• 1939 Bugatti Type 57 Cabriolet by Gangloff, Chassis No. 57731, Engine No. 527, Estimate €750,000 - €850,000: Sold for €770,000 inc.premium

Despite its title, this is a 21st-century tribute to Bugatti’s voluptuous Type 57S Atlantic by Terry Cook. It's wearing a glassfibre body and is powered by a BMW fuel-injected 12-cylinder engine mated to an automatic transmission, with mod cons including air-con and electric windows.

Nevertheless, it is definitely a head-turner! Imagine driving up to the start of a Bugatti Rally in one of those!

Bidding closed on 28 May, with the top bid being $220,000.

1. Bugatti La Voiture Noire - € 17 million
With an asking price of € 17 million, La Voiture Noire is the undisputed number one. This car is so unique that only one copy was produced which has already been sold. This car was presented in 2019, but will not be finished until 2021. In terms of specs, this most expensive car in the world doesn't really have much extra to offer over the already sufficient 1600HP of the Chiron from which it was derived. The high asking price is mainly justified by the design and the fact that there is only one copy. That exclusivity ensures that the car will only increase in value.

2. Rolls-Royce Sweptail - € 11.5 million
The world's second most expensive car was built at the request of one customer. The car was worked on for four years to meet all customer requirements. The most striking features of this car are the all-glass roof and the recessed cooling system in the center console. With one press of a button, a bottle of champagne and two crystal glasses emerge.

Does the asking price of the Sweptail seem a bit too high? A slightly more affordable Rolls-Royce was launched last year. Maybe this is more within your budget. However, compared with the La Voiture Noire, this Rolls-Royce sure is ugly, especially from the front!

3. Bugatti Centodieci - € 8.1 million
Footballer Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the 10 buyers who will receive this car next year. More copies will not be produced. This car is based on the current Bugatti Chiron and the EB110 from 1991. The Centodieci has four-wheel drive and 8.0-liter W16 engine with four turbochargers. The top speed of this car is limited to 380 km / h. The car reaches 100 km / h in 2.4 seconds, 200 km / h in 6.1 seconds and 300 km / h in 13.1 seconds.

4. Mercedes Benz Maybach Exelero - € 7.3 million
This car is also a unique example: there is only one. The car was introduced in 2005 but was only sold to rapper Birdman in 2011. It amounted to more than € 7 million for this exceptional car. The Maybach Exelero has a V12 biturbo and 700 hp on board. The maximum speed of the car is 350 km / h. The Maybach Exelero can reach 100 km / h in 4.4 seconds. Nice detail: the car made its appearance in the video clip “Lost One” by by rapper Jay-Z.

5. Bugatti Divo - € 5 million
Only 40 copies of this Bugatti Divo were produced. One was bought by a Dutchman. The Dutch buyer was allowed to assemble the car in detail, but had to take one thing into account: a top speed of 380 km / h. The Divo is based on the Chiron and gets 1500 hp and 1600 Nm of torque from an 8.0-liter W16 engine with 4 turbos. The Divo, like the Chiron, reaches 100 km / h in 2.4 seconds. What is the difference with the Chiron? This car is lighter and more aerodynamic. The rear spoiler of the Divo is also wider than that of the Chiron.

So, I hear you think, after so much dreaming; get back on your feet and realise that compared with some of the classic Bugattis, these are cheap automobiles. Relatively that is. We know that the Type 57SC Atlantic was sold to Peter Mullin and an associate for over 32 million $. If any of the Royales would come to market now, one should think more in the region of 50 million....

On the other side; one does not always need a deep pocket to buy something completely unique. I did last week, it's the last one in existence, which is something that can't be said of most Bugattis!

The above is an excerpt of a publication by the Bugatti company in 1948, which was mostly a review of the history of Ettore and the Bugatti company in Molsheim. The 4-page document was called "Les 50 Années de Génie Mécanique d'Ettore BUGATTI 1898 - 1948" (The fifty years of mechanical genius of Ettore Bugatti, 1898 - 1948)

It clearly states that the year 1910 was the year that the company started in Molsheim, translated in English it reads:

So hopefully this will finally end all discussions and that 2020 is the year that the Bugatti company was founded 110 years ago. Of course I would not mind if any of my readers, in these times that outdoor water activities are banned, dive into their libraries of books and other documents, and see if they can help me find the exact date that the Bugatti company was established in Molsheim!

Lastly: I hope you and your families are all well, with only some computer virus popping up now and again, but not the real desease!

The entire world is hit by the Covid-19 virus (or Corona in some countries, even called the "Chinese" virus by our friend the president of the USA), and the strict measures in an attempt to control it.
First of all; I hope that all of you, my readers, and your families and relatives are well. I wish you can cope with these difficult times, healthwise of course, but also financially for those in danger of losing thier job, or their business.

The virus even affected this website; I have seen an increase in visitors over the last week, by about a quarter. Rest assured that this website will remain enitrely virus free; you can access it without mouth protection, can even sneeze at it without risk, and do not need to keep 1.5 meters distance....

So for all of you: Heads up, and if you're feeling bored: You can enjoy yourself for several hours reading all Questions, all news items and event announcements since 1995, and all 62 back issues of the Bugatti Revue!

Jaap Horst

However, there were rumours about a smaller Bugatti, and thus it seems now, that these rumours were in fact true!

So what were the characteristics: A front mounted twin-turbo 4-litre V8, in fact the same one which was used by Bentley and produces more than 500 HP there, it might have produced even more in the Bugatti. Other options would have been a fully electric Atlantic, which would have had 4 electric motors. And there were even plans for a roadster!

Pricewise: it would have been "cheaper" than the Chiron, probably around 1 million only.

