Bonhams' Goodwood Festival of speed auction, July 12, 2024

• 1922 Bugatti Type 13 Brescia Sports, Chassis no. 1214 (Bitza): Estimate €210.000 - €260.000: Sold for €246,520 inc. premium

Bonhams' The Bonmont Sale, June 30, 2024, Cheserex, Switzerland

• 1928 Bugatti Type 43 Chassis no. 43264, Sold for CHF454,250 (€ 465,560) inc. premium

  Link to auction / images

This extensive collection of Bugatti art items comes from the collection of Peter Mullin, who deceased September last year, aged 82. Most of these were shown at the "Art of Bugatti" Exhibition in Oxnard in 2014.

While most of the Car collection from Mullin has already been sold (Most in the Gooding & Co auction held on April 26, 2024), it was unsure if the art collection, encompassing not only Bugatti but also Lalique radiator mascots and some other art and furniture, would be sold privately or in a public auction. As it turns out now, it will be a public auction, where most, if not all, of the Bugatti Art will be sold. Estimates for all the items on auction can be found in the complete catalogue. Estimates range from around €1,000 for the drawings or paintings by Carlo, Rembrandt or Lidia, to over €200,000 for the most special Rembrandt Bugatti sculpture.

"The Mullin Automotive Museum has been created to honor the breathtaking cars that grace its floors. Yet is my sincere hope that this museum will come to be known not just for its automobiles, but for the homage it pays to the Art Deco movement. Art Deco was an unstoppable artistic force all through the late 1920’s and into the 1930’s, influencing sculpture, furniture, lighting, crystal, painting, architecture, and many other forms of expression. It was a golden era of design…" -Peter Mullin, Preface for The Art of Bugatti: Mullin Automotive Museum The Art Deco period was a brief era of art and design that was born in the 1910s and quickly faded with the chaos and destruction of World War II. For some, it quickly flashes before our eyes as we gaze at the Empire State or Chrysler buildings, but for Peter Mullin, Art Deco was the supreme expression of artistry and industrial design during the 20th century. The Art Deco movement is unique in that it bridged the gap between the handmade and factory produced, between the warmth of ivory, gilt and mahogany and the polished coolness of rolled steel. Mr. Mullin was fascinated with this transitional period in design history, and the collection he built reflected not only his impeccable taste, but his discerning eye that only sought out the best examples. Peter Mullin - philanthropist, businessman, and collector - was known far and wide for having the most impressive collection of pre-World War II Bugatti vehicles in the world. However, his passion for the Bugatti design aesthetic and Art Deco movement was not limited to cars but extended to the entire Bugatti family’s artistic output and to masterpieces of design from that period. To that end, Peter and Merle Mullin amassed one of the most extensive collections of Carlo Bugatti (father of Ettore Bugatti, celebrated car maker) furniture in the world, and certainly the largest collection of the storied maker’s oeuvre to ever come to auction. Of particular note is an extremely rare silver dragonfly bowl made towards the end of Carlo Bugatti’s artistic career, perhaps the only one of its kind in existence. Solidifying the Mullins’ holdings were superlative examples of bronze animalier sculptures by Rembrandt Bugatti (brother of Ettore) and Lidia Bugatti (Ettore’s daughter). In addition to the impressive selection of works from the Bugatti family in their collection, Mr. and Mrs. Mullin bought furniture by such historied makers as Jules Leleu and Maurice Dufrêne, and sculpture by Maurice Guiraud-Rivière and Pierre Le Faguays. Magnificent in its depth and breadth is a stunning grouping of molded glass car mascots by René Lalique offered within this auction. Designed for a brief period between 1925 and 1931, these Art Deco masterpieces were specifically produced for French automobiles prior to World War II, bridging Peter Mullin’s interest in industrial and artistic design.

Focus of the auction is the Carlo Bugatti furniture, of which many examples will be sold, see the complete catalogue. However, Mullin had some rarer Carlo Bugatti items in his collection, one silverware "Dragonfly Bowl" from circa 1907, see above and the top photo for a detail. Apart from that, three oil-on-canvas paintings: one of his daughter-in-law Barbara (married to Ettore Bugatti), one of his wife Thérèse, and one of a landscape. Also, one of the relatively rare stringed instruments.

Rembrandt Bugatti is a bit less prominent in the collection, with four sculptures like the one of the Crouching Jaguar above. More special is the one of the same Barbara Bugatti, his brother's wife (below left), and said to be the girl he loved all his life. Interesting also some relatively well-known drawings, plus a study of a man's Bust (below right).

Lidia Bugatti, 2nd daughter of Ettore Bugatti and Barbara Bolzoni, was not much recognized for her artistic work, before the exhibition in 2014 already mentioned, and an article in the Bugatti Revue. Of her, a couple of Bronze horses (above) will be auctioned, as well as a collection of 4 paintings. In these paintings, oil on paper and made from 1932 to 1956, the automobiles of her father Ettore play a prominent role.

Ettore Bugatti is not really the focus of this auction, however one of the items on auction is a 1927 "Baby" electric Bugatti, numbered 379A (Estimate: € 93.000 - € 120.000). Furthermore a trunk (Below) from an automobile, said to have been the property of Ettore, and a replica radiator mascot for the Bugatti Royale. The mascot of course was sculpted by his brother Rembrandt.

Auction details:

• Date: July 24, 2024
• Location: Los Angeles
• The complete catalogue of the auction
• Bonhams' website, with more photographs than the catalogue.

The official auction partner of the annual Concours of Elegance at Hampton Court Palace will offer for sale an early Bugatti Type 57 Atalante, a Bugatti Type 43A Roadster, and other selections from the Jaap (Jack) Braam Ruben Collection.

Global auction house and international market leader Gooding & Company is proud to return as the official auction partner of the Concours of Elegance at Hampton Court Palace later this summer, where it will host its annual London Auction on Friday, 30 August. Gooding & Company today announces a quartet of historic, significant classic Bugattis from the world-class collection of Jack Braam Ruben, based in Maastricht, The Netherlands. This grouping includes one of the earliest surviving examples of the Bugatti Type 57 Atalante, a remarkably well-preserved and patinated Bugatti Type 43A Roadster, an award-winning, unrestored Bugatti Type 57 Stelvio, and a show-quality Bugatti Type 57 Ventoux.

“Jack Braam Ruben is widely recognized in our industry as one of the foremost traders and collectors of classic and prewar cars in the world, and he has an especially keen sense for the most significant examples from the Bugatti and Alfa Romeo marque,” said Gooding & Company President and Co-Founder, David Gooding. “We are privileged and delighted to present these very original Bugattis from his premier collection at our London Auction, and look forward to offering these exceptional motor cars on the historic grounds of Hampton Court Palace.”

1935 Bugatti Type 57 Atalante (Estimate: £3,000,000 – £4,000,000)
The Atalante is undoubtedly one of the most distinctive, attractive, and important styles of the venerable Bugatti Type 57. This example, chassis 57252, was built in November 1934 as a first series Grand Raid chassis, featuring a lowered steering column angle compared to a standard Type 57. Though originally intended to be clothed in Grand Raid roadster coachwork, the car was bodied by the factory in early 1935 with Jean Bugatti-designed Atalante coupe coachwork. This was the third such chassis to be equipped in this way. A mere 10 Atalantes would be produced throughout 1935; this very early example features a beautifully tapered tail section, which gives the entire car a lighter, more sporting design. This is achieved through convex wheel covers featuring special hand-formed tear drop shapes, as well as rear fenders which sweep up behind the wheel openings, resulting in the delicately tapered appearance not present on later Atalantes. Chassis 57252 was the third of these 10 Type 57s to receive Atalante coachwork, and of these, only three examples are known to survive today.

