French Cars
in addition to Ettore Bugatti
Except otherwise stated, all results include the premium.
See also : Cars 1910s Cars 1920s Cars 1930s Cars 1936-37 Cars 1938-39 Cars 1970s 1980s Hypercars
Chronology : 1924 1937 2020 to now
Except otherwise stated, all results include the premium.
See also : Cars 1910s Cars 1920s Cars 1930s Cars 1936-37 Cars 1938-39 Cars 1970s 1980s Hypercars
Chronology : 1924 1937 2020 to now
Ettore Bugatti
See dedicated page :
1914 Peugeot L45
2017 SOLD for $ 7.3M by Bonhams
The quarrel had been lasting in the Peugeot family between supporters and opponents of the automotive industry to the point that the activity had been split into two independent companies. After the death of Eugène, his sons are finally interested in the automobile and create the brand Lion-Peugeot. Even after the merger of the two companies in 1910, some reluctance persists. The Peugeot racing team receives internally the derogatory nickname of Charlatans.
After a first experience in engine design for the navy, the young engineer Ernest Henry was hired by Peugeot in 1911. He joined the Charlatans team where he listened to the innovative ideas of the pilots.
Henry conceived a synthesis of two techniques : the double overhead camshaft and the four valves per cylinder. At that time the organizers of the competitions were managing to limit the volumes. The Peugeot cars equipped with the engine designed by Henry are the L76 (7.6 liters) and the L3 (3 liters) in 1912, the L56 (5.6 liters) in 1913 and the L45 (4.5 liters) in 1914. In a ultimate challenge to the traditionalists of the company this L is for Lion.
Thanks to these innovations, the Peugeots of the Charlatans have a lighter chassis and a better handling. They begin to dominate the ACF competitions in France and then the 500 miles of Indianapolis.
The Peugeot-Henry engine is so far ahead of its competitors that the organizers of Indianapolis, fearing that the war in Europe reduces the appeal of their event, commission an American manufacturer to build replicas. Through that following Peugeot is the precursor of all modern car engines.
Two of these Peugeot cars survive. On November 11, 2017, Bonhams sold an L45 in an authenticity which is pitstanding for a car of that time. Its chassis and engine are number 1 and the bodywork is original. Thanks to a progress in the technology of the tires it was timed at 165 km/h in 1949, an unprecedented speed for a car manufactured before the First World War.
This L45 was sold for $ 7.3M from a lower estimate of $ 3M, lot 408. It was filmed in operation by a spectator at the 2011 Goodwood Festival of Speed. This video is shared on YouTube.
After a first experience in engine design for the navy, the young engineer Ernest Henry was hired by Peugeot in 1911. He joined the Charlatans team where he listened to the innovative ideas of the pilots.
Henry conceived a synthesis of two techniques : the double overhead camshaft and the four valves per cylinder. At that time the organizers of the competitions were managing to limit the volumes. The Peugeot cars equipped with the engine designed by Henry are the L76 (7.6 liters) and the L3 (3 liters) in 1912, the L56 (5.6 liters) in 1913 and the L45 (4.5 liters) in 1914. In a ultimate challenge to the traditionalists of the company this L is for Lion.
Thanks to these innovations, the Peugeots of the Charlatans have a lighter chassis and a better handling. They begin to dominate the ACF competitions in France and then the 500 miles of Indianapolis.
The Peugeot-Henry engine is so far ahead of its competitors that the organizers of Indianapolis, fearing that the war in Europe reduces the appeal of their event, commission an American manufacturer to build replicas. Through that following Peugeot is the precursor of all modern car engines.
Two of these Peugeot cars survive. On November 11, 2017, Bonhams sold an L45 in an authenticity which is pitstanding for a car of that time. Its chassis and engine are number 1 and the bodywork is original. Thanks to a progress in the technology of the tires it was timed at 165 km/h in 1949, an unprecedented speed for a car manufactured before the First World War.
This L45 was sold for $ 7.3M from a lower estimate of $ 3M, lot 408. It was filmed in operation by a spectator at the 2011 Goodwood Festival of Speed. This video is shared on YouTube.