"Our president at the time, Wolfgang Dürheimer, pulled all the strings just to get Bugatti to a black zero so we were at least not costing the group money. We needed to be on the safe side to avoid being sold off from one day to another, because, in the first year, nobody could really judge the dimensions of the coming financial catastrophe. Everything was play it safe. It stayed that way for us for nearly two years," Anscheidt explained.

The Chiron was at a much more advanced stage in the development process so it was too late to cancel it. "We were five months away from the 2016 Geneva Auto Show where we planned to unveil it," Anscheidt explained. He candidly told me executives would have otherwise pulled the plug on the project to save as much money as possible, and they would have put Bugatti in a "freeze frame" while they riddled out what to do with the brand.

"We showed it to Stephan Winkelmann. He said 'I really, really like it, it's super exotic, we would find customers that would be interested in that. But, there's no chance in technical development we can make this fly, we have so many things do to. Can we not create this story, La Voiture Noire, on the base of the Chiron?' That's where it all started," he revealed, referencing the one-off, $19-million coupe unveiled in 2019. The former Lamborghini executive gave Anscheidt the freedom he needed to make the La Voiture Noire a reality, and he played a key role in fast-tracking other projects (like the Divo and the Centodieci) to production.

Below: video by "Supercar blondie", where you can see how annoyingly slow the doors actually open. Though, that may have been faster in the production model.

• Ettore Bugatti's personal pasta machine, Estimate € 4,600 - 9,200: Sold for US$ 37,575 inc.premium (€ 33,839)
• 1925 Bugatti Type 30 Sports Tourer, Chassis no. 4725, Engine no. 418, Estimate € 370,000 - 420,000 Not sold ("Amended")
• 1928 Bugatti Type 44 Cabriolet by F. Gerber, Chassis no. 44857, Estimate € 300,000 - 330,000: Sold for US$ 335,000 inc.premium (€ 301,693)
• 1932 Bugatti Type 55 Super Sport Roadster, Chassis no. 55220, Engine no. 21, Estimate € 6,000,000 - 8,800,000: Sold for US$ 7,100,000 inc.premium (€ 6,394,092)
• A large metal Bugatti sign, Sold for US$ 10,700 inc.premium (€ 9,636)

RM Sotheby's - Amelia Island Auction, USA, March 6 - 7, 2020

• 1927 Bugatti Type 38A Supercharged, Chassis No. 38470, Engine no. 209, ex 38275, Estimate: $350,000 - $400,000: Not sold.
• 1938 Bugatti Type 57 Cabriolet by D'Ieteren, Chassis No.57589, Engine No.464, Body No.5219, Estimate: $1,500,000 - $2,000,000: Sold For $1,655,000 inc.premium
• 1939 Bugatti Type 57C Stelvio by Gangloff, Chassis No. 57834, Engine No. 103C, Estimate: $800,000 - $950,000: Sold For $797,000 inc.premium

So, apart from the T55 and T57 Cabriolet by D'Ieteren, which both sold quite nicely close to their lower estimates, Pasta machines sell better than automobiles!

Flat front end, dynamic design and impressive rear spoiler – it’s clear from the outset that the new Bugatti Chiron Pur Sport1 yearns for corners and challenging country roads. Pure and unadulterated. A genuine thoroughbred.

Bugatti has been producing sports cars homologated for public roads for over 110 years. In the past, vehicles such as the Type 13 and Type 35 have claimed countless victories at international hill climbs and road races. The Chiron Pur Sport1 is no exception to this long-standing tradition. The new model is an uncompromising hypersports car for exactly those winding roads – a new aerodynamic configuration generates more downforce while the lower weight increases agility. Even travelling at average speeds will stimulate all the senses thanks to a close-ratio transmission, high-performance tyres with a new material mix geared towards extreme grip as well as an agile chassis and suspension setup. By contrast with the Chiron Super Sport 300+, the recordbreaking car that exceeded the threshold of 300 miles per hour for the first time, the Chiron Pur Sport focuses on extraordinary, tangible performance throughout the entire range of speeds.

“We spoke to customers and realised they wanted a vehicle that is geared even more towards agility and dynamic cornering. A hypersports car that yearns for country roads with as many bends as possible. An unadulterated, uncompromising driving machine. Consequently, the vehicle is called Chiron Pur Sport1”, explains Stephan Winkelmann, President of Bugatti. “By cutting the weight by 50 kilogrammes while simultaneously boosting the downforce and configuring an uncompromising, sporty chassis as well as suspension setup, the Chiron Pur Sport1 boasts incredible grip, sensational acceleration and extraordinarily accurate handling. It’s the most uncompromising yet agile Bugatti of recent times.”

Extraordinary design
The Chiron Pur Sport’s concept has been geared towards agility in every sense of the word. The Design Development department’s focus was to lend the Pur Sport* a confident appearance. As a result, the front end is dominated by an intentionally dynamic expression. Very wide air inlets and an enlarged horseshoe panel at the bottom serve as perfect radiator air outlets. The vehicle’s striking splitter generates maximum downforce by protruding considerably at the front while also making the vehicle seem wider. Primary lines run across the air outlets on the front wing like tendons on a muscle, radiating the design image of a well-honed athlete.

A new optional split paintwork design has been developed for the Chiron Pur Sport. The entire bottom third of the vehicle features exposed carbon fibre to make the vehicle seem even lower. From the sides these dark surfaces merge with the colour of the road surface and make the Pur Sport* appear even flatter.

The rear of the Pur Sport proudly carries the vehicle’s rear spoiler spanning 1.90 metres to generate serious amounts of downforce, and the striking diffuser also significantly boosts the vehicle’s aerodynamics. In this process, angled wing mounts form a large X in conjunction with the rear apron, a feature that is inspired by elements of science fiction and motorsport . The design is rounded off by the extremely lightweight and highly temperature-resistant exhaust tailpipe made of 3D-printed titanium. This production method gives the components very thin walls, thus helping to save weight where it really matters.