Ordered new by Bugatti agent Monestier in Lyon for its first owner, Mr. Perrot, it was equipped with 18-inch wire wheels and Lockheed hydraulic brakes, per special customer request. 57252 would pass through a succession of French owners for the next two decades before being sold to famed Belgian Bugatti restorer and dealer Jean De Dobbeleer of Brussels in 1956. In 1957, the Atalante was exported to the US by Bugatti collector Lyman Greenlee. The car would eventually make its way back to Europe, first to Guido Artom in Italy, and then to Peter Rae in the UK. Mr. Rae correctly restored the car to its original specifications, including Scintilla headlamps and Lalique-style running lights mounted atop the fenders. 57252 remained in the UK before joining Mr. Braam Ruben’s collection in 2019. The Dutch collector commissioned a thorough restoration, tasking Bugatti specialist Classic Skills of Lomm, The Netherlands, with the work. The exterior was refinished in its original two-tone smoke and sage green color scheme, the interior was reupholstered, and the dashboard and bumpers were returned to their original configuration. Confirmed to still retain its original engine, no. 195, per documentation on file, this incredibly well-restored and historically important Type 57 Atalante, with its visually distinctive early design, presents a rare opportunity for any discerning Bugattiste and collector.

1933 Bugatti Type 43A Roadster (Estimate: £3,000,000 – £4,000,000)
The Type 43, and its successor, the Type 43A, were conceived as road-going counterparts to the Bugatti Type 35, the most successful and important of prewar Grand Prix racing cars. While a standard Type 43 was equipped with grand sporting coachwork, a 43A signified a car clothed in elegant Jean Bugatti-designed roadster coachwork. Mechanically, the 43A was equipped with a supercharged 2.3-litre inline eight-cylinder engine, based on the engine of the race-winning Type 35B. Bugatti built just 18 examples of the Type 43A, and of these, less than 10 are accounted for today. This Type 43A, chassis 43309, has the penultimate chassis number, and was delivered new to Edouard Michel of Paris in May 1934; it would remain in Europe for the next four decades. During this time, it was displayed at Serge Pozzoli’s famed Montlhéry Motor Museum, as well as the Le Mans Museum. Around 1978 the Bugatti was acquired by noted German Bugatti collector and historian Uwe Hucke. After nine years in Hucke’s ownership, it passed to Dr. Joachim Jantzen of Essen, who entered the car in a number of historic driving events.

Next, 43309 joined the collection of Manfred Dolleschel, who entered the Type 43A in the International Rally in the UK in 2004, and the International Rally in Tuscany in 2009. In more recent years, 43309 was exhibited at the Concours of Elegance at St. James’s Palace in 2013, as well as the 2022 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance® following completion of the Pebble Beach Motoring Classic. This Type 43A has a gorgeously patinated, two-tone gray finish, with subtle evidence of original black and yellow paint in small sections throughout the exterior. Retaining many important original components according to an accompanying report by marque authority Mark Morris, including its original semi-roller bearing crankshaft, much of its original leather upholstery, and original engine, stamped no. 106. In place of the standard wooden dashboard is a two-piece aluminum dashboard. It is beautifully constructed, shifting all of the gauges from the center of the dash to a panel surrounding the steering column, giving unrestricted access to the centrally-mounted magneto ignition. 43309 represents what is surely an unrepeatable opportunity for the discerning collector to acquire what is widely recognized as one of the best examples of the Type 43.

1935 Bugatti Type 57 Stelvio (Estimate: £900,000 – £1,100,000)
This Gangloff-bodied 1935 Bugatti Type 57 Stelvio cabriolet, chassis 57181, was equipped with engine no. 30 and fashioned with a light-colored soft-top hood upon completion. The car was sold new to France and was acquired after World War II by a Swiss owner, before being sold in the late 1960s to David Mize in the US in exceptionally original condition, having traveled only 27,000 km. An avid Bugattiste, Mize would later become the president of the American Bugatti Club. The Stelvio was later sold to collector John Risch, an American of Dutch origin, who won Best in Show with the car at the New Hope Automobile Show in Pennsylvania in 1968. Mr. Risch was the long-term owner of 57181, lovingly retaining it for several decades until his passing in 1991, after which point the car remained with his estate. In 2016, 57181 was displayed at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance® in the Prewar Preservation class, where it was awarded Second in Class, and also completed the Tour d’Elegance. In 2018, the Stelvio was shown at the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance before joining Mr. Braam Ruben’s esteemed collection in The Netherlands. Surely one of the finest unrestored examples extant, the Stelvio retains a wonderfully patinated original red leather interior, beautifully complimented by a subtle two-tone black and maroon paint scheme.

1938 Bugatti Type 57 Ventoux (Estimate: £550,000 – £650,000)
Built on a Series III rolling chassis with engine no. 523 in October 1938, this Bugatti Type 57 Ventoux, chassis 57724, was completed near the end of the assembly line before the impending war brought production to a halt. Factory finished with a Gris Deauville (gray) body with Havane (tan) leather, the car was sold through British agent Colonel Sorel to its first owner, L.W. Young in 1940. It remained with Mr. Young for a decade before passing on to H. Archer-Smith, who reportedly won the Bugatti Owners’ Club Taylor Trophy with the Ventoux in 1958. In 1972, the Ventoux passed to John Frears, who displayed the car at the Stratford Motor Museum. In 1982, 57724 was acquired by Geoffrey Perfect of Penn in Buckinghamshire, a serious and respected Bugatti collector. It was during his ownership that the car captivated the attention of Mr. Braam Ruben, who would eventually add it to his collection in 2021. This exceptional, show-quality Type 57 Ventoux, with known provenance from new, has been displayed at some of the most prestigious events throughout its lifetime, including the Earls Court London Motor Show in 1989, Techno Classica Essen in 2019, and the Concours d’Elegance Paleis Soestdijk in 2022.

Auction details:

• Date: Friday, 30 August at 15.00 BST
• Location: Hampton Court Palace, London, UK
• Viewing Days: Thursday-Friday, 29-30 August
• Bidder Registration: www.goodingco.com/register

More info

Catawiki Auction, June 30, 2024

• 1927 Bugatti T37A, Chassis "37280" - R, Engine 195: Estimate €900.000 - €1.260.000: Not sold, maximum bid: €450.000

The crowd anxiously waiting for the presentation to start, and Andy Wallace stepping out of the Tourbillon

Today, I was present at the "enthusiast's presentation" in Molsheim. A flashy presentation with of course the Tourbillon on center stage.

Many details were already known, but there is (of course) more. More photograps also, these ones were almost all shot by me.

Unfortunately, Mate Rimac was not present, but I had some conversations with Christophe Piochon and Andy Wallace.

Highlights and details of the Bugatti Tourbillon:

• New 16 cilinder naturally aspirated engine, 8.3 litre, 1000HP, max RPM 9000
• The engine developed by Cosworth weighs just 252 kg
• Engine drives rear wheels, helped by a 200 HP electric motor
• Two electric motors drive front wheels, 300 HP each
• Total power 1800 HP, weight 1995 kg, slightly less than a Chiron
• 2300 Nm of Torque
• 25 kWh battery allows for an electric range of more than 60 km
• Performance: 0-100: 2.0s, 0-200: <5s, 0-300: < 10 s, 0-400: <25s. Top speed 445 kmh (limited)
• Watch-like instrument panel in the center of the steering wheel, with the latter revolving around it
• Price: 3.8 million euro, 250 will be made. Production starts in 2026

Around the presentation of the Tourbillon, an entire exhibition of Bugatti's classic and new was presented. Some of the classic Bugatti's were brought by the vistors, which came from many different countries. Overview of this exhibition can be found here.

Below: Short movie of the appearance of the Tourbillon

The "tent", venue for the presentation and the front of the Chateau St. Jean, with some of the classic Bugatti's on display.

Below: official Bugatti information on the Tourbillon.

THE BUGATTI TOURBILLON: AN AUTOMOTIVE ICON ‘POUR L’ÉTERNITÉ’

In 2004, the reborn Bugatti brand transformed the world of automotive performance and luxury with a 1,001 hp hyper sports car: the Veyron. The first road car with more than 1,000 hp was succeeded in 2016 by another engineering feat so ambitious it reset all expectations of performance, the world’s first 1,500 hp car: the Chiron. At the heart of these cars was the world’s most advanced automotive engine: an 8.0-liter quad-turbo W16. Now, 20 years after Bugatti invented the hyper sports car, it redefines the concept completely with an entirely new powertrain and platform. This is the Bugatti Tourbillon.