1914 #Peugeot L45 Grand Prix 2 Seater, Chassis no. 1, Engine no. 1 - #Bothwell Collection now online- Nov. 11 in #LA https://t.co/OY1MaNkVhz pic.twitter.com/tJhZDARuQ3
— BONHAMS (@bonhams1793) October 11, 2017
1924 Hispano-Suiza Tulipwood Torpedo
2022 SOLD for $ 9.2M by RM Sotheby's
A grandson of the founder of the highly successful Dubonnet aperitif firm, André Dubonnet was at 21 a flying ace of the First World War, credited with six aerial victories. After the war he developed his passion for innovative mechanics with Hispano-Suiza.
As early as 1921, Dubonnet won the first edition of the Coupe des voiturettes Georges Boillot with a Hispano-Suiza 6 cylinder 7 liter Spéciale prepared by himself.
Dubonnet commissioned in 1924 to Nieuport Aviation his unprecedented masterpiece, a featherweight tapered and lowered torpedo body suitable for both racing and touring assembled on a newly developed Hispano-Suiza H6C sport chassis with a new 6 cylinder 8 liter engine.
The frame of wooden ribs by Nieuport were covered with strips of mahogany of uneven thickness and length riveted to the veneer. The torpedo tail enclosed a 52-gallon gas tank for long distance racing. The car was nicknamed the Tulipwood Torpedo.
The body was then sealed, sanded and varnished. Dubonnet with his Tulipwood Torpedo finished 6th in the 1924 Targa Florio.
This one off car conceived and driven by an aperitif heir soon went into the ownership of the son of a famous perfumer and then to a Scottish marmalade heir. Largely retaining its original woodwork, it was sold for $ 9.2M by RM Sotheby's on August 18, 2022, lot 141.
It is narrated and operated in the video shared by the auction house. The images are shared by Wikimedia with attribution to Bill Abbott, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, (first image below) and to Chris Hunkeler from El Cerrito, California, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0> (second image below), via Wikimedia Commons.
Dubonnet switched in 1925 from Hispano-Suiza to a Bugatti Type 35. This man ahead of his time also competed in bobsleigh in the 1928 Olympics.
As early as 1921, Dubonnet won the first edition of the Coupe des voiturettes Georges Boillot with a Hispano-Suiza 6 cylinder 7 liter Spéciale prepared by himself.
Dubonnet commissioned in 1924 to Nieuport Aviation his unprecedented masterpiece, a featherweight tapered and lowered torpedo body suitable for both racing and touring assembled on a newly developed Hispano-Suiza H6C sport chassis with a new 6 cylinder 8 liter engine.
The frame of wooden ribs by Nieuport were covered with strips of mahogany of uneven thickness and length riveted to the veneer. The torpedo tail enclosed a 52-gallon gas tank for long distance racing. The car was nicknamed the Tulipwood Torpedo.
The body was then sealed, sanded and varnished. Dubonnet with his Tulipwood Torpedo finished 6th in the 1924 Targa Florio.
This one off car conceived and driven by an aperitif heir soon went into the ownership of the son of a famous perfumer and then to a Scottish marmalade heir. Largely retaining its original woodwork, it was sold for $ 9.2M by RM Sotheby's on August 18, 2022, lot 141.
It is narrated and operated in the video shared by the auction house. The images are shared by Wikimedia with attribution to Bill Abbott, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, (first image below) and to Chris Hunkeler from El Cerrito, California, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0> (second image below), via Wikimedia Commons.
Dubonnet switched in 1925 from Hispano-Suiza to a Bugatti Type 35. This man ahead of his time also competed in bobsleigh in the 1928 Olympics.
We can't wait to see the world famous Hispano-Suiza at our Monterey auction. The "Tulipwood" Torpedo is one of the crown jewels of the Masterworks of Design Collection: https://t.co/Qf7DUI4fu2 pic.twitter.com/V62ppN3UYM
— RM Sotheby's (@rmsothebys) June 23, 2022
1937 Delahaye 135 Roadster
2014 SOLD for $ 6.6M by RM Auctions
The Delahaye type 135, released in 1935, is the great rival of the Bugatti 57. Its wide range of chassis includes the 135 Compétition Court, specially designed for racing as its name suggests.