The vehicle interior is deliberately sporty and raw, and has been reduced to the absolute minimum. Large surfaces have been upholstered with Alcantara to save weight. Dynamic patterns have been lasered into the Alcantara door trim panels featuring contrasting fabric highlights with a metal look. Alcantara guarantees an ideal grip on the steering wheel and improves the side support on seats – even at extreme lateral acceleration levels. All trim and controls are made exclusively of either black, anodised aluminium or titanium. Contrasting cross-stitching adds colour highlights, as do the steering wheel’s 12 o’clock spoke and the blue centre spine.

Sophisticated aerodynamics and exhaust system
A large diffuser and fixed rear spoiler generate plenty of downforce at the back end, while also helping to boost agility. At the same time, doing away with the hydraulic component of the otherwise automatically extending spoiler reduces the weight by ten kilogrammes. Rear wing mounts and diffuser form an aggressive and sporty X-shaped design. “We focussed particularly on the agility of the Chiron Pur Sport1. The vehicle generates more downforce at the rear axle while the large, front splitter, air inlets, wheel-arch vents featuring optimised air outlets and a reduced vehicle height strike a clean balance at the front”, Frank Heyl, Head of Exterior Design and Deputy Head Designer at Bugatti, explains.

New wheel design
Frank Heyl and the Technical Development department teamed up to devise a magnesium wheel design featuring optional aero blades for the Pur Sport. Arranged in a ring, the blades guarantee ideal wheel ventilation while also boosting aerodynamics. While the vehicle is in motion the rings fitted to the rim extract air outwards from the wheel where it is immediately drawn towards the rear. This invention prevents adverse turbulence in the wheel area and also improves the flow across the side of the vehicle. A special cover on each of the five wheel nuts minimises turbulence and adds a final visual touch to the wheel’s design. Cutting the weight by a total of 16 kilogrammes results in a lower unladen weight and also reduces the unsprung masses of the already ultra-light Bugatti wheels. “All of the modifications make the Pur Sport’s handling more accurate, direct and predictable. Lower unsprung masses result in improved grip because the wheel maintains contact with the road surface more easily. Anyone behind the wheel will immediately feel its lightweight character through bends”, Jachin Schwalbe, Head of Bugatti Chassis Development, adds. An accomplished interpretation of “form follows performance”.

New tyre development
Bugatti and Michelin developed the new and exclusive Bugatti Sport Cup 2 R tyre in 285/30 R20 dimensions at the front and 355/25 R21 at the rear to match the new Aero wheel design. Thanks to a modified tyre structure and a rubber mix that creates more grip, this combination boosts the vehicle’s lateral acceleration by 10% to additionally increase its cornering speed.

Uncompromising chassis and suspension setup
Bugatti specifically configured the chassis and suspension to be uncompromising on winding roads – without any detrimental effect on comfort. A new chassis setup featuring 65% firmer springs at the front and 33% firmer springs at the rear, an adaptive damping control strategy geared towards performance as well as modified camber values (minus 2.5 degrees) guarantee even more dynamic handling and added agility in bends. Carbon-fibre stabilisers at the front and rear additionally minimise roll. “This setup makes the Chiron Pur Sport steer more directly and accurately through bends and maintains the grip levels for a very long time – even at high speeds. In conjunction with 19 kilogrammes of weight reduction of the unsprung masses the Pur Sport almost glides across roads”, Jachin Schwalbe explains. In addition to the wheels’ weight reduction totalling 16 kilogrammes, titanium brake pad base panels cut the vehicle’s weight by a further two kilogrammes while brake discs strike yet another kilogramme off the total weight. “These 19 kilogrammes fully contribute towards the performance. Less weight results in more grip and tangibly more comfort, as adaptive dampers are forced to deal with lower masses to thus be able to maintain the wheels’ contact with the road surface more easily”, Jachin Schwalbe adds. Engineers have guaranteed more direct contact with the road surface by making the connection between chassis, suspension and body 130% firmer at the front and 77% firmer at the rear.

Apart from the four familiar EB, Motorway, Handling and Sport drive modes, the Chiron Pur Sport[1] features the new Sport + drive mode to make this enhanced performance more emotionally tangible. In contrast to Sport mode, the traction control system kicks into action on dry race tracks at a significantly later point in the new mode aimed at more skilled cornering experts, making it possible for drivers to change their personal driving style even more than before from razor-sharp ideal lines to drifts, also through fast corners.

New transmission development
A new transmission featuring an overall gear ratio that has been configured 15% closer together guarantees even more dynamic handling and further improves the power distribution of the 8.0-litre W16 engine generating 1,500 horsepower and 1,600 newton metres of torque. The vehicle now unleashes its full power at 350 km/h. “We were forced to reduce the speed as a result of the vastly increased downforce, generated by the new rear spoiler”, Schwalbe explains. 80% of the transmission has been revised while the entire gear set including four shafts and seven forward gears has been adapted to the new conditions. “We reconfigured each gear and calibrated new ratios despite this iconic engine boasting an abundance of power. The gears are closer together now to enable shorter gear jumps and also benefit performance. Most of all when coming out of corners the Chiron Pur Sport1 accelerates even more aggressively in conjunction with the added grip as well as the more direct chassis and suspension”, Gregor Gries says as the Head of Major Assemblies at Bugatti. At the same time Bugatti has increased the maximum engine speed of the W16 unit by 200 rpm to 6,900 rpm. In conjunction with the closer overall gear ratio this creates significantly better elasticity. As a result, the Chiron Pur Sport accelerates from 60 to 120 km/h almost two seconds faster than the already lightning-fast Chiron.
All in all the elasticity values are 40% better compared with the Chiron.