NAME AND PHILOSOPHY

Mate Rimac, CEO of Bugatti, said: The development of the Bugatti Tourbillon was guided at every step by the 115 years of Bugatti history and the words of Ettore Bugatti himself. His mantras ‘if comparable it is no longer Bugatti’ and ‘nothing is too beautiful’ were a guiding path for me personally, as well as the design and engineering teams looking to create the next exciting era in the Bugatti hyper sports car story.

“Icons like the Type 57SC Atlantic, renowned as the most beautiful car in the world, the Type 35, the most successful racing car ever, and the Type 41 Royale, one of the most ambitious luxury cars of all time, provide our three pillars of inspiration. Beauty, performance and luxury formed the blueprint for the Tourbillon; a car that was more elegant, more emotive and more luxurious than anything before it. Quite simply, incomparable. And just like those icons of the past, it wouldn’t be simply for the present, or even for the future, but Pour l’éternité – for eternity.”

As the first Bugatti in more than 20 years not powered by the iconic W16 engine, the tradition of naming core models after legendary Bugatti racing drivers of the past is no longer applied. Instead, the name Tourbillon was chosen as the perfect encapsulation of this car’s character. A French word, and a subtle reference to Bugatti’s French heritage and home in Molsheim, the tourbillon is a watchmaking invention of a Swiss-born genius living in France in 1801. A completely original creation without compare, it is both complex and beautiful, helping to counteract the effects of gravity on a watch to ensure more consistent time-keeping. And over 200 years later it is still revered as the pinnacle of watchmaking.

This sense of mechanical timelessness was a core part of the Bugatti Tourbillon journey. For a car that will be displayed on the concours lawns of this and the next centuries, technology can easily date – especially large digital screens – so it’s important that it uses as many timeless components as possible. The Tourbillon therefore utilizes a number of design and engineering techniques that will never age, including a completely analogue instrument cluster crafted by Swiss watchmakers and finished with the same care and attention you find in the world’s greatest timepieces. Just as these become heirlooms over generations, the Tourbillon is designed as a car for eternity.

DESIGN & AERODYNAMICS
As with every Bugatti of the modern era, the Tourbillon is ‘shaped by speed’. The ability to travel at more than 400 km/h requires every single surface, inlet and ridge to be finely honed to ensure it is not only aerodynamic but also beneficial to the car’s thermodynamics. This is the guiding principle of the Tourbillon, which is then evolved around four Bugatti design elements inspired by history: the horseshoe grille, the Bugatti Line, the central ridge and the dual color split.

Frank Heyl, Bugatti Director of Design, said: “The creations of Ettore and Jean Bugatti are ingenious in their aerodynamics, innovation and enduring beauty. We draw from the Bugatti Type 35, where the whole shape of the car was guided by the shape of the horseshoe grille, tapering back into this streamlined fuselage shape. We find inspiration in the Type 57SC Atlantic – the S stood for Surbaissé, which essentially meant lowered – bringing down the frontal area, lowering the roofline, lowering the driver and creating this wonderful stance and proportion. That’s something that was very important for us, carefully curating the placement of volumes that are both functional but also supporting the extreme proportions of the car. If the car is lower, it looks wider and the size of the wheels are emphasized; it looks like there is tension in the muscles, a posture ready to pounce. Every design decision is geared towards creating a sense of speed even at a standstill.

“Ever since Jean Bugatti began to apply bold dual-tone paintwork to his cars, it has become an important part of Bugatti design DNA, and in the Tourbillon, we evolve it once more in an authentic but modern way. That split happens around our fourth key design element: the Bugatti line, inspired by the color split lines of the Type 41 Royale and reborn as a core design element of both Veyron and Chiron. In-keeping with our new proportions, and lowered roofline, the Bugatti line now curves around more sharply, leaning forwards slightly as it winds its way around the roof, imbuing the side profile with a leaping motion.”

Although beautiful in its design and proportions, every surface, intake and vent is carefully honed to balance the enormous aerodynamic forces of a car travelling at over 400 km/h as well as the thermodynamic requirements of a V16 engine, electric motors and battery at full performance.

Using over 20 years of expertise from the Veyron and Chiron, the Tourbillon features a number of patented technologies. As a result, the rear wing even remains submerged during top speed runs, with a perfect equilibrium of forces generated by these new innovations. The wing is utilized to establish higher downforce at slower speeds and as an airbrake for improved stability under deceleration.

Much of this aerodynamic equilibrium is thanks to the new diffuser concept, which starts to climb from just behind the passenger cabin, rising at an ideal angle to keep the Tourbillon in perfect balance. The diffuser is built around a completely new crash concept, which is fully integrated within the structure of the diffuser itself, keeping it both enormously effective but also hidden from sight, enabling the open rear-end design.

At the heart of the Tourbillon’s design ethos is the iconic horseshoe, from which all lines of the car originate, shaping the central fuselage volume. Docked onto that left and right are the flying fenders that allow to stream air underneath the headlights to boost air mass flow into the side intakes. This intricate interplay of airflow is further exemplified by the frontal design, which, while maintaining the dimensions of a sculpted overhang, ingeniously houses an ultra-efficient cooling system that directs air through and out of the front bonnet, augmenting downforce while ingeniously packaging a sizable frunk in between the two radiators.

A set of advanced, electrically actuated dihedral doors not only allow for easy entry into the vehicle but provide a dramatic sense of arrival, able to be opened and closed from the key fob, the door opening button found just underneath the Bugatti Line and on the center console.

INTERIOR
Ever since car manufacturers began to embrace digital screens and touchscreens in cars, the rate of progress has been so rapid that within less than a decade, the technology appears outdated. Imagining the Tourbillon on concours d’elegance lawns not just in 10 years but perhaps in 100 years, the design philosophy of the interior focused on timelessness. Inspired by the world of horologie, in which wristwatches over 100 years old can still be worn and used today, integrated into modern fashion and lifestyles seamlessly, the design and engineering teams pioneered an authentic analogue experience in the cabin.

The centerpiece of this takes the horologie philosophy to its most literal conclusion; an instrument cluster designed and built with the expertise of Swiss watchmakers. Made up of more than 600 parts and constructed from titanium as well as gemstones such as sapphire and ruby, the skeletonized cluster is built to the largest tolerance of 50 microns, with the smallest at 5 microns, and weighs just 700g. This intricately engineered masterpiece remains a focal point of the driving experience, fixed in place as the rim of the steering wheel rotates around it – a set-up known as a fixed hub steering wheel. Through this ingenious concept Tourbillon drivers have an unobstructed view of their instrumentation independent of the steering angle because the spokes reach around the back of the instrument cluster

But hidden from view until desired is a high-definition digital screen, which displays vehicle data and offers seamless mobile connection. An intricately engineered mechanism deploys the touchscreen from the top of the center console; portrait mode for the reversing camera in just two seconds and full landscape mode in five seconds.

Every interior decision – just as it is with the exterior – is made with ultimate performance in mind, without compromising in any way on practicality or comfort. The seats, for example, are fixed to the floor to be as light and as low as they can possibly be, the pedal box can be electrically adjusted forwards and backwards to ensure a comfortable driving position for everyone. Thanks to this new solution, the interior is spacious, making it ideal for longer trips and daily use. Even the audio system is being engineered without traditional speakers and woofers, opting for an advanced system that features exciters on the door panels and throughout the car to use existing interior panels as speakers. It is a lighter and more efficient system than traditional audio set-ups.

Christophe Piochon, President of Bugatti, said: “As well as the spectacular analogue innovations that have gone into creating a timeless interior such as this, we focused on authenticity of materials and perfection in every part. Informally we say that ‘what you see is what you get’, describing the fact that if you see a piece of what you think is titanium, then that’s what it is. Or if you see carbon fiber, or leather, then it will be exactly that – and always the best possible. With the Tourbillon, we are taking this impeccable authenticity and craftsmanship to the next level. Our completely new Bugatti platform has been designed in every single detail to express the pursuit of engineering excellence. It is clear from looking at any of Ettore Bugatti’s creations that every component – even if it is never seen – is a work of art, and that was our intention with Tourbillon, too. It is stunning in every detail, recognizably Bugatti and also a masterpiece of packaging and engineering.”