Approximately 30 cars were built in Compétition Court and many of them were equipped with various bodies due to the rival talents of two contractors of Delahaye, the illustrator Géo Ham and the coachbuilder Figoni et Falaschi.
The Torpedo Roadster open body is a symbol of the top automotive luxury of its time and caused a sensation at the Salon de l'Auto in Paris in 1936. On March 8, 2014, RM Auctions sold for $ 6.6M a Delahaye 135 Compétition Court Torpedo Roadster, even rarer than the coupe from the same frame, lot 167.
This car was bodied by Figoni et Falaschi who delivered it back to Delahaye in 1937. It is one of few examples where the coachmaker has formally recognized the participation of Géo Ham.
This gorgeous and rare Delahaye was for half a century the favorite of an American collector who nicknamed it his French Mistress.
Approximately 30 cars were built in Compétition Court and many of them were equipped with various bodies due to the rival talents of two contractors of Delahaye, the illustrator Géo Ham and the coachbuilder Figoni et Falaschi.
The Torpedo Roadster open body is a symbol of the top automotive luxury of its time and caused a sensation at the Salon de l'Auto in Paris in 1936. On March 8, 2014, RM Auctions sold for $ 6.6M a Delahaye 135 Compétition Court Torpedo Roadster, even rarer than the coupe from the same frame, lot 167.
This car was bodied by Figoni et Falaschi who delivered it back to Delahaye in 1937. It is one of few examples where the coachmaker has formally recognized the participation of Géo Ham.
This gorgeous and rare Delahaye was for half a century the favorite of an American collector who nicknamed it his French Mistress.
Goutte d'Eau by Figoni et Falaschi
An Italian-born coachbuilder working in Boulogne-sur-Seine, Giuseppe Figoni associates in 1935 with the businessman Ovidio Falaschi. This co-operation allows Figoni to devote entirely to his art, perhaps with some support from the automotive artist Géo Ham.
In 1935 also, Bugatti introduces at the Salon de l'Auto a prototype named "Aérolithe". The quest for obtaining high speed from aerodynamic features have led to a style all in curves, with a semi-spheric cockpit. The catalogued model will be the Bugatti Atlantic, made in three units in 1936.
At the same time, two new high-end chassis appear on the French market : the Type 135 by Delahaye and the T150 by the recently incorporated Talbot-Lago. Each of them is also available in a short wheel base version specifically designed for competition.
Figoni et Falaschi developed for these two types a range of bodies unique in their kind known as Goutte d'eau for the teardrop shape of the inner contour. This rolling work of art with a lowered center of gravity, referred by its carrossier as a faux cabriolet, is indeed contemporary with the culmination of the Parisian Art Déco style.
While a production line is established for the Delahaye long chassis, a very small number of Goutte d'eau were assembled over the Delahaye short chassis, mainly as prototypes or demonstrators.
Only 16 Talbot-Lago chassis were assembled with a Figoni et Falaschi teardrop, in two series. The first series referred as Coupé Jeancart was made of three on the four-litre T150-C SS chassis, one on the three-litre T23 chassis and one on the T150-C Lago Speciale 30 cm longer chassis. C SS refers to the Super Sport Competition short chassis. The model embeds a 4 liter 6 cylinder engine.
Assembled in 1938, the T23 from the first Talbot-Lago teardrop series was sold by RM Auctions for $ 2.64M on August 17, 2012, lot 121.
Made in 1938, the unique Talbot-Lago T150-C Lago Speciale teardrop coupe by Figoni et Falaschi was sold by RM Auction for $ 4.6M on August 14, 2010, lot 359. The long chassis enabled to accommodate a third passenger. The car has a full size sliding sunroof. This Speciale had been purchased by its first owner for the very high price of 165,000 francs.
In 1935 also, Bugatti introduces at the Salon de l'Auto a prototype named "Aérolithe". The quest for obtaining high speed from aerodynamic features have led to a style all in curves, with a semi-spheric cockpit. The catalogued model will be the Bugatti Atlantic, made in three units in 1936.
At the same time, two new high-end chassis appear on the French market : the Type 135 by Delahaye and the T150 by the recently incorporated Talbot-Lago. Each of them is also available in a short wheel base version specifically designed for competition.
