Bugatti started life as a car manufacturer in 1909 in Molsheim, Alsace, in Germany. The first car to be produced was the Type 13, but many more would follow and as Bugatti refined his production techniques, the cars became faster.
In 1918, Alsace reverted to being a French region which seemed to suit the French-speaking Italian car designer. Ettore Bugatti started creating racing cars and from 1920 to 1930 won thousands of race events.
Today Bugatti is known for making high-speed and high-end vehicles, often in limited supply. Bugatti may not have made the world’s most valuable car yet, but their vehicles are not for the faint-hearted.
A rare Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Rudolf Uhlenhaut coupe sold at auction for $143 million this year. Perhaps one day the even rarer Bugatti La Voiture Noire will beat that record.
What is special about the Bugatti La Voiture Noire?
Jean Bugatti, the son of Ettore, had a big hand in the design of the Type 57 series of passenger cars in the 1930s. From this came the almost mythical Type 57SC Atlantic. This car has been described as the first supercar and drew much attention at its launch at the Paris Motor Show in 1935.
However, despite its striking appearance and its high production values, only four cars were ever made. And one of these is missing. The Bugatti La Voiture Noire is based on the Type 57SC Atlantic and is in a way a homage to the first supercar, but even more exclusive.
Exclusivity certainly helps a car to be somewhat special, but there is much more to this than just being a limited edition.
How many Bugatti La Voiture Noires are in production?
So exclusive is the Bugatti La Voiture that while you may find fascinating details about it on cardealerreviews.org you are highly unlikely to see one for sale there or on any other website. That is because there is only one in the world, and the owner is believed by many to be Christiano Ronaldo.
For the disappointed Bugatti lovers out there, there is the consolation of a limited range of silver sculptures of the La Voiture Noire which each come with an NFT. These are selling for up to $35,000 but one gold version sold for over $450,000 recently.
Apart from there being only one Bugatti La Voiture Noire in the world, there are a few other things that make this car special including the speed, and the price tag.
How fast is the Bugatti La Voiture Noire?
You may have expected the La Voiture Noire (The Black Car) to be extremely fast being a Bugatti. You won’t be disappointed.
The Bugatti La Voiture Noire is deemed to be the fifth fastest production car in the world. It has a proven top speed of 260mph, so it is comparable with the other fastest cars in the world right now.
Bugatti is no stranger to making fast cars though, and indeed the company has had a proud history of making sports racing cars as well as the superfast road models they make today.
Only 3 years ago, Bugatti grabbed the title of the quickest production car in the world. The Hennessey Venom F5 had a claimed record of 301 mph but the Bugatti Chiron managed a recorded 304mph on a test track in Germany.
Yet, at the moment, the Guinness Book of Records lists the world’s fastest production vehicle as being the Bugatti Veyron. This record is now under review due to the SSC Tuatara reaching a speed of 316mph in Nevada.
Whoever holds the record, one thing is certain, Bugatti makes fast cars and the La Voiture Noire is one of the fastest. Incidentally, the Veyron is the most attainable of all the Bugatti production vehicles at just $1.9 million.
What is the price tag for the Bugatti La Voiture Noire?
Of course, a one-off Bugatti that makes the top five fastest production cars ever is going to have a hefty price tag. Where does the fifth fastest production car on the planet rank as far as the most expensive cars in the world go?
Well, the original price tag was said to be in the region of $13 to $14 million. However, most reports put the sale much higher. If those reports are true, The Black Car sold for $18.68 million. This makes it the most expensive production car in the world.
What does that get you exactly? A quad-turbo W-16 engine that can do 0-100mph in 2.5 seconds for a start, as well as 1500 horsepower.
Summary
The Bugatti La Voiture Noire is certainly a dream car, and the closest that most people will ever come to it is literally in a dream. All Bugattis are something special but this might be the ultimate modern car they have made.
It is a one-off, the most expensive production car in the world, and the fifth fastest. Bugatti has announced they will follow this by releasing super-limited edition cars each year, so it will be interesting to see what comes along next and if it can top the La Voiture Noire.