POWERTRAIN AND PERFORMANCE
The Bugatti W16 engine was unlike any other automotive engine in the world when it was revealed. With its four turbos and prodigious power figures, it set a new benchmark for the limits of combustion engine technology, and two decades after its creation it’s still unmatched or replicated. Following in its footsteps is another incomparable masterpiece of internal combustion engineering, paired with the immediate torque and flexibility of electric motors.

This next-generation Bugatti hyper sports car is powered by an all-new 8.3-liter naturally aspirated V16 engine – engineered with the help of Cosworth – paired with a front e-Axle with two electric motors and one electric motor mounted at the rear axle. In total, the Tourbillon produces 1,800 hp with 1,000 from the combustion engine itself and 800 hp from the electric motors. It’s an extraordinary achievement – delivered thanks to a host of cutting-edge materials and technology – given the Veyron achieved 1,001 hp from its 8.0-liter capacity engine with four turbochargers, and the new V16 is completely naturally aspirated. Constructed from lightweight materials, the engine weighs just 252 kg.

The electric motors are powered by a 25 kWh oil-cooled 800V battery housed in the central tunnel and behind the passengers. With four-wheel-drive and full torque-vectoring, it offers ultimate traction and agility. The front e-axle houses two electric motors, with a further motor on the rear axle, for a total of 800 hp from the electric powertrain system. The electric powertrain, with the electric motors spinning up to 24,000 RPM and a fully integrated dual silicon-carbide inverter, is amongst the most power-dense in the world. The e-axles are delivering over 6 kW per kg of e-axle mass, including inverters, motors and gearboxes. While power, throttle response and torque-fill are priorities for the electric powertrain, the relatively large energy content of 25 kWh allows for a very usable all-electric range of more than 60 km / 37 miles.

In the automotive industry, it is expected that each new model is heavier than its predecessor. Especially in case the new model adds a hybrid powertrain or more performance. But with a new Bugatti, the unexpected should be the norm. The Tourbillon boasts significantly improved performance, a very powerful electric powertrain system, a large battery pack and yet, it weighs less than the Chiron, which is a testament to the incredible engineering behind the Tourbillon. With its lightweight construction and instantaneous torque from the electric motors, the Bugatti Tourbillon delivers extraordinary performance.

Thanks to the combination of an extremely advanced hybrid powertrain and lightweight engineering, efficient packaging and advanced aerodynamics, the Tourbillon will be reducing significantly the emissions in comparison to its predecessor but still enhancing the driving experience and bringing to new levels the pinnacle of automotive industry.

Emilio Scervo, Bugatti CTO, said: “The Tourbillon had to be incomparable in every respect. Our philosophy has been to take any single aspect of Chiron and elevate it, looking for elegant and sophisticated engineering solutions and new technologies to deliver a timeless masterpiece. We wanted someone to be able to take any piece of this car, from inside, outside or under the skin, and believe that it could be placed in an art gallery. The result is a car which is beautiful inside and outside, the most powerful Bugatti to date which simultaneously elevates mechanical fascination and technical beauty to a whole new level.

The powertrain was perhaps the most important decision that we had to make, considering every option available to us; reengineering the W16, going fully electric or creating something entirely new. Ultimately, we chose the hardest possible option, creating a powertrain from scratch and pairing it seamlessly with a complex system of e-motors, a new generation eight-speed dual-clutch gearbox and more, all developed from the ground up specifically for the Tourbillon. But it was important to us that this car retained that pure and raw analogue feel of a naturally aspirated combustion engine, while pairing it with the agility and ability provided by electric motors.

We have already heard what it sounds like when this car reaches its 9,000rpm redline under full throttle, and it is a visceral, awe-inspiring experience that will echo for eternity. With the Tourbillon, we have engineered a car that delivers the best of combustion technology and electrification; free from compromises and built with a timeless dedication to creating a memorable driving experience.”

ENGINEERING
The Tourbillon is designed around entirely new chassis and body structure. The structure is made from a next-generation T800 carbon composite, which incorporates a number of weight-saving innovations, such as integrating the battery as a structural part of the monocoque and an unprecedented crash composite rear diffuser, inspired by top level motorsport. The front composite airducts that flow through the front of the car are also integral to the structure, ensuring that each and every part of the rigid, lightweight structure is optimized. For example, the front and rear frames exhibit low pressure thin wall aluminum casting and 3D printed structural braces, contributing to a structure that is significantly lighter and stiffer than its predecessor!

The completely new chassis integrates multi-link suspension front and rear, forged from aluminum, moving on from the double wishbone steel construction found in the Chiron. By opting for a new organic-designed suspension arm and upright, 3D-printed in aluminum, engineers have saved 45% in suspension weight compared with the Chiron. The rear also features an AI-developed 3D-printed hollow airfoil arm to enhance vehicle dynamics and aerodynamic performance.

The brakes are equally advanced, featuring the ultimate carboceramic technology. A bespoke brake-by-wire system is introduced, fully integrated with the moveable pedal box, and blended seamlessly through an integrated vehicle non-linear controller developed by Bugatti to the hybrid powertrain. Michelin Pilot Cup Sport 2 tires – 285/35 R20 at the front and 345/30 R21 at the rear – are a bespoke development for the Tourbillon.

Within the new chassis, the new ultra compact and lightweight front e-axle with dual independent motors, including the dual-inverter, fits within the same package space that was available in Chiron, adding more complexity without requiring more space. Designers and engineers also freed up more storage space and a larger luggage component, as part of the clean-sheet chassis and bodyshell design, allowing owners to fit a set of bespoke Bugatti Tourbillon luggage.

COMING IN 2026
Mate Rimac, Bugatti CEO, said: “We look back through Bugatti history at the creations of Ettore and Jean and you can immediately see that they refused to compromise. The amount of patents Ettore had to his name was incredible, because he didn’t ever want the simplest solution, he always wanted the best solution, even if it didn’t exist yet. He’d go away and he’d build it, test it and refine it until it was perfect. And then he’d make it beautiful. It is why the cars are so revered today, and it is the driving force behind everything we have done with Tourbillon.

“So yes, it is crazy to build a new V16 engine, to integrate with a new battery pack and electric motors and to have a real Swiss-made watchmaker instrument cluster and 3D-printed suspension parts and a Crystal Glass center console. But it is what Ettore would have done, and it is what makes a Bugatti incomparable and timeless. Without that kind of ambition, you might create a great hyper sports car, but you wouldn’t create an icon Pour l’éternité’.

The Bugatti Tourbillon now enters its testing phase, with prototypes already on the road in anticipation for customer deliveries in 2026. A total of 250 examples will be built, with a starting price of 3.8m EUR net. Hand-assembly will take place at the Bugatti Atelier in Molsheim, following the final W16-powered Bugatti models, Bolide and W16 Mistral.

Right: The author posing in front of the new Bugatti.

Today, the latest Bugatti has been presented, the Tourbillon (or Whirlwind), following up from the Mistral in it's name giving. With the Mistral, it shares it's wide frontal air intake. (not to call it a radiator)

The powertrain, a V16 engine together with 3 electric engines, gives out a total of 1800 horsepower.

The car, as is said, shares no components with any of it's predecessors, or any other car for that matter.

Apparently, only 250 examples will be made, at a cost of 3.6 million euro.

More details later.

Above the complete presentation from June 20

Above, a small teaser of the new Bugatti (code name BR1, Bugatti-Rimac 1) which will be presented today at 10PM, local time (in Molsheim).

A new Bugatti era emerges: June 20, 2024

On the 20th June, a new era in the 115-year history of Bugatti begins. Guided by the vision of Ettore Bugatti, it will be an icon not just for the present, or even for the future, but ‘Pour l’éternité’ (for eternity).

The new Bugatti hyper sports car is a completely bespoke design, engineered from the ground-up on the three pillars of beauty, luxury and performance, inspired by Bugatti models of the past. The Type 57 SC Atlantic, the Type 41 Royale and the Type 35, respectively known as the most beautiful, the most luxurious and the most successful Grand Prix race car ever, each lend their DNA to create a pure and authentic reinterpretation of the Bugatti brand.

An all-new chassis and performance-honed body encompass an all-new V16 engine and electrified powertrain, representing a coming together of timeless mechanical craftsmanship and cutting-edge technology.