Figoni et Falaschi developed for these two types a range of bodies unique in their kind known as Goutte d'eau for the teardrop shape of the inner contour. This rolling work of art with a lowered center of gravity, referred by its carrossier as a faux cabriolet, is indeed contemporary with the culmination of the Parisian Art Déco style.
While a production line is established for the Delahaye long chassis, a very small number of Goutte d'eau were assembled over the Delahaye short chassis, mainly as prototypes or demonstrators.
Only 16 Talbot-Lago chassis were assembled with a Figoni et Falaschi teardrop, in two series. The first series referred as Coupé Jeancart was made of three on the four-litre T150-C SS chassis, one on the three-litre T23 chassis and one on the T150-C Lago Speciale 30 cm longer chassis. C SS refers to the Super Sport Competition short chassis. The model embeds a 4 liter 6 cylinder engine.
Assembled in 1938, the T23 from the first Talbot-Lago teardrop series was sold by RM Auctions for $ 2.64M on August 17, 2012, lot 121.
Made in 1938, the unique Talbot-Lago T150-C Lago Speciale teardrop coupe by Figoni et Falaschi was sold by RM Auction for $ 4.6M on August 14, 2010, lot 359. The long chassis enabled to accommodate a third passenger. The car has a full size sliding sunroof. This Speciale had been purchased by its first owner for the very high price of 165,000 francs.
1
1937 Talbot-Lago T150-C SS Coupe
2022 SOLD for $ 13.4M by Gooding
Only two Talbot-Lago T150-C SS coupes, both from 1937, have been fitted in period with the spectacular variant of the Goutte d'Eau with fully enclosed front fenders, a feature which is less uncommon on the Delahaye teardrops.
Only one is retaining its original body, with which it won the Prix d'Excellence at the 1938 Concours d’Elegance Fémina in Paris where it had been featured by former cabaret dancer Princess Stella de Kapurthala. Its aluminum alloy coachwork belongs to the second series of Talbot-Lago teardrops, also referred as Modèle New York. This example has a sunroof.
This car was sold for $ 13.4M by Gooding on March 4, 2022, lot 54. It is illustrated in the pre sale press release. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
A 1937 Talbot-Lago T150-C SS fitted as a goutte d'eau coupe in the same year by Figoni et Falaschi was sold for € 3.36M by RM Sotheby's on May 27, 2017, lot 151. Another Talbot-Lago T150-C SS Goutte d'eau coupe was sold for € 3.14M on May 21, 2011 by RM Auctions, lot 127. Delivered in 1938, it has the short version of the chassis and the highly rare sunroof.
Only one is retaining its original body, with which it won the Prix d'Excellence at the 1938 Concours d’Elegance Fémina in Paris where it had been featured by former cabaret dancer Princess Stella de Kapurthala. Its aluminum alloy coachwork belongs to the second series of Talbot-Lago teardrops, also referred as Modèle New York. This example has a sunroof.
This car was sold for $ 13.4M by Gooding on March 4, 2022, lot 54. It is illustrated in the pre sale press release. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
A 1937 Talbot-Lago T150-C SS fitted as a goutte d'eau coupe in the same year by Figoni et Falaschi was sold for € 3.36M by RM Sotheby's on May 27, 2017, lot 151. Another Talbot-Lago T150-C SS Goutte d'eau coupe was sold for € 3.14M on May 21, 2011 by RM Auctions, lot 127. Delivered in 1938, it has the short version of the chassis and the highly rare sunroof.
2
1938 Talbot-Lago T150-C SS Coupe
2022 SOLD for $ 7.3M by RM Sotheby's
The second batch of the teardrop coupe, unofficially referred as New York style, was fitted by Figoni et Falaschi in 1937 and 1938 on eleven Talbot-Lago chassis overall which were ten T150-C SS and one T23. Its Art Déco lines were purer than with the original batch of five in so called Jeancart style.
A T150-C SS New York style teardrop coupe was assembled on commission from a gentleman driver with a purpose of racing. Its special equipment included a pair of additional lights and a long range fuel tank. The chassis was made lower and longer for a purpose of aerodynamics. The ventilation of the cockpit was improved with an opening rear window and a one off heart-shaped sunroof.
