IAA2013:TheBugattiLegendJeanBugattireceivesitsworld premiere

ThesecondvehicleinthissixparteditionpaystributetoJeanBugatti,sonofthecompany founderandcreatoroftheType57SCAtlantic Productionofthesecondmodelisstrictlylimitedtoarunofthreevehicles,asitwaswiththe firstintheBugattiLegendseries FollowingthesuccessfullaunchofitsLesLgendesdeBugatti(BugattiLegends)seriesafew weeksagoinPebbleBeachinCalifornia,Bugattipresentsthesecondvehicleinthisexclusive editionasaworldpremiereatthe65thInternationalMotorShowinFrankfurt.TheFrenchluxury carmanufacturerintendstheBugattiGrandSportVitesseJeanBugattitobeacelebrationof theoldestsonofcompanyfounderEttoreBugattiandhismostfamouscreation,theType57SC Atlantic. LikeallotherfivemodelsintheLegendseries,theJeanBugattiislimitedtothreevehicles.It costs2.28millioneuros(plustaxandothercharges).WithitsJeanBugattiLegendmodel, Bugattipayshomagetoaprominentfigurein20thcenturyautomotivehistory.GianobertoCarlo RembrandtEttoreBugatti,knownasJean,wastheeldestsonofEttoreBugattiandthemost giftedofhisfourchildren.Fromthelate1920sonwards,Jeanusedhisownstructuraland designideastoexertmoreandmoreinfluenceoverthedevelopmentofthecompanylocatedin Molsheim,Alsace.In1936,hetookoverasheadofthecompanyattheageof27. Bythetimeofhistragicaccidentaldeathin1939,Jeanhadsecuredhisplaceinautomotive historythankstohispioneeringengineandchassisdesignsandconceptsforvehiclebodies.2 Bugatti. JeanBugattiisaBugattilegend,saysDrWolfgangSchreiber,PresidentofBugattiAutomobiles S.A.S.AlongwithhisfatherEttore,Jeanplayedacriticalroleinshapingourbrand.Jean managedtocombinetheartisticrootsofBugattiwithhisfathersinnovativeautomotive technology,andfromthatdevelopedadesignwhichisstillreflectedinthebrandoday,finding expressioninourbrandvaluesofArt,Forme,Technique. OneofthemostextraordinarydesignscreatedbyJeanBugattihastobetheType57SCAtlantic, oneofthemostexclusiveandexceptionalsportcoupseverbuiltandrankingamongthemost expensivevintagecarsintheworld.TheLegendvehicletobeunveiledinFrankfurtisacallback toLaVoitureNoire(TheBlackCar),anAtlanticmodelwhichwasdrivenbyJeanBugattihimself andhasbeenlostsincetheSecondWorldWar. TheBugatti57SCAtlanticisanicon.Formany,itisoneofthemostelegantandvaluablesports carsinautomotivehistory,assertsWolfgangSchreiber.JeanBugattiwasagiftedcardesigner whoknewtomirrorthe1930sstyleofavantgardeinthedesignoftheBugatticarbodies,

explainsAchimAnscheidt,ChiefDesigneratBugatti.HisjetblackLaVoitureNoirewasmore thanjustJeansprivatecar.Itwasalsohismostimpressiveworkofartbreathtakinglysporty dimensionspairedwithfluid,elegantlinesandtheunmistakeablyexpressiveBugattiDNA.