‘La Grand Première’ can be watched live on Bugatti social media channels on 20th June.

Bugatti is revolutionizing with providing private service stations and synthetic fuels for its hypercars.

Mate Rimac (Left), CEO of Bugatti Rimac, plans to provide a private gas station with every Bugatti purchased, using synthetic fuels. This concept could make refueling at home easier for owners of these hypercars.

Rimac believes that combustion engines still have a future, thanks to synthetic fuels that could replace fossil fuels. At a summit in London, he shared his vision of creating private Bugatti service stations using these fuels. This idea is linked to Porsche, which owns 45% of Bugatti Rimac and has been producing eFuel in Chile since 2022.

Made from water and CO2 using wind power, eFuel would allow combustion engines to operate with an almost neutral carbon footprint. Porsche plans to produce 14.5 million gallons per year by the middle of the decade, with a goal of 145 million gallons by 2027.

Although eFuel production is still limited compared to global needs, it represents a significant first step. The idea of ??using this fuel in Bugattis seems plausible, especially since these cars are produced in limited numbers and rarely driven.

The next Bugatti hypercar is intended to be used beyond 2035, despite EU bans, thanks to synthetic fuels.

"L’ULTIME'": Celebrating the end of the Incomparable Chiron Era

Since 2016, the Bugatti Chiron has remained an incomparable icon of hyper sports car performance. Limited to just 500 units, the final Chiron has now been hand-assembled by the craftspeople in Molsheim; a vibrant piece of bespoke art known as ‘L’Ultime’. This final farewell to Chiron marks the closing of an extraordinary era of performance that saw it become the first 1,500 PS roadgoing car as well as the first production car to surpass 300 mph. And just as it entered the world with spectacular elegance and power, so too does its production end, on the cusp of an all-new Bugatti era.

This final Chiron masterpiece – a Super Sport – beautifully reinterprets the car that took center stage in Geneva some eight years ago, exquisitely reminiscent in style and visual identity. When it first wowed the world back in 2016, the color split of ‘Atlantic Blue’ with ‘French Racing Blue’, intersected by a sweeping C-line milled from hand-polished aluminum alloy, was unlike anything seen in the automotive world before. For this 500th and final Chiron, the Bugatti Sur Mesure team reimagined the original design with a mesmerizing interplay of fading colors and a tribute to all the places where the car has spread its magic since 2016.

Symbolizing the brand’s prowess and the evolution of it's craft and savoir-faire in the past eight years, the two colors that adorn this special Super Sport – a distinctively created fading ‘French Racing Blue’ and an ‘Atlantic Blue’ – now seamlessly blend with each other, merging to create an arresting side-on visual that is accentuated by the colored wheels mirroring the front and rear shades. A tailored blue Bugatti macaron, exclusively designed and developed for this farewell edition, sits proudly within the grille. In a spectacular flourish, adorning its bodywork are hand-written places and events that helped to build the legend of the Chiron. Inspired by the philosophy of 'bullet speed' – a blurring of vision at high speeds – this unique Chiron Super Sport² hints at its incomparable top speed, even at a standstill.

The aesthetic form of the Super Sport came to life when the Sur Mesure team at Bugatti and the customer decided to create an homage to this important moment in Bugatti’s history, retracing the most incredible milestones of the Chiron as well as celebrating the most important moments in the brand’s history, in-turn bringing to life the journey of the Chiron model, from its debut in 2016 to the present day.

Since its breathtaking global debut in Geneva eight years ago – revealed as the most powerful, fastest and luxurious car in the world – the Chiron has withstood the test of time, remaining at the pinnacle of automotive craftsmanship and performance. Channeling the DNA of Bugatti and encapsulating the brand’s ‘Form Follows Performance’ ethos, the Chiron has pushed boundaries, set benchmarks that were previously unimaginable and re-written so-called automotive norms across a critically-acclaimed family line-up that includes the Chiron, Chiron Sport, Chiron Pur Sport and Chiron Super Sport in additon to special editions like the Chiron Super Sport 300+ and Les Légendes du Ciel.

This captivating legacy flows across the sides of the unique Super Sport in pure content composition: the launch in Geneva, appearances at Chantilly, testing phases at the Paul Ricard circuit and the 300 mph run at the Ehra-Lessien testing track. And, of course, the historic Bugatti home in Molsheim as well as the iconic Château Saint Jean and Cape Canaveral, where a number of customers have experienced the Chiron’s top speed performance.

Celebrating the very last Chiron, the hand-written number '500' – gracing the exterior, the wheel caps and rear wing – is also engraved onto the engine cover housing the magnificent Bugatti W16 powertrain. Simultaneously, it marks another milestone in the Bugatti journey of more than 115 years; another 500 incomparable works of art, inspired by Ettore Bugatti’s original vision, in the world to be enjoyed for generations to come.

Forming an unwavering bond to the wonderful artistry exhibited across the Super Sport is craftsmanship of the highest order, exquisite details that bring the Chiron’s eight-year timeline to life. The French flag, representing the birthplace of the brand and the car, is fittingly applied to the mirror wings. The Super Sport’s grille is finished in the brand’s now iconic ‘Atlantic Blue’ and a special horseshoe mesh has been crafted with centered stripes.

The use of the '500' seamlessly transitions from the outside to within, adorning a Chiron cabin that matches the bespoke nature of the car’s exterior. Here, a carbon fiber symphony unfolds for both the driver and passenger connecting the luxurious 'Deep Blue' leather and 'Blue Carbon Matt' high-tech finishes with hints of the iconic Bugatti 'French Racing Blue' shade. Intricate, hand-woven 'Deep Blue' leather that is hand-cut, hand-stitched and applied to each door panel offers this final Chiron the quintessence of excellence and timelessness, symbolizing peerless craftsmanship since the Chiron's unveiling in 2016.

"The Bugatti brand is built not only on pure performance but on absolute craftsmanship, sophistication and elegance, forming the very pinnacle of the automotive sphere. This very special Super Sport – the final masterpiece in the era-defining Chiron family – embodies those values, sublimely connecting such incomparable core attributes with ease and purpose.

With this bespoke work of art, we have retraced the Chiron’s majestic eight-year journey with unforgettable moments that have taken place throughout the world, creating legions of fans for the Chiron, not to mention its countless industry-first breakthroughs and unique world-first achievements. This 500th and final Chiron model is a fitting farewell that captures a defining legacy that will forever be etched in automotive history and paves the way to a bright new chapter, starting with the production of the Bolide and the W16 Mistral and continuing with the unveiling of our new model in June."

Christophe Piochon, President of Bugatti Automobiles

In every gleaming detail of the Chiron Super Sport masterpiece, Bugatti reaffirms its place as the paragon of automotive excellence, completing a circle with the Chiron hyper sports car family that commenced in 2016. The brand is now ready to write a new chapter of unmatched performance, luxury immersed in excellence, and tailored craftsmanship using the finest materials and the most extraordinary savoir-faire.

A local newschannel invited me for an interview (see above), and a Podcast (Goto: open.spotify.com/episode/0s6nAKlVTrvpOuPpkaNqxN).

The interview is about the history of Bugatti, and how I got involved with this. There is so much that I could tell about Bugatti, that I really only touched upon the complete history.

Unfortunately, both the video as well as the Podcast are in DUTCH ONLY.

Bonhams' The Miami Auction, May 4 2024

• 2012 Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport VIN. VF9SK2C27CM795052, Estimate: US$1,600,000 - US$2,000,000, Apparently not sold
• 2019 Bugatti Chiron VIN. VF9SP3V34KM795148, Estimate: US$3,100,000 - US$3,600,000, Apparently not sold

Bring a Trailer Auctions, USA, May 10 / May 17 2024

• 2022 Bugatti Chiron Pur Sport, Chassis: VF9SC3V36NM795040, Sold for $4,100,000
• Bugatti Type 35B Re-Creation by Pur Sang, Chassis: 651PS, Sold for $200,000

Osenat Arts and Cars Auction, Paris, France, April 28, 2024

• Chassis no plate of the fourth Bugatti Type 57 SC Atlantic #57453, 1936, « La Voiture Noire », Estimate 5000 - 10000 EUR, sold for: 15,750 EUR including premium
• Poster of the 31st ACF Grand Prix, By Raymond Savignac (1907-2002), Estimate 7000 - 9000 EUR, sold for: 39,690 EUR including premium

The sale of the chassis plate which once adorned the 4th Atlantic, though removed before the car disappeared, went for a bit more than it's maximum estimate. More or less as expected.