Production output and cost
2020 will be a special year for Bugatti. The French manufacturer based in Molsheim will be delivering the first Bugatti Divo vehicles this year, a creation showcased at Pebble Beach in 2018, as part of a limited small-scale series totalling 40 units. Production of the Chiron Pur Sport will start in the second half of 2020. Limited to 60 units at three million euros excluding VAT. “With the Chiron Pur Sport we are showcasing an outstanding vehicle that makes your heart race shortly after having started the engine to push the limits of driving physics even further to the limit than any vehicle ever has done before. This means we have come full circle, back to the good, old Bugatti tradition”, Stephan Winkelmann adds confidently.

• D'apres Rembrandt Bugatti 1884-1916, Petit éléphant dressé, circa 1920-1930, Sold at €33,800

Silver sculpture, old lost wax cast bearing the stamp of the founder Valsuani. According to a model created in 1904 and chosen by Ettore Bugatti to serve as mascots for the radiator caps of the Bugatti Royale produced in the workshops of Molsheim from 1926

Model similar to that auctioned on July 5, 2009 during the sale of the Estate of Madame Fritz Schlumpf by the house of Gasser Audhuy in Strasbourg.

Provenance: sale June 16, 2013, Châlon auction house, SVV Dessaut, lot 100.

To start with, the "Bugatti Chassis number contest" only received one reaction. Ulf Kossenjans had 12 out of 18 of the Bugattis (one of which appeared twice) in the 5 collages correct. So he is the deserved winner. Congratulations Ulf!

The correct answers were:

After long deliberations amongst the team of judges, considering quality, originality of the subject and of course also the important matter of taste, the winners are Nik Levecque and Geoffrey Severin.

Nik sent in an original short story, The Bordoli Bugatti, though in the meantime he is also competing in another category...

Most of us know the original Bugatti drawings by Francois Chevalier, as collected in his book "Le petit Bugattiste Illustré" from 2003. There are loads of fantasy Bugattis in the book (see on the right), some of which Geoffrey turned into 3D miniatures, the one at the top of the article, as well as the one shown below. He also made some of his own fantasies in 3D though! Well executed and original! Congratulations Geoffrey!

The winners will be asked to take their pick of the available prizes (I'm sorry to say, but I never did receive a reaction from Mr. Winkelmann). All entrants for the contest, from the winners and all other esteemed contestants, will be available soon in a special issue of the Bugatti Revue.

So, what do we have?

In fact there are two contests, one for the mathemagicians amongst the Bugattistes, the other for the Artistic ones!

Bugatti Chassis number contest
The first contest is an easy one for those who enjoy Bugatti chassis numbers, know them by heart for 95% of the existing Bugattis, and probably know all the owners of these Bugattis from new until now as well.
What you have to do is easy, there are 5 collages here of Bugattis, for the classic Bugattis you give the chassis numbers for all Bugattis visible in each of them. That's 4 collages, the last one is of the modern Bugattis, all you have to do here, is to give the specific type and/or name. Chassis numbers not needed.
The photographs are just cut and put together, all have been on my website in the last few years, or still are, and they are not changed in any other way (though I may have mirrored one or two images, just to make the nose of the car point in the right direction). There is the one collage above, and four below. Each can be clicked on to view a larger size image. In total there are 18 parts of Bugattis in these collages, the Bugattiste with the most correct answers will win.

Bugatti Artistic contest
As all of us know, the chassis number approach is one way to be a Bugattiste, but there are many more. I am in fact one of those who does not know many chassis numbers, I'm also interested in the artistic side of Bugatti, both the automobiles as well as the furniture, paintings and statues. Following in the footsteps of the famous family, you are requested to make some artistic contribution for this contest.
This may be a nicely written story, either an anecdote of an event that really happened, or total fantasy. Other contributions can be drawings, paintings, photographs, collages (better than mine!), miniatures (preferably not a standard built kit, anyone who feels tempted to build a collage in 3D?), websites? or something which I have not thought of yet but has an artistic side to it, and Bugatti related of course.

Worldwide Auctioneers Riyadh auction, November 23, 2019

• 1938 Bugatti Type 57C Atalante Coupe Chassis no. 57641, Coachwork by Gangloff: Not Sold

RM - Sotheby's Arizona Auction, January 16-17, 2020

• 2008 Bugatti Veyron 16.4, Chassis No. VF9SA25C78M795066, Sold For $1,105,000 incl. premium

RM Sotheby's - PARIS Auction, February 5, 2020

• 1925 Bugatti Type 23, Chassis No. 2400, Engine No. 898: NOT Sold
• 1938 Bugatti Type 57C Stelvio by Gangloff, Chassis No. 57737, Engine No. 50C: NOT Sold
• 2012 Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport, Chassis No. VFSG25282M795011: Sold for €1,523,750 (including auction costs)

Bonhams Auction, Les Grandes Marques du Monde au Grand Palais, Paris, February 6, 2020

• 1913 Bugatti Type 13 Sports, Chassis no. 13 506 R, Estimate € 190,000 - € 240,000: Sold for €184,000 inc.premium
• 1922 Bugatti Type 23, Estimate € 500,000 - € 600,000: Not sold
• 1926 Bugatti Type 39, Chassis no. 4607, Estimate € 1,050,000 - € 1,400,000: Not sold
• 1927 Bugatti Type 40 'Grand Sport' Roadster, Chassis no. 40273, Estimate € 350,000 - 450,000: Sold for € 333,500 inc. premium
• 1931 Bugatti Type 55 Roadster Figoni, Chassis no. 55221, Estimate €4 - 7 M: Sold for € 4,600,000 inc. premium
• 1938 Bugatti Type 57 Atalante Coupé, Chassis no. 57633, Estimate € 1,500,000 - 1,800,000: Not sold
• 1939 Bugatti Type 57C Cabriolet Gangloff, Chassis no. 57836, Estimate € 1,350,000 - € 1,650,000: Not sold

Artcurial Retromobile Auction, February 7, 2020

• 1927/28 Bugatti 37/44 monoplace, Châssis n° 37334 , Estimate € 380,000 - € 460,000: Not sold
• 1934 Bugatti Type 57 Cabriolet par Vanvooren, Chassis no. 57162, Estimate € 450,000 - € 650,000: Sold for €500,640 inc. premium
• 1935 Bugatti 57 torpédo "Paris-Nice", Chassis n° 57300 , Estimate € 420,000 - € 560,000: Not sold

One thing I had missed, and which sold for €2550 at the Bonhams Auction, was a rather special Mascot by Bugatti (and stamped Bugatti!), the "Oiseau de Vitesse" or "Speed bird".