ThetechnologyintheBugattiLegendEditionJeanBugattiisbasedontheBugattiVeyron16.4 GrandSportVitesse,whose8litreW16enginegeneratesanenormous1,200PSandan unparalleled1,500Nmtorqueat3,000to5,000rpm,andwhichcangofrom0to100km/hin2.6 seconds.Design:Forthefirsttimeever,theBugattihorseshoesparklesinpreciousplatinumIn developingtheJeanBugattiLegendEdition,thedesignersatBugattiaimedtofollowtheconcept ofitshistoricpredecessor,theType57SCAtlanticLaVoitureNoire,ascloselyaspossible. Exterior:ThebodyoftheJeanBugattiVitesseLegendEditionisconstructedentirelyfromjet black,clearcoatedcarbonfibre,makingittheembodimentofeleganceandtheapexof technicalengineering.Theuseofplatinumlendsanairofextravagancetothevehicle,withthe famousBugattihorseshoeonthefrontgrilleandtheEBlogoonthereartakingonaresplendent appearance.Bugattiisusingthispreciousmaterialfortheveryfirsttimeontheexteriorofoneof itsmodernmodels.Thevehicleselegant,minimalistappearanceisfurtherpunctuatedbyits wheels,whichfeatureblackdiamondcutrims.InreferencetotheLegendEditionsnamesake, thesignatureofJeanBugattihasbeenlaseredontothepetrolandoilcapandpaintedArctic grey. 3BugattiInterior:ThedesignersalsotookcaretoadheretothemotifofthehistoricLaVoiture NoireasmuchaspossiblefortheinterioroftheVitesseJeanBugattiLegendEdition.Assuch,it hasbeenfullyfittedoutinleather.TheVitessewillalsofeaturethesamebeigeandbrowntones thatwerepresentintheType57SCAtlantic.Theseats,instrumentpanel,steeringwheel,dash panel,centreconsole,doortrimpanelsandwindscreencrossmemberareallrenderedin chocolatebrown. Asintheoriginalvehicle,thechocolatebrowniscontrastedagainsttheleatherupholsteryina lightbeigesilkcolouracrosstheextendedcentreconsole.Thisupholsteryiscontinuedinthe footwell,theouterdoortrimpanelsandthehandlerecesses.Thecolourofthedecorative stitchinginthevehiclehasbeenselectedtocomplementtheleatherused.Theintricate, particularlyeyecatchingembroideryonthedoorsandthecoveroftherearstorage compartmentonceagainharksbacktothevehicleslegendarypredecessor,giventhattheside silhouetteoftheType57SCwasembroideredontothechocolatebrowndoorsusingcontrasting beigesilkthread. Fromabirdseyeview,theAtlanticssilhouetteisimmortalisedusingbrownthreadfor decorativestitchingontherearbeigecolouredstoragecompartment.Theresultsofthispassion fordetailandthedesiretousethefinestmaterialsthroughouttheengineeringprocesscanbe observedintheinteriorssteeringwheelaswellasfortheexteriorofthevehicle,theEBlogo hasbeenstyledingleamingplatinum.AlsostayingtruetotheoriginalType57SCistheselector

lever,whichisrenderedinvaluablerosewood.AdditionalspecificLegendEditionfeaturesinthe vehicleincludealeatherinsertembossedwiththeletteringLesLgendesdeBugattiinthe extendedsectionofthecentreconsole,anddoorsillplatedisplayingthelikenessandsignature ofJeanBugatti. Ahistoricpredecessor:theVoitureNoire JustfourType57SCAtlanticvehiclesintotalwerebuiltbetween1936and1938.Onlytwoof thesevehiclesstillexisttodayintheiroriginalcondition.TheAtlanticisthemostfamousversion oftheType57.Atthetime,JeanBugattiwantedtoofferamotorsportversionofthestandard model,therebyresultinginproductionoftheSCversion(SCstandsforsupercharged).Jean Bugatti,whoseskillindevelopinguniquebodydesignswasalreadyprovenbytheType41 Royale,Type55RoadsterandType50,wasresponsiblefortheshapeandstyleoftheAtlantic, whichwasintendedtobeextremelylightandaerodynamic.Aluminiumwasthematerialchosen, givingtheAtlanticitsunmistakabledesignfeatureaclearlyaccentuateddorsalseamwhich runsatarightanglefromthewindscreentotherearbumperandeffectivelyweldsthetwohalves ofthealuminiumbodytogether.Thiselementcontinuestoplayafundamentalroleinvehicles designedbyBugattieventoday. Asthefloorofthevehiclesitsbetweenthelongitudinalchassismembersratherthanonthe frameitself,thismeansthatthewheelsareoffsetfromthebodyandaccentuatedbyenormous wings,therebyprovidingthecarwithafootwell.Seenfromabove,theextremelylongbonnet flowstotherearofthevehicleinanovalshape,furtherhighlightingthegracefulandelegant designoftheAtlantic. Thesportcoupwasequippedwithastraighteightenginewith3,257cmdisplacement,which produced200PS.However,eventhoughitwasabletoreachspeedsofover200km/hatthe time,itwasneverenteredintoarace.ThespecificAtlanticwhichservedasthegodfatherofthe JeanBugattiLegendEditionisthelegendaryLaVoitureNoire,whichwasthefirstoffourvehicles producedintotal.ItbelongedtoBugattiandwaslostintransitamidtheconfusionofWorldWar Two.Thelocationandcircumstancessurroundingitsdisappearancearestillshroudedin mystery.