Bugatti Anniversary Tour – Road trip between the past and present

Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Vitesse world record car

In 2013, Bugatti set a sensational record with the Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Vitesse: thanks to its 8.0-litre, 16-cylinder engine generating 1,200 PS and a top speed of 408.84 km/h, the Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Vitesse became the world’s fastest street-legal roadster. Alongside its exceptional technology, the car also sports an impressive design, when the roof is closed, the roadster looks similar to the coupé. From a total of 150 roadster models produced in Molsheim, France, 92 of them were a Vitesse at prices from 1.69 million euros before tax. The World Record Car (WRC) edition of the Vitesse was limited to eight vehicles, priced at 1.99 million euros (excl. taxes) and was immediately sold out. The actual car which broke the world record was on the tour.

The Chiron² superseded the Veyron in 2016. The Chiron Sport was launched by Bugatti in 2018 as a re-interpretation of the Chiron. Lightweight components reduce the weight by 18 kilograms, creating a more sophisticated chassis for improved handling and greater agility in bends. Even higher cornering speeds are also achieved with the Dynamic Torque Vectoring function. The car continues to be powered by the legendary 8.0-litre W16 engine with 1,500 PS. The net unit price is 2.65 million euros.

Fabbrica Blu in Campogalliano

The opening of Fabbrica Blu in Campogalliano near Modena in 1990 marked a new start for the Bugatti brand. After over 30 years, the Italian entrepreneur Romano Artioli resurrected the brand with the EB110. It also coincided with the 109^th birthday. The location was truly impressive with its inimitable production site and with state-of-the-art technology and a modern and avant-garde design. The car factory, at that time the most modern in the world, was built on a site covering 240,000 square metres. To this day, the blue building of the development department continues to symbolise the beating heart of the factory. On the 13^th of September 2020, Bugatti fans celebrated this special anniversary on site in Campogalliano together with a special guest, Romano Artioli. The occasion also served as the starting point for the Anniversary Tour.

In the following years, Bugatti made history with the EB110. The super sports car broke several world records and became the world’s fastest series production car. Bugatti also dedicated the Centodieci³, Italian for 110, to the EB110 in 2019. Limited to just ten cars, this re-interpretation took its design cues from the super sports cars of the 1990s – and was immediately sold out. The car will soon be manufactured in Molsheim, home of Bugatti for 111 years and the final destination of the tour.

After the celebrations, the Anniversary Tour continued through Italy, Austria and Germany and ended in France, providing the drivers with almost 1,000 km of pure driving pleasure and unforgettable memories. From Campogalliano, the tour went via Verona to Bolzano and from there over the Alps to Innsbruck. The drivers in the roadster and coupé reached the Austrian town of Imst after the end of the first stage of the tour. They set off the next day via St. Anton am Arlberg towards the towns of Bregenz and Friedrichshafen at Lake Constance. The journey continued to Singen, Donaueschingen in the direction of Offenburg. Shortly after Offenburg, the convoy crossed the border to France, the home country of Bugatti. From here, it wasn't far to the Château St. Jean in Molsheim, Alsace. A very special place for Bugatti.

Atelier in Molsheim

The town of Molsheim lies approximately 25 kilometres south-west of the city of Strasbourg. Ettore Bugatti moved here and founded his company in 1909. The exceptional cars were produced in France until 1956, apart from a short interruption. After the relocation to the Italian town of Campogalliano and the company’s bankruptcy, the Volkswagen Group bought the trademark rights in 1998, purchased the former sites of Bugatti and renovated the Château St. Jean as well as two ancillary buildings.

The opening of the Atelier and the restoration of the Château St. Jean in 2005 marked a new era for Bugatti in Molsheim – the era of the modern-day hyper sports car. The Veyron 16.4 helped Bugatti take high-end car production to a new dimension in terms of technology, design, quality and luxury. The 16-cylinder engine with four turbochargers initially delivered 1,001 PS and accelerated the car to speeds over 400 km/h - a world record for series production cars.

The newly designed and futuristic Atelier has served as a car manufactory since 2005, first for the Veyron 16.4 and its derivatives and, since 2016, for the Chiron. In this architecturally impressive building, models such as the Chiron Sport, Divoand soon the Chiron Pur Sport, Centodieci and the Chiron Super Sport 300+⁴ are built by hand. The awe-inspiring Château and the Remises represent the long tradition of the brand, while the Atelier stands for the technology of today and the future. An ideal combination and an ideal destination after a memorable road trip dedicated to the French luxury brand.