Made in 1938, it entered the 1939 Le Mans 24 where it did not finish for an unreported reason : technical issue or disqualification. No other racing event is known in period.
It went out of view from the outbreak of the war and resurfaced in neglected condition without engine behind the German Iron curtain 50 years later. Fitted with a period correct Talbot-Lago engine and submitted to a six year careful restoration, it won some trophies at the 2010 Villa d'Este Concorso d'Eleganza.
This car was sold for $ 7.3M by RM Sotheby's on August 19, 2022, lot 243.
A T150-C SS New York style teardrop coupe was assembled on commission from a gentleman driver with a purpose of racing. Its special equipment included a pair of additional lights and a long range fuel tank. The chassis was made lower and longer for a purpose of aerodynamics. The ventilation of the cockpit was improved with an opening rear window and a one off heart-shaped sunroof.
Made in 1938, it entered the 1939 Le Mans 24 where it did not finish for an unreported reason : technical issue or disqualification. No other racing event is known in period.
It went out of view from the outbreak of the war and resurfaced in neglected condition without engine behind the German Iron curtain 50 years later. Fitted with a period correct Talbot-Lago engine and submitted to a six year careful restoration, it won some trophies at the 2010 Villa d'Este Concorso d'Eleganza.
This car was sold for $ 7.3M by RM Sotheby's on August 19, 2022, lot 243.
3
1938 Talbot-Lago T150-C SS Cabriolet
2013 SOLD for $ 7.15M by RM Auctions
The open body Talbot-Lago T150-C SS teardrop cabriolet is the rarest and most spectacular coachwork made by Figoni et Falaschi. Made in 1938 and painted in cream color, one of them was sold for $ 7.15M on November 21, 2013 by RM Auctions, lot 122.
1939 Talbot-Lago T150-C Aerocoupé
2008 SOLD for $ 4.8M by Bonhams
The Goutte d'Eau of Figoni et Falaschi had a follow in 1939 with another team. On the same chassis Talbot-Lago T150-C SS as the Goutte d'eau, Georges Paulin designed the Aerocoupé aiming to improve the aerodynamics for a purpose of racing. Four Aerocoupés were hand made by Marcel Pourtout.
One of them was certainly not finished when the war broke out. It surfaced after the war and was raced by Ecurie Nice in 1950 and 1951. It was sold for $ 4.8M by Bonhams on August 15, 2008, lot 330.
One of them was certainly not finished when the war broke out. It surfaced after the war and was raced by Ecurie Nice in 1950 and 1951. It was sold for $ 4.8M by Bonhams on August 15, 2008, lot 330.
1972 Matra
2021 SOLD for € 6.9M by Artcurial
Jean-Luc Lagardère has been Matra's operational manager since 1963 with the position of Directeur général. His mission is to diversify the activities of this company previously focused to the aeronautical and military sector. In 1964 he declares his ambition for Matra to become the leader in automobile competitions within ten years. In the same year, Matra buys the company of the Automobiles René Bonnet.
In a gradual approach, Matra indeed manages to win successively in Formula 3, Formula 2 and Formula 1. In 1969 Jackie Stewart is world champion with a Matra MS 80 equipped with a V8 Cosworth engine. In the following year Matra Sports joins forces with Simca.
For endurance, Matra's learning is a bit slower. In 1972, after several years of failure, the Matra team enters four cars at Le Mans. The race is won by an MS 670 fitted with the 1972 version of the Matra Sports V12 engine. It was piloted by Henri Pescarolo and Graham Hill. The latter thus becomes the only motorsport champion to have won the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the 500 miles of Indianapolis and the Formula 1 World Championship.
Matra's victory revives French motorsport. Introduced for Formula 1 in 1968, the V12 played an important role in the popularity of the brand. Lagardère wanted its noise to be a roar, which spectators cannot ignore each time a Matra passes through Mulsanne straight.
This car ended its racing career in the following year but was retained by the company. Its many modifications are consistent with the period configuration. It was sold for € 6.9M from a lower estimate of € 4M by Artcurial on February 5, 2021, lot 5. Please watch the video shared by the auction house and discover therein the howl of the Matra, described by Artcurial as a fabulous symphony.
