Beskrivning
For sale in our forthcoming auction during Le Mans Classic, on 30 June 2023:
Dutch title
Chassis n° VF9SA15B96M795097
- First major milestone in Bugatti's revival
- Staggering performance
- 8, 412 km from new
- Recent factory service, known history and records
The Bugatti Veyron was born from the ambitions of Ferdinand Piëch when he was in charge of the VAG group. Following the Bugatti takeover in 1998, the Veyron was presented at the Paris Motor Show in 2000, with Piëch announcing that it " would be the fastest production car in the world, with a 1 000 bhp engine and a top speed of 400 km/ h ". It took five years for the engineers at VAG to achieve this extremely ambitious goal, and the first examples of this prestigious machine were finally delivered in April 2005. To obtain such an extraordinary performance, Bugatti developed an 8-litre W16 engine built using two narrow-angle V8 engines. It was fitted with four turbochargers, and required four radiators, four fans and 55 litres of coolant to maintain the correct temperature, and avoid problems if caught in traffic on a summer's day.
The transmission featured a sequential gearbox, designed to manage the power, and four-wheel drive. Even the tyres were developed specially by Michelin, to cope with speeds of up to 440 km/ h, and with a run-flat feature. The carbon-ceramic brake system had eight titanium pistons at the front and six at the back. The car was constructed with a central carbon fibre tub attached to front and rear aluminium and steel cradles, with aluminium body panels. The aerodynamics resulted from extensive development work, with ground clearance decreasing and a rear spoiler activated above a certain speed. The " launch control " function optimized acceleration from a standing start. And the car's ability to accelerate was spectacular. It could go from 0 to 100 km/ h in 2. 5 seconds, and reached 200 km/ h in 7. 3 seconds. This was an exceptional car in every respect and when it was launched there was no other car like it on the market. After the initial Chiron prototype created by Giugiaro, the task of designing the Veyron was given to Helmut Warkuss, the chief designer at Volkswagen. The car's styling drew on traditional elements of the marque from Molsheim, such as the horseshoe radiator and cut-out side air intakes.
This Bugatti Veyron is one of 81 examples that left Molsheim's factories in 2007, with a total of only 252 units produced for this model.
Its first owner, a Belgian enthusiast, registered it on the 25th April 2007 and a plate affixed inside the car shows that this is the 3rd Veyron produced for Belgium. Its breathtaking design is highlighted by a colour combination that skilfully blends metallic bluish black and metallic blue. As for the interior, it offers an astonishing luxury, with its optional sports seats in black and grey quilted leather, its aluminium-framed speedometers with the rev counter in the centre, the speedometer graduated up to 420 km/ h and the performance counter peaking at 1, 001 hp! The central console recaptures the appearance of corked aluminium in tribute to the Bugatti Grand Prix dashboards of the 1920s; It's also worth mentioning the "EB" initials on the three-spoke steering wheel hub or on the bucket seats. Registered in 2019 in the Netherlands and totalling 8, 412 km during our inspection, the car had a service at Bugatti in November 2022 when the mileage was at 8, 382 km. The invoice of almost €29, 000 will be given to the buyer.
Cornerstone of the Bugatti brand revival, the Veyron is one of the most extravagant automobile creations of the early 21st century. In exceptional condition, with a colour combination of great elegance and very low mileage, this example is a real work of art and is ready to hit the road.
Photos © Luuk van Kaathoven
Auction estimate: €1 250 000 / €1 500 000