The real surprise at this auction was the poster for the 1937 ACF race. This went for almost four times it's maximum estimate, probably even a record for a poster for a pre-war race?

History of the ACF Grand Prix:
Founded in 1895, the Automobile Club de France (ACF) decided to create the French Grand Prix in 1906. In reality, this Grand Prix is the successor to the Gordon Bennett Cups taking place in Europe between 1900 and 1905 and already partly organized by the ACF. This first Grand-Prix of the Automobile Club de France took place for the first time on a circuit of just over 100 kilometers, near Le Mans, on June 26 and 27, 1906. Invited to cover 1,240 kilometers in two days, this first edition will see Ferenc Szisz crowned on Renault AK after more than 12 hours of racing.

For the 1936 and 1937 editions, the ACF decided to impose the Sport Formula, with a maximum displacement of 4.5 liters and prohibiting the use of a compressor.

Here are the broad outlines of the regulations imposed by the organizing committee of the XXXI ACF Grand Prix – Sports Cars:
-The ACF GP will be run on July 4, 1937 on the Linas Montlhéry road circuit, each lap of which measures 12 kilometers 504 meters and 35 centimeters
-The ACF GP will be over a distance of approximately 500 kilometers, or 40 laps Linas-Montlhéry road circuit
- The first person will be given the sum of 100,000 francs (and in cash please!)

Let's go to Montlhéry on the starting grid of the XXXI ACF Grand-Prix:
Bugatti, Talbot, and Delahaye are all present on the starting line at 2 p.m. The checkered flag waves and the cars take off with a bang. Little suspense then, it was Sommer (on Talbot) who led the race for the first 20 laps, before Louis Chiron (also on Talbot) overtook him and guided the race to the finish. The old fox – an affectionate nickname given to Chiron for his racing intelligence – becomes the first driver in history to win the French Grand Prix three times! Ultimately, there were four Talbots that finished in the first five places, constituting a 100% Talbot podium; the 1937 ACF GP marks a triple victory for Talbot automobiles.

The ACF GP having seen Sommer's Bugatti Type 57G win in 1936, the 1937 poster seems to honor the Thoroughbreds of Molsheim. Savignac represents a stylized Bugatti, reduced to its fundamental constituent elements which are the horseshoe grille, the Bugatti axle, and the wheel of the car; all in a fantastic spirit of speed. The three letters “ACF” associated with the date of the event provide great clarity of the message. So many elements allowing us to consider this poster as a classic in the corpus of the master's work, and more generally of Art-deco posters.

Famous poster artist of the 20th century, Savignac's graphic works are today part of our common imagination. His style is effective and impactful while remaining very simple. If the artist mainly marked the second half of the 20th century - illustrating the exponential development of advertising during the Trente Glorieuses -, he cut his teeth in the 1920s as an autodidact before meeting the master of the Art-deco poster Cassandre in 1933. From then on, we felt an inspiration from the Cassandre style in the works of the young Savignac. Also supported by the illustrator Charles Loupot, the artist joined the Graphic Alliance in 1935. He continued to assert his own style and also became a master of the poster by asserting his signature - now recognizable to all - associated with a touch of humor always as delicate.

The artist signs a brilliant poster from the start of his career before his talent was still recognized by everyone, only his peers have - at this period - already dubbed him. A work which is entirely in line with the definition of the poster established by Savignac himself: “popular and aristocratic”.

For more information: Other results of this auction

Henk Mooi sent me the link to this video of a fantastic race, held 2024 at Goodwood.

Very impressive racing, in which men nor machine were spared! Filmed in a very professional manner also!

She comes ! Before your amazed eyes, this is the first image of the Bugatti hypercar which will soon take over from the Veyron and Chiron.

Nice profile, right? The traditional arc that frames the doors is… no longer really circular, while the rear diffuser appears more imposing than ever. We find the (very) mobile rear wing, the LED curves as taillights, and the plunging snout (on a horseshoe grille that we can still only imagine from this angle).

Mechanically, we only know the essentials: the legendary W16 8 liter quad-turbo gives way to a hybrid V16. We still don't know its characteristics, but we can already announce performances superior to those of the W16, which developed between 1500 and 1600 hp depending on the versions of the Chiron.

It will be interesting to see the effect of this change of direction on the mass of the future Bugatti: electrification is heavy, but the colossal W16 weighed a dead donkey (or even two) with its ten radiators and oversized accessories . The Chiron thus flirted with two tonnes even in its lightest versions. For comparison, not far in the Volkswagen group's organizational chart, a Lamborghini Revuelto weighs 1772 kg with its 1015 hp 6.5 liter atmospheric hybrid V12, housed like the W16 Bugatti in a carbon monocoque.

The metallic brown non camouflaged car is a rendering based on the camouflaged car-photo, found on autoevolution.com

What the car will really look like? It will be presented on June 22. So let's wait... Or, probably there will be another teaser before that!

The star of the exhibition will be one of the surviving Type 35 Bugattis from the Grand Prix d’Europe race held on August 3rd one hundred years ago. On loan from The National Motor Museum, Beaulieu, this very special Bugatti was raced by Ernest Friderich as car number 13 (on the right, chassis #4328) at the time and a detailed history will be presented with the car for the exhibition. It will be on display to the public at the Trust until October 2024 with additional exhibits and curated educational material to document this extraordinary moment in motoring history.

From The Bugatti Trust archive, the exhibition will include the earliest original sketch as drawn by Ettore Bugatti himself when he wrote to racing drivers Vincenc "Čeněk" Junek and his wife Elizabeth "Eliska" presenting his concept of the Type 35 racing Bugatti. Gifted by Elizabeth Junek to The Bugatti Trust founder Hugh G. Conway in 1968, it is the most important document of the ‘origin story’ of this famous model. The archive will also present what is believed to be the first blueprint for the Bugatti Type 35 and the original document will be on display.

www.bugatti-trust.co.uk

nationalmotormuseum.org.uk

We had the opportunity to set up this exposition in the episcopal building of the town and if you ever come you will be astonished by the location.

For the first time in France, Carlo, Rembrandt and Ettore will be displayed in the same place.

Everything on display will have a perfect provenance.

It was during a friendly lunch that Marc Stammegna, Adolphe Monticelli expert, art dealer, enlightened connoisseur of bronzes by Rembrandt Bugatti, and François Melcion, former director of Rétromobile, discuss their shared passion for Bugatti family.

From this meeting emerges the idea of a tribute to the family trilogy. Thanks to his 50 years of experience in the world of classic automobiles, which have led to take charge of the “Rétromobile” show in Paris, François Melcion was able to bring together a large number of emblematic vehicles.

For his part, Marc Stammegna is responsible for the presentation of a large selection of works by Rembrandt Bugatti.

Finally, the fruit of joint work made it possible to bring together remarkable furniture and exceptional pieces of silverwork by Carlo Bugatti.

More info

CARLO BUGATTI (1856 Milan – 1940 Molsheim)
He inherited the gifts of his father Giovanni, who was a renowned sculptor and architect in Italy and Europe. In 1880, he began his career as a cabinetmaker by offering his first work to his sister, on the occasion of her marriage to Segantini, an Italian symbolist painter.

Very quickly, his artistic reputation asserted itself and his furniture adorned the most refined apartments of the European aristocracy. Carlo intends to maintain a deep connection between the organic world of nature and his artistic technique. He uses the most varied materials to mix them into a unique piece of furniture, a true work of art.

His talent and genius are now recognized:
1888: honorary diploma from the Italian exhibition at Earl’s Court in London,
1900: silver medal at the Paris Universal Exhibition.
At the height of his career, in 1902 Carlo obtained the honorary diploma from the 1st international exhibition of modern art in Turin where he exhibited four rooms including the one considered his masterpiece: “the snail room”. This exhibition is the starting point for art nouveau in Italy.
To the Queen of Italy, who describes his creations as “Moorish style”, he responds “you are wrong, Majesty, this style is mine”.