It is nickel-plated brass, stamped with Bugatti emblem to underside and with stamped number 37 to underside of tail, of simple form (or one could say, a cubist approach to a flying bird) and believed to be a mascot design for Bugatti Type 37A, 21.5cm long. Apart from the famous Royale Elephant, it is the only mascot by Bugatti that I know of.

An example of this mascot was fitted to the Comte Souza Dantos "La Cage a Mouche" ("The Fly Cage") Type 37A Bugatti with coachwork by Million-Guiet.

The New "La Maison Pur Sang" Program
“Bugatti vehicles have always been special automobiles. Exceptional design, outstanding performance and the latest technology characterize each Bugatti,” emphasizes Stephan Winkelmann, President of Bugatti. “In order to allow owners to experience and enjoy the outstanding technology flawlessly, we have decided to provide intensive support in our factory with the “La Maison Pur Sang” program.” Luigi Galli, a new specialist for Tradition and Certification at Bugatti, has been in charge of this special task since September. In his role, he is the first point of contact for customers of historic Bugatti automobiles and the various Bugatti clubs.

The program is being rolled out gradually, based on the certification of the authenticity of historic cars. The genuineness of an automobile is determined by Luigi Galli and his team of experts through intensive research of all available information - historical documents, admission registers, photo documents, or even the comparison of certain component numbers. After successive stages of expansion, the restoration of historic automobiles from Bugatti will also be carried out in the future.

“Tradition and history are a great privilege, but also a great responsibility for us. We are always faced by it. We’re conscious of our 110+ years of tradition and want to enable many of our historical vehicles to continue to drive perfectly on the road or to be in collections even after decades,” explains Stephan Winkelmann. "With 'La Maison Pur Sang' we offer an official framework for these automotive treasures. It is very important to protect and preserve Bugatti's tradition and heritage, as well as the existing knowledge of the brand. ”

Bugatti Veyron Turns 15 - with a New Loyalty Program
Fifteen years have passed since its world premiere - and yet the Veyron is as fit as ever with appropriate maintenance. It is not for nothing that Bugatti offers a loyalty program for the Veyron, which makes it possible to extend the guarantee. This makes Bugatti the only manufacturer to offer a warranty on its vehicles even after more than twelve years. Regular, annual maintenance at the authorized Bugatti contract partner is required. Preventive measures and comprehensive service can ensure that the hyper sports car is guaranteed to bring its inner beast to the road in a controlled and reliable manner. The best thing: technical solutions and shorter service times with regular maintenance reduce the total cost for the customer by half.

If you want to give your Veyron a fresh new look, you can do so in the future. In the first step, reconfiguration and restoration is offered for the Bugatti Veyron, followed by recertification. Specially trained technicians in Molsheim examine the vehicles closely and record every detail. Then they combine the results in an extensive booklet. Measurement taking as part of the loyalty program and “La Maison Pur Sang” will further support the positive performance of the Bugatti Veyron in recent few years.

Several outstanding models, a world record and a great 110th (109th) anniversary celebration. 2019 was an eventful year for the French luxury manufacturer of hyper sports cars. Bugatti celebrated its 110th anniversary in this year, making the company one of the oldest hyper sports car marques still in existence. Bugatti also developed several exclusive Edition models in what turned out to be a record year in all respects.

“We designed some outstanding hyper sports cars in 2019,” says Stephan Winkelmann, President of Bugatti. These included the Chiro “110 ans Bugatti”, a homage to the French homeland. There was also the “La Voiture Noire”, for Bugatti enthusiasts the most exclusive, beautiful and valuable Gran Tourismo there is. It’s the haute couture of automotive engineering – elegant, powerful and unique. Since the summer, Bugatti has also referenced the Italian intermezzo of the Bugatti marque with the “Centodieci”. At the same time, this is a nod to the Bugatti EB110, the super sports car of the 1990s.

“Although we’re proud to look back on our past, we’re looking forward to the future with purpose and pleasure. In 2019, we were again able to increase our production and also deliver more customised Chiron vehicles to our customers. This year, the first Divo model will leave our studio in Molsheim,” explains Stephan Winkelmann. With the Divo, Bugatti has extended its longstanding tradition of coach-building, which involves placing specially designed bodies on an existing chassis. This is a concept which has received great interest. The small series, limited to 40 cars, is sold out even before the official world premiere. Moreover, production of the Chiron is planned through to the end of 2021, and fewer than 100 of the 500 hyper sports cars are still available.

Stephan Winkelmann promises further highlights in the model series for 2020. “We’re living in a revolutionary era. We will present further high-performance vehicles in 2020, because Bugatti remains true to its philosophy of developing the best cars in the world.” At the same time, Bugatti will retroactively make its locations worldwide and the kilometres driven by Bugatti vehicles CO2-neutral from 2018. “By doing this, we’re taking responsibility for generations to come and placing Bugatti in a sustainable position for the future,” says Stephan Winkelmann.

La Marque is followed by continuing speculation. Rumours revolve around new models and bear witness to the enormous passion of Bugatti enthusiasts worldwide. However, Bugatti will not reveal its plans for the year. “All I can say is this: we’ll be presenting a few interesting surprises in 2020. We have several ideas and are continuing to work on the future of our traditional marque,” promises Winkelmann.

