Grande Fête – 110th anniversary of Bugatti is celebrated in Molsheim

HISTORIC AND CURRENT MODELS AS WELL AS TWO PREMIERES IN MOLSHEIM

Molsheim, 9 September 2019. What a sight. More than 40 historic Bugatti models from different eras standing in front of the Château in Molsheim, at the heart of Alsace, France. This is where Ettore Bugatti founded his famous company 110 years ago. At the Grande Fête – the major anniversary celebration at the weekend – modern-day Bugatti hyper sports cars are parked casually in between their predecessors: Chiron1, Divo2, La Voiture Noire2, Centodieci2 and a new model. The famous Schlumpf Collection of the Cité de l’Automobile – the largest Bugatti collection in the world – along with several private lenders are exhibiting a number of rare classics on the factory premises, including a Type 30 Torpedo, a Type 40 Roadster, a Type 46 Surprofilé, a Type 57 Galibier, a Type 57 S Corsica and the famous Type 35 racing car.

“It is fascinating to see these magnificent Bugatti vehicles on show here. My sincere thanks go to those Bugatti enthusiasts and staff who made this outstanding event possible to mark the 110th anniversary of Bugatti,” says Stephan Winkelmann, President of Bugatti. “Even 110 years on, Bugatti remains a vibrant brand. We’re consistently able to demonstrate that we build the most sophisticated, luxurious and aesthetically appealing hyper sports cars in the world.” The Grande Fête is regarded as the crowning finale of the Grand Tour, a rally that takes in the most important stages in the life of Ettore Bugatti – from Milan via Monaco, Aix-en-Provence, Beaune and Paris to Molsheim in Alsace.

NUMEROUS RECORD-BREAKING BUGATTI VEHICLES ASSEMBLED

One focus of the festive exhibition in the park around the Château as well as the North Remise and the South Remise is therefore Bugatti’s world record vehicles. In addition to the historic Bugatti Type 35 – the most successful racing car of all time – there are several EB110 to be seen, such as the record car EB 110 SS Ice Speed Record, the record-breaking Veyron Super Sport of 2010 and the Veyron Vitesse WRC. In 2013, the Roadster set a new world speed record for open-top series-production sports cars with a speed of 408.84 km/h.

Just a few weeks ago, a pre-series version of the new Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 300+2 was the first hyper sports car to break the magical 300-mile-per-hour barrier (482.80 km/h). Bugatti has thus set a new TÜV-certified speed record of 304.773 mph (490.484 km/h). “Bugatti has once again demonstrated what our employees in the various departments are capable of. The name of Bugatti will go down in the history books as the first brand to pass the 300-mile-per- hour mark,” says Stephan Winkelmann.

A NEW INTERPRETATION OF TRADITIONAL COACHBUILDING

The second focus is on coachbuilding vehicles. The English word “coach” refers to a carriage or a car, and coachbuilding is equivalent to haute couture in the fashion sector: it is about creating unique specimens – custom-tailored cars to suit individual tastes. At the Grande Fête in Molsheim, the special small-series models Divo, La Voiture Noire, Centodieci and the Chiron Super Sport 300+ are to be seen on the grounds for the first time, as are some outstanding prototypes from Bugatti’s long history such as an EB110, the two Veyron pre-series vehicles 5.0 and Veyron 5.5, the concept studies Veyron 18.4, Chiron 18.3 and the Vision GT – a racing car concept based on the Chiron.

The new Chiron Super Sport 300+ is a special edition limited to 30 units. It is visually based on the record-breaking car. With an output of 1,176 kW/1,600 PS, the edition model Super Sport 300+ will be delivered to customers in mid-2021 at a net unit price of 3.5 million euros.

EUROPEAN PREMIERE OF THE CENTODIECI

At the same time, the Centodieci celebrates its European premiere in Molsheim, France. This special edition is a tribute to the Bugatti EB110, the super sports car of the 1990s. The EB110 was the new model that catapulted Bugatti to the top of the automotive world once again after 1956. It is appears alongside a number of historic EB110 cars such as the last official Bugatti factory racing cars. With the 670 PS EB110, Bugatti took part in the American IMSA series including the 24-hour race of Daytona, and also the legendary 24-hour race of Le Mans.

While customers and journalists can take their time to view these fine Bugatti treasures of the past and present on the Saturday, the Sunday is reserved for all Bugatti employees and visitors. For safety reasons, however, only 700 tickets can be sold to the public. “We are delighted that Bugatti has met with such great interest among enthusiasts as well as neighbours. We would like to welcome even more visitors to our site in Molsheim, but unfortunately the safety regulations do not allow it,” says Bugatti President Stephan Winkelmann.

But the Bugatti brand is also due to be celebrated a few kilometres down the road this weekend. Parallel to the Grand Fête, the Enthousiastes Bugatti Alsace (EBA) will hold be holding its major annual meeting at Jesuit Parc in Molsheim on Sunday. “Alsace celebrated Bugatti this week. Ettore would have been proud of this diversity,” says Stephan Winkelmann. Also on the scene: Bugatti vehicles from different eras parked close together. An unusual and very attractive sight. Perfect for the 110th Bugatti brand anniversary in Alsace.