For his goldsmith pieces, he joined forces with the founder Hebrard whose technical genius allowed him to give free rein to his vision.

He settled permanently in France in 1904, in Paris, then in Pierrefonds, where he was Mayor, and finally in Molsheim where he joined his son Ettore and his grandson Jean.

ETTORE BUGATTI (1881 Milan – 1947 Neuilly s/Seine)
Ettore raised the automobile to the rank of Fine Arts, making him a pioneer and Bugatti a myth of the luxury, sports and competition automobile industry.

From a very young age, he designed mechanical parts and at the age of 14, he revealed his passion for mechanics. From his time at the Brera Academy of Fine Arts in Milan, he retained a pronounced taste for aesthetics and simplicity, "the originality of the design is nothing without the perfection of the execution" and from 1898, he manufactured his first motorized tricycle.

In 1899, he manufactured a motorized quadricycle (the Type 1), then in 1900, he manufactured his first automobile, the Type 2, which won the grand prize at the Milan international automobile show. After collaborating with Émile Mathis, then the German manufacturer Deutz, he finally founded his own brand in 1909 in Molsheim, then on German territory.

He will also build aircraft engines, boats and railcars powered by the 12.7 liter engine of the Bugatti Royale. In 1934, these railcars set a speed record of 192 km/h! The path to the TGV is all mapped out!!!

The golden age of the brand was in the 20s and 30s when Jean joined his father in the design office. Together they designed the Types 37, 40, 41, the famous “Royale”, the 43 which reached a speed of 170 km/h, then followed by the Types 44 which met with great commercial success and the 46 known as “little Royale”, the latest model. designed by Ettore. The 55, designed by Jean, will leave its mark with its aesthetic, a timeless mark in the world of automobiles. The following cars were designed by Jean, including the Type 57 and its derivatives.

Bugatti won the 24 hours of Le Mans twice: in 1937 with Robert Benoist and Jean-Pierre Wimille, at the wheel of a Type 57G, then in 1939, with Jean-Pierre Wimille and Pierre Veyron with a Type 57C.

The death of Jean, at the wheel of a racing Bugatti in 1939, began the decline of the brand and Ettore would never recover from this premature death.

During the war, the brand was “confiscated” by the Germans and disappeared despite the last battle of Ettore who succeeded in recovering the Molsheim factory at the liberation, but could never restart the activity due to lack of resources and customers.

In 37 years, the Bugatti brand will have produced nearly 7,500 luxury cars, filed nearly 1,000 patents, won more than 10,000 victories, including 2,000 for the Bugatti 35 alone (an unrivaled success to date) and established 37 records.

REMBRANDT BUGATTI (1884 Milan – 1916 Paris)
In just 15 years, from 1900 to 1915, Rembrandt Bugatti, thanks to his innovative approach coupled with his exceptional genius, opened an impressionist door to the art of sculpture.

Self-taught, from his childhood he spent a lot of time in his father's workshop, immersing himself in techniques while letting his mind open.

At 16, he created a large “group of cows”, and three years later, in 1904, he signed an exclusive contract with Adrien Hebrard.

Exhibitions followed at the Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts, at the Louvre, and at the Salon d'Automne at the Grand Palais where he was placed next to Rodin who admired his work.

In 1904, Hébrard dedicated an exhibition to him in his gallery on rue Royale, which was renewed every year until 1913. Unfortunately, after his suicide in 1916 and as a result of crises and wars, many of his bronzes were melted down in order to recover the metal. He will once again become the most sought-after animal sculptor in the world, from the 1970s, thus proving right.

Rodin when speaking to his students, he evoked Rembrandt Bugatti with these words: “Young people, here is your new master” The animals sculpted by Rembrandt Bugatti are not imaginary but real animal portraits captured by the artist's subtle examination.

His bronzes placed under paintings by Van Dongen, Matisse, Derain and other masters are in full osmosis with the great Fauve artists.

In 1909, when he created the “Grand Anteater” or the “Baboin”, he created works close to Cubism, without even knowing Picasso.

The work of Rembrandt Bugatti is pure talent.
Thanks to his meeting with Adrien Hébrard, founder, magician of patinas and Palazzolo, goldsmith and trimmer, Rembrandt's bronzes are light and alive, with eternal beauty.

• 1934 Bugatti Type 57 Stelvio, Chassis No. 57190, Engine No. 62, Estimate: $400,000 - $500,000
• 1935 Bugatti Type 57 Monoposto, Engine No. 295, Estimate: $280,000 - $390,000
• 1993 Bugatti EB110 SS Prototype, Chassis No. ZA9AB02X0PCD39004, Estimate: $2,400,000 - $2,800,000
• 2021 Bugatti Chiron Sport Noire, Chassis No. VF9SP3V31MM795322, Estimate: $3,300,000 - $3,800,000
• 2023 Bugatti Chiron Super Sport, Chassis No. VF9SW3V35PM795072, Estimate: $3,750,000 - $4,250,000

1934 Bugatti Type 57 Stelvio, Chassis No. 57190, Engine No. 62

• A genuine Stelvio with numbers-matching engine crankcase, gearbox, and frame
• Believed to be one of 25 Type 57 Stelvios assembled in 1934
• Previously part of the Blackhawk Collection and owned by famed collector Bill Jacobs; later part of the Terence E. Adderley Collection
• Accompanied by a history file containing factory documentation copies and a report by Bugatti historian Pierre-Yves Laugier

According to the report on file by Pierre-Yves Laugier, Bugatti chassis number 57190 was ordered on 5 March 1934 by the Bugatti agent J.B. Arnaud for his client, a dentist named Raymond Peretti of Poitiers, France. Unfortunately, the mass of orders for the new Type 57 pushed the expected delivery date back several months, and the fully completed car—featuring Jean Bugatti’s elegant Stelvio coachwork—was not received by Mr. Peretti at the Molsheim factory until July. The report further illustrates the exterior was originally finished in Black and Ivory with a Havana leather interior and light beige hood.

The dentist was most certainly a fan of the marque, as this Type 57 replaced a Type 44 roadster by Gangloff sold the day before the order form was signed. In a letter between him and the factory from the summer of 1937, it is reported that the car suffered from a cracked cylinder block and seized pistons. By this point, the Bugatti had traveled roughly 40,000 kilometers (~24,850 miles), indicating Mr. Peretti’s status as a true driving enthusiast. Importantly, however, the engine’s crank case still bears the stampings displaying the car’s chassis number and correct engine number, 62. Laugier further confirms the Bugatti has retained a large amount of its original components including the gearbox, frame, UUR2 Stromberg carburetor, and bodywork.

During the war, the Bugatti was presumed to have been taken by the Germans. Once peace came, the Type 57 came into the care of André Pigé, a doctor whose exploits during the war are truly impressive: After being an active member of the resistance for some time, Dr. Pigé was arrested in August 1944 by the Germans while attempting to deliver a paratrooper to the free zone in the trunk of his car. He was spared from execution by a remarkable coincidence in which his uncle was educated in the same village as the German Commandant in charge of handling the situation. This uncle convinced the authorities to instead send the doctor to a concentration camp to provide medical care for the prisoners. André Pigé then escaped the camp and returned to freedom. Sadly, Dr. Pigé met an untimely demise as a result of an accident while swimming with friends in 1947, and his family subsequently sold the car.

The Type 57 would remain in France for the following decade until it was sold to Joseph Gest of La Jolla, California in the early 1960s. Under his ownership, the Bugatti received a restoration courtesy of Bunny Phillips, the well-known Bugatti agent of Los Angeles since the 1930s. Over the course of the next 20 years, the car came into the esteemed hands of the Blackhawk Collection and famed collector Bill Jacobs, who had the car restored for a second time in 1985. Just a year later, it was sold to Terence Adderley, who would retain the car for a remarkable period of nearly four decades. Acquired by present ownership in 2023, the car now benefits from a new set of blackwall tires, a subtle change that nevertheless greatly enhances the Stelvio’s athletic stance.