Matra Sports largely won its challenge and ceased competition after the 1974 season but supplied engines to Ligier until 1978. Lagardère became Chairman and CEO of Matra in 1977.
In a gradual approach, Matra indeed manages to win successively in Formula 3, Formula 2 and Formula 1. In 1969 Jackie Stewart is world champion with a Matra MS 80 equipped with a V8 Cosworth engine. In the following year Matra Sports joins forces with Simca.
For endurance, Matra's learning is a bit slower. In 1972, after several years of failure, the Matra team enters four cars at Le Mans. The race is won by an MS 670 fitted with the 1972 version of the Matra Sports V12 engine. It was piloted by Henri Pescarolo and Graham Hill. The latter thus becomes the only motorsport champion to have won the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the 500 miles of Indianapolis and the Formula 1 World Championship.
Matra's victory revives French motorsport. Introduced for Formula 1 in 1968, the V12 played an important role in the popularity of the brand. Lagardère wanted its noise to be a roar, which spectators cannot ignore each time a Matra passes through Mulsanne straight.
This car ended its racing career in the following year but was retained by the company. Its many modifications are consistent with the period configuration. It was sold for € 6.9M from a lower estimate of € 4M by Artcurial on February 5, 2021, lot 5. Please watch the video shared by the auction house and discover therein the howl of the Matra, described by Artcurial as a fabulous symphony.
Matra Sports largely won its challenge and ceased competition after the 1974 season but supplied engines to Ligier until 1978. Lagardère became Chairman and CEO of Matra in 1977.
2022 Bugatti Chiron
2022 SOLD for £ 4.2M by RM Sotheby's
The performances of the supercars are more and more amazing. These road going models now arrive at auction in the months following the first deliveries. After the Bugatti Veyron, the LaFerrari and the LaFerrari Aperta came the Bugatti Chiron.
The Chiron has the same engine as the Veyron, 8 liters with 16 cylinders in W. For the rest it benefits from all the improvements imagined by the brand in its ten years of experience of the Veyron. It is taller and wider, for a better comfort and an impeccable handling up to the highest speed and in braking.
The top speed of the Chiron was early electronically limited to 420 km/h for remaining below the critical threshold of tire wear but the brand lets know that studies are ongoing to go faster. At maximum speed the fuel tank gets dry in 7 minutes. Driven on the road by Juan Pablo Montoya, a Chiron was timed in 41.96 seconds on the maneuver 0 - 400 km/h - 0, over a total distance of only 3,112 m. The story will not stop at that point. These Bugatti records were beaten or threatened by Koenigsegg.
The model had been unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2016 and a total production target of 500 vehicles was announced, to be spread over several years starting in 2017. For that first year it is estimated that 70 Chiron have been delivered.
The first Chiron exported to the USA was sold for $ 3.8M by RM Sotheby's on December 6, 2017, lot 137. Not yet registered, it had only run at that time the 400 km of its factory tests. It is titled 2018. A Chiron with less than 1,000 Km from new was sold for € 3,3M by RM Sotheby's on February 7, 2018, lot 151.
The variant Super Sport 300+ of the Bugatti Chiron is so named because it was in 2019 the first road going car to break the 300 mph speed threshold when a prototype driven by Andy Wallace reached 490 km/h (304.7 mph) at Volkswagen's test facility.
The basic Chiron body has been extended of 25 cm in the tail and streamlined for an improved balance between low drag and downforce. It is powered by a 8 liter quad-turbocharged W-16 Bugatti engine in the follow of the Veyron and previous Chirons.
A production run of 30 cars was marketed in 2021 and produced in 2022. One of them was sold for £ 4.2M by RM Sotheby's on November 5, 2022, lot 133. It has been finished in black and orange outside and inside and delivered to its first owner in January 2022. It is 2,280 km from new.
The Chiron has the same engine as the Veyron, 8 liters with 16 cylinders in W. For the rest it benefits from all the improvements imagined by the brand in its ten years of experience of the Veyron. It is taller and wider, for a better comfort and an impeccable handling up to the highest speed and in braking.