This may well be the most famous of all sporting Bugattis, having scored massive success in the 1930s, including multiple Grands Prix victories, in the hands of such luminaries as Robert Benoist, Louis Chiron, René Dreyfus, Piero Taruffi, Achille Varzi and Jean-Pierre Wimille.

It retired from the sport in 1937 and was then sold to King Leopold III of Belgium – it goes to auction in gloriously unrestored condition.

The other Bugattis on offer are hardly much less notable.

However, the paintwork directly rang a bell in my head, I had seen this exact type of paintjob before, a kind of leather-look never before seen on a GP Bugatti.

So, it is certainly not original, I saw this exact same car at Retromobile in February 2018, on the stand of Pur Sang, see: www.bugattirevue.com/revue59/retro.htm Scroll down quite a bit...

Since I saw it on Retromobile, some more instruments have been added to the dash, as well as some ornaments to the front. They stuck a pair of "old" licenseplates to it and tried to make the car look old. They also found documents from somewhere, which maybe the original documents of the real 37186 (the chassis of which is now in another Bugatti). Or if not, they are convincing fakes. They also stamped the number 37186 in the engine (using the wrong type of numbers). I communicated with another friend of mine in the Bugatti world, he also knew about this car being offered, though for € 450k in that case.

So, this car, how original it may look, is a full replica, with Pur Sang origins.

I'm afraid the owner has an asking price which is a factor 10 too high (I'd value it at around 150,000 euro in this shape, if you get it registered in the country you live in. This is usually difficult for a replica these days...
Below, various details of the car now, and how it was at Retromobile 2018.

Left, in 2018, the right two photographs as it is now. Added reflectors and number plate. Ugly number plate illumination.

Original front of the T37A, and as it is now. Many details added, and the Pur Sang badge replaced by a Bugatti one. A lot more corrosion also...

Dashboard in 2018, and as it is now, two years later. Some instruments added, and a whole lot of emblems which try to give the car an appearance as if it has lived 92 years. However, it is much too clean around these instruments and badges; the edges are always where you can not clean or polish.
The "Pur Sang" type recognisable distributor cap has been replaced by something which does look more period correct. Maybe one of few original parts on the car?

Not many changes to the engine compartment. Spark plug holder added and some other parts. Everything looks rather new. Look at that shiny waterpump!

No, it wasn't. 110 Years of Bugatti is now, 2020. Did Bugatti SAS make a mistake? Yes they did, the same as what they did in 2009, when they said it was 100 years of Bugatti. Of course they had to continue that error of 11 years ago last year.

But what is the truth about this? In fact yes, Bugatti was talking with investors about starting for himself, already in the summer of 1909. Some sources state that Ettore Bugatti and Ernest Friderich were in the Hardtmühle in Dorlisheim painting the walls of the building towards the end of that year, while another source (Steinhauser) states that it was Friderich alone who was in Dorlisheim during Christmas of 1909, to make preparations to the building, and also was looking for new staff for the company.

However, the official papers to register the company were signed not earlier than Januari 1 (or 2, depending on the source), 1910. While (again Steinhauser) states that Bugatti did not come to Molsheim / Dorlisheim before January 13, 1910.

Thus, the conclusion is, that the Bugatti company was founded not before January 1910, and that the exact date of the start of the company changes a bit depending on the source you are using, ranging from January 1, to maybe the 14th of January, 1910. And thus, 110 years of Bugatti can be celebrated the whole year 2020!
Of course, if anybody has any proof that Bugatti started in 1909, I'd be happy to see it!

Luckily, the exact start of the BugattiPage is better known. It started on February 27, 1995, as can be read in the "birthday" article of one year later. In 1996, I also started the Bugatti Revue, on April 1, 1996.

The oldest save of this website (at the then address dutoc74.iotudelft.nl/bugjaap.htm) which I could find was from January 19, 1997, see below. These old versions of a website (any website in fact) can be found on the "Wayback machine", at https://archive.org/web/web.php.
I started in a time that the Internet was still a domain for enthusiasts, with promises of absolutely open and democratic free communication between people all over the world. In part this did become a reality, see my BugattiPage, but largely the Internet became the domain of Ultra commercial companies like Facebook and Google who know all your most intimate details, Fake news and Russian and Chinese hackers....
My website however remained largely the same, basically non-commercial, with only a very limited amount of adverts....

On the occasion of 25 years BugattiPage, I plan on organising a contest again, like I have done in the past. The last one was back in 2008, and was a writing contest. The ones before that were in 2005 (a photo contest) and in 2002 (General contest of art, stories, miniatures). Results of these past contests can be seen in the "past issue" part of the Bugatti Revue.

So stay tuned to this page where the announcement for the next contest will be published soon!

• One of the last five Bugatti Type 57 built
• One of the legendary Bordeaux Orphans
• The last 4-seater Bugatti Cabriolet built by Vanvooren
• Exhibited at the Paris Motor Show
• Restoration to the highest level
• Award winner at Masterpieces / Schloss Dyck
• Fully documented
• From the Volante Collection

Chassis n° '57780' / engine n° 546
With the assistance of Bugatti specialists Pierre-Yves Laugier, David Sewell, Julius Kruta, Helge Hauck, Kees Jansen, Sandy Leith and Patrick Arnaud, the current owner of the car, himself an automotive historian and Vanvooren specialist, has uncovered the remarkable 80-year history of this special Bugatti after years of meticulous work. It all begins with the last five Type 57s built at the Molsheim factory, whose story Kees Jansen describes in his article "The Fate of the Bordeaux Orphans", published in 2014 in Bugantics Vol. 77, No. 2. It says there accordingly:
"With the threat of war in sight, the French government decided to impose a new policy: Bugatti was to be made part of the military operation being ordered to produce aviation parts for the French air force. As it was very close to the German border and an easy target for bombardments, the government decided to relocate the entire factory to Bordeaux. The current production of cars had to be stopped and Bugatti made an inventory of the remaining stock of cars and other material. Some cars were finished as rolling chassis, some were unfinished and a number of cars from clients that were present at that moment were also recorded.

