2015 Salon Rétromobile: Bugatti celebrates all eras of its hundred years of history

The French sports car manufacturer is a brand committed to tradition whilst simultaneously writing its present- day success story. Both a classic car from the past and one from today form the presentation at Bugatti’s stand: a Type 50 roadster from 1931 and a Bugatti Veyron 16.4 L’Edition Centenaire from 2009. “As one of the most prestigious vintage exhibitions worldwide, the Rétromobile is an unmissable event for Bugatti,” says Dr Stefan Brungs, Member of the Board of Bugatti Automobiles S.A.S. for Sales, Marketing and Customer Service. “We use this show to bring together our ‘family’, whose members are the collectors of classic Bugattis, the owners of the sports cars from the nineties and the Veyron owners of the modern era. The Rétromobile is an outstanding opportunity to present the brand’s expertise through vehicles from all eras of its history.”

In the past year, Bugatti launched its programme “Bugatti Certified” for the Veyron fleet in order to be able to provide care for the brand’s latest model. By receiving a “Bugatti Certified” seal, the owner of a Veyron is provided with the assurance that their vehicle meets the highest technical and aesthetic standards over the long term.

“In this way, we are contributing to the appreciation in value of the vehicles,” emphasises Brungs. “A Bugatti incorporates the ‘Non plus Ultra’ in car manufacturing and is often purchased as a collector’s item. To honour the trust placed in us and to ensure the lasting value of this automotive icon is our highest priority.”

Bugatti presents automotive jewels A highlight of this year’s Bugatti presentation is the Type 50. The vehicle on display bears the chassis number 50139 and originates from the year 1931. The elegant bodywork of the roadster was designed by the Parisian couturier Paul Née. The 4.9 litre supercharged sports car constitutes one of the most important models in the history of Bugatti. The design of this vehicle shows the strong influence of Jean Bugatti, son of company founder Ettore Bugatti who, from the late twenties, increasingly pushed forward his own ideas for development of the company in Alsatian Molsheim. The Type 50 was brought onto the market to supplement the existing touring car series. The chassis, cooler and gearbox were identical to those of the Type 46. The engine, however, was a completely new design. Two overhead camshafts and two sloping vents were used for the first time. The engine had a crankshaft with nine sleeve bearings and boasted an impressively higher performance of 225 PS at 4,000 rpm at the same displacement, due to improved thermal conditions in the combustion chamber. In total, only 65 units of the Type 50 and Type 50T, the sports version, were produced.

The more recent brand history is represented at the Rétromobile by a special Bugatti Veyron 16.4 – the Veyron Bleu Centenaire. The vehicle is one of four special Veyron models that Bugatti presented in celebration of its 100 year anniversary in 2009 at the Villa d’Este Concorso d’Eleganza. With this special Centenaire Edition, Bugatti paid homage to racing of the twenties and thirties and the marque’s great success during these years, which has significantly contributed towards the popularity of Bugatti and decisively shaped the brand legend. The four models were, in a manner bound entirely to tradition, painted in the typical colours of the countries active in motor sports at the time: blue for France, red for Italy, green for England and white for Germany. The Veyron Bleu Centenaire is being presented to the public again for the first time in five years. Bugatti’s special editions in particular are highly regarded by car collectors. With the launch of the Veyron 16.4 in 2005 a new era began for the Bugatti brand. The development of this sports car represented one of the greatest technical challenges in the automotive sector. The Veyron has been setting standards to this day: it is the most powerful and fastest production car in the world, yet can be used every day for comfortable and luxurious travel.

The Rétromobile takes place from 4 to 8 February 2015 at the Paris Expo Porte de Versailles exhibition site. The Bugatti stand is located in Pavillon 1.