2006 Bugatti 16.4 on 2040-cars

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Bugatti 100P airplane reconstructed, will fly again after public debut

Bugatti has been building some of the fastest vehicles in the world since 1909, but its brief history with airplane racing is less well known to many fans. It started in the '30s when founder Ettore Bugatti believed he could build a plane to win the Deutsch de la Merthe Cup Race. He worked on a design called the 100P that never flew. At least, it never flew until a group of Bugatti fanatics called Le Reve Blue decided to build an exact replica of the plane at the Mullin Automotive Museum's Art of Bugatti exhibition. The plane will make its public debut on March 25 in Oxnard, California.
The 100P was on the cutting edge for 1930s aircraft. It used two Bugatti-built 4.9-liter, straight-eight engines with 450 horsepower each to power two counter-rotating props mounted in tandem at the front of the plane. It boasts an estimated top speed of around 500 miles per hour. Other amazing features for the time included the V-shaped tail, forward-pitched wings and a zero-drag cooling system.
Le Reve Blue took on the project in 2009 to create a replica using the same materials and production processes as the original. The group decided to unveil the finished project at the Mullin because of the museum's commitment to Art Deco and machine-age design. It plans to actually fly the plane at some point in the future as well.

1937 Bugatti 57SC sells for record $9.7 million at Amelia

See this car right here? It may very well be the most valuable Bugatti ever sold at auction. Any 57 would stand among the most sought-after Bugattis among collectors. But this particular 1937 Bugatti 57SC Sports Tourer features unique bodywork from British coachbuilder Vanden Plas. That may make it look more like a Jaguar or Morgan than a Bugatti, but that signature grille tells you otherwise. Chassis number 57541 was showcased at the London Motor Show and featured in some of the company's own literature, then went on to race before and after the War on our side of the Atlantic. In superlative condition, the Vanden Plas Bugatti was valued at $11-13 million heading into the Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance where it was auctioned off by Bonhams this weekend. It didn't quite get there, but at $9,735,000, the auctioneer lauds this as "the most valuable Bugatti ever sold at auction and the most valuable car ever sold at Amelia Island." That may not actually be accurate, though. Sports Car Market logs a '31 Royale that Christie's apparently sold for slightly more at $9.8 million way back in 1987, and Gooding & Company sold a '61 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider for $17 million over the same weekend. One way or another, it's a lot of money, and a beautiful car that one very fortunate owner will be taking home with him (or her) from Florida this week. Check it out in the extensive image gallery above and the video clip below. Show full PR text BONHAMS' SECOND ANNUAL AMELIA ISLAND AUCTION A SMASHING SUCCESS – WORLD RECORDS MADE, SALES NEARLY DOUBLED OVER LAST YEAR, AND THE BUGATTI 57SC BECOMES THE MOST VALUABLE BUGATTI EVER SOLD AT AUCTION For immediate release – 11 March 2016 – Amelia Island, Florida – Held Thursday, March 10th at the spacious and conveniently accessible Fernandina Beach Golf Club, Bonhams' second annual Amelia Island auction was a resounding success with nearly $27.5-million achieved. With an impressively diverse and curated selection of 95 automobiles ranging from 19th century motor carriages to 21st century supercars, the handpicked assembly offered something for every taste and interest. Leading the sale was the singular 1937 Bugatti 57SC Sports Tourer by Vanden Plas. Armed with a generous amount of international buzz from the preceding weeks, this very special pre-war car had the auction tent packed to capacity with bidders and spectators. With a starting bid of $6-million, the bidding quickly rose to $8-million.

Check out the diverse ways Bugatti Divo customers are configuring their car

The limited-edition Bugatti Divo introduced in 2018 recently entered production after a development process that took two years. It made its debut in black with blue accents, and we've never seen it in another color — until now. Bugatti released computer-generated images of four Divo configurations commissioned by customers to illustrate the wide range of possibilities. One is painted in a shade of yellow inspired by the Type 55. Company founder Ettore Bugatti would love it; yellow was his favorite color, according to the firm. Another celebrates Bugatti's French roots with blue, white, and red accents inside and out, while a third wears a two-tone livery that highlights the Divo's meticulous design details as well as a contrasting blue exterior. Our favorite from the lot is a gray and blue car an anonymous customer chose because it's similar to the Chiron that's already part of his collection. These examples confirm there's no standard or right way to configure a Divo. Bugatti wants its loyal customers to view the car as a blank slate, and it noted over two-thirds of reservation holders decided to customize their car. Laure Beneteau, the carmaker's sales and operations manager, explained the sky is the limit when it comes to paint colors, upholstery types, and stitching patterns. She joined Bugatti in 2006 and has helped over 400 Veyron and 300 Chiron buyers configure their cars, so repeat customers trust (and value) her opinion. She's not about to see new faces, though; every collector who bought a Divo has at least one Chiron in his or her collection. Clients have the option of traveling to the company's picturesque headquarters in France and working with stylists to create a unique car. "Customers often have their own ideas, such as family crests, national flags, their own logos, or special color schemes. We then try to implement the ideas in technical terms. Some customers choose leather and color to match their handbag or their favorite pair of shoes," said Anne Beynat, Bugatti's sales coordinator. She added changes that would compromise the car's safety or alter the Bugatti logo are off-limits. Inside, customers can choose from many different types of leather. It can be new, vintage, thin, thick, perforated, or something else entirely.