The top speed of the Chiron was early electronically limited to 420 km/h for remaining below the critical threshold of tire wear but the brand lets know that studies are ongoing to go faster. At maximum speed the fuel tank gets dry in 7 minutes. Driven on the road by Juan Pablo Montoya, a Chiron was timed in 41.96 seconds on the maneuver 0 - 400 km/h - 0, over a total distance of only 3,112 m. The story will not stop at that point. These Bugatti records were beaten or threatened by Koenigsegg.
The model had been unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2016 and a total production target of 500 vehicles was announced, to be spread over several years starting in 2017. For that first year it is estimated that 70 Chiron have been delivered.
The first Chiron exported to the USA was sold for $ 3.8M by RM Sotheby's on December 6, 2017, lot 137. Not yet registered, it had only run at that time the 400 km of its factory tests. It is titled 2018. A Chiron with less than 1,000 Km from new was sold for € 3,3M by RM Sotheby's on February 7, 2018, lot 151.
The variant Super Sport 300+ of the Bugatti Chiron is so named because it was in 2019 the first road going car to break the 300 mph speed threshold when a prototype driven by Andy Wallace reached 490 km/h (304.7 mph) at Volkswagen's test facility.
The basic Chiron body has been extended of 25 cm in the tail and streamlined for an improved balance between low drag and downforce. It is powered by a 8 liter quad-turbocharged W-16 Bugatti engine in the follow of the Veyron and previous Chirons.
A production run of 30 cars was marketed in 2021 and produced in 2022. One of them was sold for £ 4.2M by RM Sotheby's on November 5, 2022, lot 133. It has been finished in black and orange outside and inside and delivered to its first owner in January 2022. It is 2,280 km from new.
2022 Bugatti Chiron Profilée
2023 SOLD for € 9.8M by RM Sotheby's
The Bugatti Chiron met in 2022 its original target of 500 units using an 8 liter W-16 engine of the brand, modified from the Veyron. The company confirmed that it is terminated at 500.
In its six year history the Chiron had several variants made in small series for experiencing an improved speed, agility, aerodynamics, elegance. For example the Super Sport 300+ which reached an unprecedented speed for a road going car had a production run of 30 cars, in 2021 and 2022.
Built in 2022, the Bugatti Chiron Profilée is a one-off associating the driving agility of the 2020 Chiron Pur Sport with a touring elegance. This concept car has an improved airflow management and a newly developed exterior sky blue finish named Argent Atlantique, superbly associated with the bleu roi of the lower part of the body.
Consigned by Bugatti to RM Sotheby's as the last Chiron to be sold, the Profilée was sold for € 9.8M from a lower estimate of € 4.2M on February 1, 2023, lot 177, being at that time the most expensive new car model sold at auction.
It is available on a bill of sale only, in the class of European single type approval, with VAT applied to the full purchase price. Only driven for its testing, this car announced with an electronically limited top speed of 380 km/h has less than 400 km from new.
It is announced as the fastest accelerating of all Chiron models, capable of reaching 100 km/h in 2.3 seconds and 300 km/h in 12.4 seconds. Whether this performance is or not achieved, we cannot believe that the engineering of the Profilée will not be re-used.
In its six year history the Chiron had several variants made in small series for experiencing an improved speed, agility, aerodynamics, elegance. For example the Super Sport 300+ which reached an unprecedented speed for a road going car had a production run of 30 cars, in 2021 and 2022.
Built in 2022, the Bugatti Chiron Profilée is a one-off associating the driving agility of the 2020 Chiron Pur Sport with a touring elegance. This concept car has an improved airflow management and a newly developed exterior sky blue finish named Argent Atlantique, superbly associated with the bleu roi of the lower part of the body.
Consigned by Bugatti to RM Sotheby's as the last Chiron to be sold, the Profilée was sold for € 9.8M from a lower estimate of € 4.2M on February 1, 2023, lot 177, being at that time the most expensive new car model sold at auction.
It is available on a bill of sale only, in the class of European single type approval, with VAT applied to the full purchase price. Only driven for its testing, this car announced with an electronically limited top speed of 380 km/h has less than 400 km from new.
It is announced as the fastest accelerating of all Chiron models, capable of reaching 100 km/h in 2.3 seconds and 300 km/h in 12.4 seconds. Whether this performance is or not achieved, we cannot believe that the engineering of the Profilée will not be re-used.
