For as rare and expensive as standard Bugatti Veyrons and Chirons are, they’re as common as Corollas in comparison with some of Bugatti’s rarer vehicles. For the right person with the will and the means to pay for it, the company will build unique models that will never be duplicated. It revealed its latest this year: the Brouillard, one of the final cars to get a W16. Among these one-offs, a car called the La Voiture Noire really captivated the car world. It was an early one-off based on the Chiron, but it also carried an enormous price tag. The buyer was never revealed either, adding to the car’s mystique. We still don’t know who the buyer was, but that buyer is apparently ready to part with the car, as it’s going up for sale. Frustratingly, we probably still won’t know much once the car is sold.

The Auction Emphasizes Privacy

We do know that the owner really must like their privacy. We’re not sure how that fits in with buying a one-off Bugatti that doesn’t look like anything else on the road, but that’s just the start of what we don’t really understand. After all, if you spent $18 million for the only example of a car, it’s hard for us to imagine parting with it. Let’s get back to the privacy part, though. You see, in addition to the owner having never revealed their name, they’re using a special service from Supercar Blondie’s auction platform called SBX Cars. In the listing, it specifically tells prospective buyers, “Let us facilitate your next acquisition in the most private and discreet manner possible.” The group of people eligible to buy it will surely be small, as they’ll have to apply and prove ability to pay before getting an invite to the closed auction. That also likely means that we won’t ever know what the new owner ends up paying for this rare beast. So we won’t be seeing any new auction records set.

Bugatti

What Made The La Voiture Noire Special

We already touched on the original price of the vehicle, which was one of the few things Bugatti revealed about the car’s sale. At $18 million including taxes, it ended up being the most expensive new car for quite a while. In 2021, a special Rolls-Royce Boat Tail took the title at $28 million, and that car went to Jay Z and Beyonce. The Bugatti was based on the Chiron, but featured a completely unique body featuring design cues from a Type 57 SC Atlantic that had the same nickname. Those cues included a crease down the center of the car, echoing the distinct spine of the Type 57s, as well as distinctive six exhaust tips. Bugatti didn’t change anything about the powertrain, so the La Voiture Noire makes the same power as a regular Chiron. That’s still an overwhelming amount of grunt at 1,479 horsepower and 1,180 pound-feet of torque.

The mystery of the owner kept the car world speculating for a surprising amount of time. Initial speculations suggested the buyer might’ve been Ferdinand Piech, the former head of VW Group and one of the original drivers of the Veyron project. Later, reports suggested that soccer legend Cristiano Ronaldo bought it. Neither rumor was ever confirmed, and the Ronaldo one was outright denied.

Source: SBX Cars