Amongst others, the list included 5 finished cars (2 type 57 'C's, 3 non-supercharged type 57s). As usual, the rolling chassis were all denoted by their respective engine numbers. They were: Moteur 110C, 109C, 546, 539 and 547. None of the finished or unfinished rolling chassis were given a chassis number, which was usually only allotted at the very last moment when the chassis left the factory. And none of these would ever be given a chassis number by the factory, even at a later date. They had simply been stamped with the engine number, and the chassis numbers that were later used were 'numbers of convenience'. In the factory records (the 'Pracht Carnets') Pracht usually noted the chassis number in pencil and added the engine number, the customer and the delivery date later; this was made definite in ink once the car left the factory. For the non-supercharged cars, he had noted in pencil the following chassis numbers: 57780, 57781, 57782. He assigned the number '57780' to engine 546, and this is clearly what it would have become if the circumstances had not dictated otherwise. This car was the latest model, with vertical telescopic shock absorbers, factory hydraulic brakes (standard since 1938) and a type III 57 engine. It has always been, and still is, registered as 546."

Chassis '57780'/546 is still completely original. It bears the frame number 438, which shows that the engine 546 was installed in the frame after June 1939. The number 546 can also be found on the rear axle differential. The engine block bears the number 446, which is also stamped on the original cylinder heads. The entire powertrain with all assembly numbers has not been changed since production over 80 years ago. For comparison: the famous last Bugatti Coupe Vanvooren 57835/102C has frame number 430 and engine block 432.

In 1941, after the occupation of France by the German Wehrmacht, the Bugatti inventory that had been transferred to Bordeaux, including the new chassis, was taken back to Molsheim by the order of Hans Trippel. It is not possible to date exactly when the car received its coachwork there. But there are indications that this happened during the time of the German occupation.

Vanvooren body n° 2940
Gustave Achille Vanvooren was born in Paris in 1857 and started working for his father's carriage building business at the age of 12. He took over in 1888 and by the turn of the century, the Carrosserie Vanvooren, based at 33 rue Marbeuf in Paris, had established a reputation for high quality and distinctive, luxury coachbuilding. In 1906, construction of carriages ceased and the company turned their attention to automobile coachwork, manufactured at new facilities at rue Pierre l'Homme, Courbevoie in the NW of Paris.

In 1922, a brilliant engineer from Lyon, Marius Joseph Daste took over the company and his patents revolutionized the world of coachbuilding. In 1929, together with his new partner René de Prandières, a former Bugatti race driver, he developed and patented a metal-panelled, flexible body, using 'Silentbloc' mountings and joints. In 1930 he introduced their pillarless four-door saloon design at the Paris and London Motor Shows. Patented as the 'Silent Travel' system, it was considered by many to be the best of the post-Weymann systems, successfully combining the advantages of a lightweight, flexible body with a quiet drive, housed in attractive coachwork.

In 1932 Daste moved to Hispano-Suiza, which led to a strong relationship between Vanvooren and the manufacturer. Between 1931 and 1937, approximately 200 of 450 Hispano-Suizas built were bodied by Vanvooren. De Prandières was on good terms with the established agent Dominic Lamberjack, and as a consequence, some 150 Bugattis were fitted with Vanvooren bodies, including at least 36 cars of the 57 and 57S types, 20 of which were 2- or 4-seater cabriolets. Between 1900 and 1950 Vanvooren created approximately 2500 unique bodies that were fitted to chassis belonging to over 40 different manufacturers. Today, it is thought that only about 150 Vanvooren cars are still in existence. Among them are famous cars, which today can be found in the most important collections of the world. All of them are unique pieces, which are committed to the restrained elegance of the Vanvooren design lines, and which always took into account the wishes of the customers. The quality was of the highest standard and beyond any doubt.

Body n° 2940, intended for the stand of the 'Carrosserie Vanvooren' at the 1938 Paris Motor Show, was completed in September 1938. It was mounted on Bugatti chassis 57757/52C with frame n° 339, which had been delivered from Molsheim on August 12th of that year. On 30 September, one week before the Salon, the car was sold for 110,000 francs to the Brussels agent D'Ieteren and his customer Jean Washer. It was then delivered to Belgium on 15 November 1938, and both the design sketch by Vanvooren and three advertising pictures of the car, taken in the Bois du Boulogne, have been preserved. They were kindly provided by the Washer family, as well as pictures of Jean Washer himself and, incredibly, a silver trophy that he had won during his time as a tennis pro. Jean Washer, who was born on 22 August 1894 in Berchem and died on 22 March 1972 in Geneva, came from a family involved in the textile industry in Brussels. He started playing tennis after the war and his most successful year came in 1923 when he was ranked 9th worldwide. Professionally, he was responsible for the synthetic fibres department in the UCB Group (Union Chimique Belge). In 1928, Jean Washer acquired a splendid park in Drève de la Meute, Bois de Waterloo, in which the property "le Manoir" was situated. There the Bugatti found a home in November 1938. A photo taken during the winter of 1939 is showing Jean Washer, in gloves and helmet, posing next to his new acquisition, which was fitted with Belgian number plates. Half a year later, on May 10, 1940, the Germans invaded Belgium. The country surrendered on 28 May and the occupying forces installed themselves in Wallonia. They set up their quarters in "Le Manoir" and an officer confiscated the fast 57C cabriolet for his own use. The next trace of the car is found in Germany, in a body shop north of Frankfurt. During the car's recent restoration, when the woodwork and seats were dismantled, the coachwork number was revealed. It was stencilled on the back of the seats, in blue crayon on the wood and lead pencil on other parts. In total, the Vanvooren number 2940 appeared on over ten pieces of the coachwork. In the chronology of Vanvooren body numbers, it corresponds exactly to a production date of September 1938. Analysis of various parts of the body has revealed the rest of the story. The inside of a door panel shows a long inscription written in Sütterlin, an old German script used only until the early 1940s: "Erwin Leun, Karosseriebauer, Giessen. Klein Linden, Dammstrasse 14, Deutschland". The town of Klein Linden is located 400 km east of Waterloo, to the north of Frankfurt, and Leun's workshop is known for his work for the Wehrmacht during the war. Leun was commissioned to convert the Bugatti into an officer's radio car - a vehicle with large rod antennae and a cabinet-sized field radio on a trailer. For this purpose, the position of the spare wheel had to be altered, which was prominently located on the left fender. It was placed in a specially made mould in the trunk, the hole in the fender was closed. This gave space for the mounting of the 4m high rod antenna, whose drill holes and reinforcement plates became visible after the paint was removed. Aesthetically this change was a gain, because the car has a more elongated appearance without a spare wheel. A tow bar was welded on at the back, which involved cutting out a few centimetres at the bottom of the rear bodywork. The name Hammerstein appears engraved in the metal of the two front seat sliders. This could be the name of a German officer from the famous military family von Hammerstein, and be connected to the name of the officer who considered the car as loot and took it with him to Germany. The work at Leun's workshop was carried out in 1940/41. As for why the Vanvooren body was subsequently separated from its original chassis 57757/52C - there is a likely explanation for this.