For the collector who appreciates beauty, quality, and performance, the availability of this Stelvio, cherished by its original owner and subsequent caretakers, marks the opportunity to procure one of the finest sporting automobiles of the pre-war period.

1935 Bugatti Type 57 Monoposto, Engine No. 295

• Built in the tradition of the famed Wimille Type 59/50B monoposto, utilizing numerous original parts, including frame, axles, and engine
• Completed and restored by several well-known Bugatti specialists
• Formerly owned by noted Bugatti collectors Jim Hull and Peter Mullin
• A robust vintage racing competitor since the early 1980s

One of the most fabled Bugatti racing cars is the Type 59/50B works monoposto, driven by Jean-Pierre Wimille in the 1939 Prescott Hillclimb and other events in-period with much success. The original car is today part of the renowned Schlumpf collection in Molsheim, thus leaving recreations built in its spirit as the nearest experience available to mere mortals.

The example offered here is one such fine evocation. Its genesis was in an acquisition of parts in Amsterdam by the prolific early Dutch vintage automobile trader Bart Loyens, including the engine number 295 from Type 57 number 57410, and an early Type 57 frame of unknown identity. Loyens sold this collection and additional parts to Ray Jones, known for his involvement in numerous Bugatti projects in this era. Working on behalf of his client Gentry Smith, Jones shortened the frame, mounted hydraulic brakes of the type used on later Type 57s, fitted four carburetors to the engine, and commissioned the Type 59/50B monoposto-style body, which according to the consignor was built by Bob Moser. Original front and rear axles were utilized, along with period deRam-style friction shocks.

Smith sold the incomplete project to F.W. Durand of Solana Beach, California, from whose estate it passed in 1981 to Jim Hull, then in the early stages of longtime Bugatti enthusiasm. Hull completed the Bugatti in time for that year’s Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, and went on to race it several times at Laguna Seca. In the early 1990s it was passed to his longtime collecting partner, the renowned French automobile enthusiast and proprietor of the former Mullin Automotive Museum, Peter Mullin. Mullin largely kept the car in storage at Jim Stranberg’s High Mountain Classics, and eventually sold it to the consignor, who had it completely rebuilt by David North’s North Street Garage in Maryland for further and continued use. According to the consignor, the restoration included a new block machined by High Mountain Classics and assembled by Leydon Restorations, with a Crower two-piece crankshaft, lightweight Carillo rods, Arias forged pistons, and the prior period four-carburetor intake manifold with period Solex carburetors, dyno-tested afterward at 160 horsepower and 190 pound-feet of torque, with the dyno sheets on file. Power is delivered through a pre-war four-speed ZF gearbox with twin-stick overdrive. Further additional information on the build is included in the history file.

Since driven further at Laguna Seca and occasionally exhibited at concours, this remains a robust driver’s Bugatti, with the same thrills that the original once provided the great Wimille.

1993 Bugatti EB110 SS Prototype, Chassis No. ZA9AB02X0PCD39004

• Ultra-rare EB110 Super Sport Prototype; one of seven created
• Participant in Bugatti’s May 1993 speed testing at Nardo Ring where an EB110 achieved 351 km/h to become the world’s fastest production car
• Displayed by Bugatti at the brand’s official presentation in Tokyo; sold new to legendary Japanese racing driver Sokichi Shikiba
• New fuel tanks installed in February 2024
• Factory finishes of Grigio Chiaro Metallic over Black trim

To bring a long-dormant automotive brand back to life is no mean feat; the stakes are even higher when the marque in question is one as hallowed as Bugatti. In the late 1980s, however, Italian entrepreneur Romano Artioli rose to the challenge, and while his dream was relatively short-lived, the vehicles he did bring to fruition can truly be said to have done justice to the legendary nameplate.

The first of a planned range of offerings was the EB110, so named in honor of Ettore Bugatti’s 110th birthday. It would be built on a carbon-fiber chassis manufactured by French aerospace concern Aérospatiale. For power, the EB110 GT received a distinctive 3.5-liter quad-turbocharged V-12 paired with a six-speed manual transmission.

Looking to further increase performance, Bugatti announced the EB110 Super Sport at the Geneva Salon in 1992, six months after the launch of the EB110 GT. Through a series of weight-saving and performance enhancements, Bugatti was able to reduce weight by more than 330 pounds while bumping output to a reported 603 horsepower. Its 0–60 sprint is said to have taken just 3.2 seconds, and its stated top speed was 221 mph. Even today, these are jaw-dropping figures.

As with any modern supercar, the EB110, and particularly the Super Sport variant, evolved through a careful series of prototypes, including the important example offered for sale here. Whereas the first EB110 SS prototype presented at the 1992 Geneva Salon was an extensively modified GT model, chassis 39004, but perhaps best known as S4, was the first EB110 specifically built as a Super Sport. Following completion, S4 was quickly pressed into service both as a brand promotional tool, and for perfecting the EB110 design. On 3 April 1993, Bugatti displayed S4, along with three EB110 GTs and the EB112 concept, at its official brand presentation at the Ark Hills Complex in Tokyo. The resulting intense media coverage made the presentation a smash success and helped cement the brand’s presence in the country. S4 specifically caused a media sensation and was subsequently featured in the Summer 1993 edition of Super CG magazine.

Following its Japanese tour, Bugatti sent S4 to Italy’s famed Nardo Ring, where the firm was working to confirm the EB110’s place as the world’s fastest production car. As documented in an accompanying report by B Engineering’s Federico Trombi, Bugatti’s Chief of Homologation in period, and Gianni Sighinolfi, a fellow period Bugatti employee, S4 was present 29 May 1993 when an EB110 achieved 351 km/h and asserted itself as the fastest car on the planet. Upon completion of their speed testing and recognizing the potential for continued brand expansion in Japan, Bugatti arranged for S4’s sale to legendary Japanese racing driver Sokichi Shikiba. Winner of the 1964 Japanese Grand Prix, by the 1990s Shikiba had become a racing accessories magnate who held a revered status in the Japanese supercar community, thus making him an ideal ambassador for Bugatti within the island nation.

Shikiba retained S4 for the remainder of his life, routinely appearing with it at Japan Bugatti Club gatherings in Tokyo, and fastidiously maintaining the car until his death in 2016. Following its sale, S4 moved to Australia where an extensive detailing, including removal and cleaning of all body panels, was carried out in 2019 by City Auto Group of Geelong, Victoria. The consignor has continued S4’s life of meticulous care with accompanying invoices documenting a clutch and brake service in 2022 and the installation of new fuel tanks in February 2024 at a cost of over $20,000.

More info

And we have only just begun.

So, on our next trip we will be visiting Southern Jutland, the beautiful borderland that is almost an inseparable part of Denmark’s history and self-understanding; and a part of the country at the same time so very distinctive.

With some 450 km routes during the meeting, reaching from Jutland’s east coast to the west coast, we will experi ence and enjoy all that which characterizes South Jutland: the landscape, the architecture, the culture, the crafts manship, the language, the food - and the people.

The deadline for inscription has been extended to mid April.

Invitation - more details

Entry Form

As always around the 2nd weekend in September, the famous - open for all public - Festival in the birthplace of the Bugatti Automobiles, Molsheim.

Following the resounding success of our previous conferences—held at the Musée National de l’Automobile in Mulhouse (2017), the Louwman Museum in Den Haag (2019), and Mauto in Torino (2022)—this year’s event at Autostadt, an automotive theme park of the Volkswagen Group, is set to be our best yet. Autostadt boasts the Zeithaus museum, showcasing 280 historic cars, seven brand-specific pavilions, a VW Touareg test track, cinemas, restaurants, and the iconic glass towers. With over two million visitors annually, it is the perfect venue to immerse yourself in automotive history.

I (Jaap Horst) will hold a speech on the use of patent databases for research on specific automobile marques and technological developments. Abstract:

Invitation - more details

• 1926 Bugatti Type 35 Grand Prix Two-Seater Chassis no. 4755 Engine no. 77A, Estimate: €1,200,000 - €1,400,000
  Single family ownership for over 60 years

• 1929 Bugatti Type 37 Grand Prix Two-Seater, Chassis no. 37383, Engine no. 286
  Previous highlight of 2023 Zoute Auction, Sold for €1,150,000 inc. premium

More info