Bugatti's La Voiture Noire One-Off Hyper Tourer Is Ready For Delivery
Two years after debuting at Pebble Beach, the Bugatti La Voiture Noire is ready for delivery. La Voiture Noire (or The Black Car) is a hyper-exclusive one-off rendition of the Chiron supercar. Still, it has the DNA of Bugatti's legendary Type 57 SC Atlantic manufactured between 1936 and 1938.
"With the completed La Voiture Noire, we are demonstrating once again that we develop the world's most sophisticated hyper sports cars," said Stephan Winkelmann, President of Bugatti. "It's a veritable grand tourer that went from being a vision to a reality – a unique project which stands for Bugatti's full creativity and artistry."
The Bugatti La Voiture Noire made its first appearance in 2019, but the idea of creating a one-off homage to the Type 57 SC Atlantic came to mind more than 20 years ago. "We were rather in awe of the idea of developing the La Voiture Noire," said Achim Anscheidt, Bugatti Design Director. "No other vehicle in the long history of Bugatti has acquired the same legendary status as the Type 57 SC Atlantic and has become so synonymous with the brand."
The iconic Bugatti Type 57 SC Atlantic drew its name from French aviator Jean Mermoz, a close friend of Jean Bugatti, son of company founder Ettore Bugatti. Mermoz is an aviation pioneer and is the first to cross the South Atlantic by air. Bugatti only made four examples of the Type 57 SC Atlantic between 1936 and 1938. Back then, it was known as the world's fastest car.
Jean Bugatti used one of the four Atlantics as an everyday driver, affectionately calling it La Voiture Noire or The Black Car. But during the aftermath of WWII, one of the four Atlantics went missing and remains so to this day. If found, experts say it could fetch upwards of $100-million, possibly making it the world's most expensive barn find.
The mystery surrounding the missing Type 57 SC Atlantic is why Bugatti has only made one La Voiture Noire for a fortunate (and ultra-wealthy) customer, the identity of which remains unknown as of press time. Rumored to cost between $18.7-million to $19-million, La Voiture Noire became known as the world's most expensive production car until the coachbuilt Rolls-Royce Boat Tail took the crown with its eye-watering $28-million price tag.
The Bugatti La Voiture Noire is riding on an extended wheelbase wrapped in a visible carbon-fiber body known as "Black Carbon Glossy." Unlike paint, the finish has no reflection yet offers much visual drama. Inside, it has Havana Brown grain leather upholstery and aluminum trim like the original Type 57 SC Atlantic. The Rolls-Royce Boat Tail may be more expensive, but none are more exclusive than Bugatti's one-off La Voiture Noire.