspired by Jean Bugatti's personal car, the black Type 57 SC Atlantic, which disappeared without a trace shortly before World War II.
Its new namesake was sold for 16 million euros in 2022 to a mysterious owner about whom rumors still circulate...

Speaking of contemporary hypercars: the famous Veyron and Chiron, but also the EB110 that heralded the Bugatti revival in the 1990s, are all present. One of the Centodieci concept cars, of which only ten were produced, and the Divo, of which 40 were built, were also lent to us by Bugatti.

Whoever says Bugatti says sporting history!
Four racing cars from a beautiful Swiss collection will be on display for the first time. But ssst, we won't say anything more about the identity of the models for now.

Last but not least, this extraordinary line-up features a number of cars associated with some of the world's biggest names. For example, a Type 40 Coupé, the personal car of Jean Bugatti, or the Type 57 SC Spécial Coupé, the personal car of Ettore Bugatti (himself) in the years before World War II.

Did you know...?
One of Belgium's previous monarchs, King Leopold III, was a Bugatti fan? (And also a close friend of Ettore Bugatti. Ed.) One of his early cars is also part of the exhibition!

He also wanted to pass on his passion for Bugatti to his sons at a young age, by putting them behind the wheel of the "Baby Bugatti". Between 1927 and 1936, about 500 of these Children's Bugatti's were produced. A version 2 of the "Baby Bugatti" was made in 2019 for the brand's 110th anniversary.

In short, this exhibition is synonymous with beauty, but also with a rich past that started with a family history and a love for cars that are not only elegant, but also high-performance.

More info

• "1929" Bugatti Type 35B Grand Prix Two-seater, Chassis no. BC138 Engine no. 3558, Estimate: £320,000 - £380,000
  Replica built by Ivan Dutton Ltd
• 1937 Bugatti Type 57 Roadster "Barrie Price", Chassis no. 57495, Engine no. 57495/370, Estimate: £280,000 - £340,000
  Aluminium roadster, body nr S.3.B. by Barrie Price in 1972 - 1973

More info

More info

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• 1929 Bugatti Type 37 Grand Prix, Chassis no. 37383, Engine no. 286, Estimate €1,000,000 - €1,400,000
  • One of the last 7 examples built
  • Ex-René Durey, Louis Blériot
• 1994 Bugatti EB110GT Coupé, Chassis no. ZA9AB01SORCD39071, Estimate €800,000 - €1,200,000 (No reserve)

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Below some photographs of the event, as it was held in the Baie du Somme in 2014