Bugatti, “La Voiture Noire”
Mirror, mirror, on the wall, what is the world’s most exquisite car ? Faced by this sacrosanct question, Bugatti’s “Black Car” has all its chances. It is to the garage what the “little black dress” is to the wardrobe : a timeless, refined and universal icon.
When creativity borders on art, one of the world’s most exclusive cars inevitably takes centre-stage. With more than a nod-and-a-wink to the Bugatti Type 57 SC Atlantic, “La Voiture Noire” pairs performance with “haute couture” for automobiles. Ultra-sporty, with the purest sense of detail, starting with a windshield rather like a visor in a helmet. The model’s aesthetic signature, the elongated front complements an elegant waistline, while the central spoiler echoes the spinal seam of the Atlantic, as sharp as a razor back in the day. The six exhaust pipes convey the amazing power of the 16-cylinder engine. 1,500 hp throb beneath the hood. Inside, as refined as one could wish, leather teams up with wood and aluminium.
Only four Atlantics were produced. Three were sold ; Jean Bugatti kept the one in black for himself, a car which has never since been found. In 1936, British banker Victor Rothschild set his eye on a model without a compressor, in greyish blue. Fashion designer Ralph Lauren owned the last Atlantic, made in 1938.
Two models of “La Voiture Noire” have been built, two creations destined for the Happy Few capable of paying a price indicated as being beyond 16 million euros.