The assembly of chassis '57780'/546 with Vanvooren body 2940
There is a strong possibility that the work was carried out in the factory at Molsheim. The car's current chassis came from new stock that had been stored in Bordeaux in 1940, and taken back to Molsheim in 1941. An auction was organised at the factory that year and the body from chassis 57757/52C with frame 339, the ex-1938 Salon Vanvooren cabriolet, was put on the new chassis '57780'/546 with frame 438.

Thanks to the BIG (Bugatti Identification Group) today we know what happened to the old chassis. The rear axle 52C and the frame 339 appear to have been subsequently used on the car of an enthusiast from Colmar right after the war. It received engine 283 ex-57404 (a car that was also on the Bordeaux list and whose engine could possibly be purchased on the same occasion) and a Gangloff four-seater cabriolet body from 1938 - 1939. From then, that car became known under n° 57404. The engine 52C never appeared again. Therefore we may assume that the engine was blown and could not be used anymore, which gives us an explanation for the disassembly of the Vanvooren body of 57757/52C.

After the war
After the war, we find '57780'/546 with Vanvooren coachwork in Austria. Mr. Girardoni, owner of a large Austrian sugar refinery, bought the car in the early 1950s, and according to his wife this transaction took place in 1951. She remembers receiving the car as a present from her husband, and using it daily, as well as taking it to the factory in Molsheim several times to be serviced. At this point, the car was petrol-green with tan leather interior, the antennae and the tow bar had been removed. Between 1952 and 1954 it was registered in Saint-Gilgen on lake Wolfgangsee, in the province of Salzburg, with the number S 33.696, and later in Burgenland, close to the factory, with the number B 31.133. Mrs Girardoni's family albums include numerous photos of the car and include some shots of the dashboard, which show it as being the 57C model - it had four small dials to the left and two larger ones flanking the steering wheel, all set on a lacquered wooden fascia, which would have been an option chosen by the coachbuilder. In 1965 the car was sold to the great Swedish collector Mr. Soderstrom, from Malmo. When he died, the Bugatti was put up for sale by his son, and bought in 1996 by Mr. Bonnigal. During his ownership, the car was repainted dark blue and was used on several occasions.

In 2014 the car became part of the Volante collection in Germany. The owner, a Vanvooren enthusiast and for many years archivist of the Carrosserie Vanvooren, united the Bugatti in his collection with a group of 9 other vehicles with Vanvooren coachwork, the largest group of this kind worldwide. He did so without knowing the special history of this Bugatti, solely out of appreciation for the coachbuilder. What he then found out in the course of the subsequent comprehensive restoration in cooperation with the Bugatti specialists inspired him all the more. A thorough analysis of the surfaces, carried out by Dr. Gundula Tutt, revealed remnants of both the original nitrocellulose paint and the original interior and leather upholstery. According to these specifications, the two original colours black and blue were remixed and the blue leather, which had a unique structure, was dyed and embossed in Italy by a specialist according to the historical model. The Bugatti was then entrusted to the workshop of René Grosse for a full-scale two-year restoration that cost in excess of 300,000 €. The seat set turned out to be original Vanvooren, it only had to be upholstered and covered anew. The rear of the car, modified during the war, was restored to its original configuration. Over 4,000 photographs were taken of different stages of the restoration, documenting the meticulous attention to detail taken by the team at Grosse's workshop, who have been familiar with the manufacturing techniques of the Vanvooren workshop in Courbevoie for many years, thanks to the orders of the Volante collection. There was no-one more qualified to return this 1938 Paris Motor Show Vanvooren cabriolet to its former glory. In 2018, the Volante collection successfully sold part of its vehicles at the Artcurial Retromobile sale. This exceptional Bugatti now presents another opportunity to purchase a historically unique vehicle from this high-quality collection. '57780'/546 was awarded at the FIVA A Concours "Masterpieces" at Schloss Dyck in June 2018. In a group of no less than six Bugatti Type 57, the judges, led by Julius Kruta, honoured the car with the Bugatti Award - a wonderful recognition of the significance of this unique vehicle and the work carried out on it.

Since then the Bugatti has been on display in the Volante Collection and has not been moved. A service before putting it back on the road is recommended.