Owning a car is one thing, but getting your hands on expensive cars is a privilege reserved for a lucky few. While it’s not easy to be a proud owner of a Ferrari, Lamborghini, or any supercar for that matter, it’s always been a race between the elite to one-up their neighbor. Mind you, not everyone is a fan of this exercise.
History has shown how much cars can go around in public/private auctions. We are at a time where wealthy individuals can spare millions on a car. Not so long ago, a Ferrari 250 GTO set a record for the most expensive car sold at a public auction for an eye-popping sum of $48-million!
The GTO was an example of something timeless and rare that you can’t put a price on. We totally agree with it, however, there is one car in particular that has been in the news for something else.
The Bugatti La Voiture Noire is currently the world’s most expensive new car and will go down in the history books as one of the most expensive cars of all time, here’s why.
The Bugatti La Voiture Noire Costs $19 Million
Bugattis were always reserved for the one percent. It’s no surprise that when the company started making cars back in the late 1900s, it would normally be 10 times the price of what was affordable and twice the cost of prime residential property. Being coach built and exquisitely designed, the Bugatti brand quickly started getting traction across wealthy clients. Fast forward a few years and the iconic Type 57 was born when founder Ettore Bugatti’s son Jean started waving his magic. Only 700 odd examples were ever produced which itself marks how exclusive the car is.
The La Voiture was produced as an homage to the iconic Type 57 Atlantic, which according to sources, total to just 4 across the globe. When the one-off Bugatti La Voiture Noire was unveiled, it marked something special with a price tag of a whopping $18.68 million! The La Voiture Noire was even more elusive with just one being made and was sold to an unnamed customer.
The Bugatti La Voiture Noire Is A Design Marvel
The whole exercise of the La Voiture Noire was to showcase Bugatti’s design prowess. The car pays tribute to the signature Bugatti spine that runs along the top of the car. Furthermore, La Voiture Noire is what Jean Bugatti called his black Type 57 Atlantic. The term literally means “the black car” and out of the 4 created Ettore kept one as his personal car.
The La Voiture Noire is a feast to your eyes. The exceptionally sculpted lines and curves remind of the Atlantic but reimagined with a modern touch. The character line running across the shoulder and the waistline accentuate the car’s width while creating an elongated impression. The windscreen seems to flow seamlessly into the windows like the visor on a helmet. Additionally, six tailpipes at the back further portray how potent the Bugatti really is. A unique one-piece taillight is exclusive to the La Voiture Noire and runs across the width of the car as if floating on a black canvas.
It’s A Heavily Reworked Chiron
The heart of the La Voiture Noire is the Bugatti Chiron’s 8.0-liter quad-turbocharged W16 pumping 1500 horsepower. Even the chassis is that of the Chiron with a redesigned bodywork. Although it can’t be deemed just a plain old redesign, Bugatti has spent a good chunk of their time and effort in sculpting the entire body. It’s hard to find a resemblance to the Chiron but the overall silhouette hints the La Voiture being a familiar Bugatti.
While we don’t know much about the car in general, one thing that Bugatti stresses is that La Voiture Noire has a "single-piece" body. By that, the brand emphasizes the fact that they reduced the number of panels used in order to eliminate any appearance of seams from the La Voiture Noire's body so that it appears to be made of a single shell. Every piece is handcrafted with meticulous attention to detail. The La Voiture exudes Bugatti’s ultimate craftsmanship and is a symbol of what the brand stands for.
Honorable Mentions
Now that we have gone over the most expensive car to date, here are a few honorable mentions. The Zonda HP Barchetta takes second place for its $17.5 million price tag. The Zonda HP is considered to be the swansong to the iconic Zonda that was widely regarded as art on wheels. The Rolls Royce Sweptail comes in at a cool $13 million being a bespoke commission for a special client. Next in line are a couple of Bugatti’s with the Centodieci having a price of $9 million and the Divo edging close to $6 million. Interestingly, while we gasp at their mind-boggling price tags, cars like these have always found a buyer and never had to sit around looking for one.
Sources: Wikipedia, Bugatti, Motortrend