The GRAND SPORT VITESSE “Jean-Pierre Wimille” was the first Legends edition model and celebrated its world premiere in August 2013 in Pebble Beach, California. The model pays tribute to BUGATTI’s former factory driver, who achieved the brand’s first win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1937 and then repeated the feat two years later.

The Legends edition is modelled on the design of Wimille’s 1937 race car, a BUGATTI TYPE 57G TANK. The TYPE 57G TANK was produced at the BUGATTI factory in Molsheim, France between 1936 and 1937. Only three units were made in total. BUGATTI hoped this model would usher in a new era of French success on the racetrack, since at that time, most of the winners were driving cars made abroad. The car was a success from the get-go – with Jean-Pierre Wimille a constant presence behind the wheel.

The carbon body of the “Jean-Pierre Wimille” Legends VITESSE is a gleaming blue, as this was the color of French race cars at the time. Dark blue visible carbon provides a harmonious contrast with the light blue “Bleu Wimille” tone that was recreated especially for this model and is faithful to the original colour of the 57G TANK. The outline of the historic Le Mans racecourse is painted in silver on the bottom of the rear wing, recalling Wimille’s legendary victories. The racing driver’s signature is laser-engraved onto the petrol and oil filler caps, which are painted dark blue.

Wimille’s signature can also be found inside the car on the headrests. The car’s interior matches the two shades of blue used on the body. The steering wheel and gearstick are decorated with a seam in the French national colours blue, white and red – a highly refined detail. The gleaming outline of the Le Mans racecourse also adorns the interior, in the form of a milled and polished aluminum relief inlaid into the dark blue visible carbon lid on the rear storage compartment.

At the IAA in Frankfurt in 2013, BUGATTI unveiled the second model in its exclusive Legends edition. This model honored Jean Bugatti. He was the eldest son of the company founder, Ettore Bugatti, and a gifted car designer. From the late 1920s, his personal construction and design ideas had an increasingly important influence on the development of the Molsheim-based company. He became head of the company at the age of 27 in 1936 and secured his place in motoring history with his bodyshells and designs for pioneering engines and chassis before dying in a tragic road accident in 1939.

The Legends car is reminiscent of the “La Voiture Noire” version of the TYPE 57SC ATLANTIC, which has been lost since the Second World War. The ATLANTIC was Jean Bugatti’s most famous creation – one of the most exclusive and extraordinary sport coupés ever, and now one of the world’s most expensive vintage models. Only 3 models still exist today.

The body of the “Jean Bugatti” Legends VITESSE is made of jet black visible carbon which exudes elegance and cutting-edge craftsmanship. The use of platinum on the bodyshell is an extravagant touch: the famous BUGATTI horseshoe on the front grille and the EB logo on the rear are made of gleaming platinum. This was the first time that BUGATTI used this precious material for the exterior of a modern model. The elegant, minimalist appearance is accentuated by the wheels, with black, diamond-cut rims. As a reference to the man who inspired this Legends model, Jean Bugatti’s signature was laser-engraved onto the petrol and oil filler caps and painted arctic grey.

The interior was also designed to be as faithful as possible to the original “La Voiture Noire”. The entire interior is lined with leather in subtle shades of beige and brown. The elaborate embroidery designs on the doors and the lid on the rear storage compartment showing side and bird’s eye views of the outline of the TYPE 57SC are extremely impressive. The love of detail and commitment to using the very finest materials are evident inside the car on the steering wheel, where the EB logo also appears in gleaming platinum. The gearstick is made of finest rosewood, just like in the ATLANTIC.

The third model in BUGATTI’s Legends edition, which was unveiled in Dubai in November 2013, was dedicated to Meo Costantini. Meo Costantini was a trusted friend of company founder Ettore Bugatti, and the longstanding head of the factory team. Costantini took part in races himself and represents the most successful era in BUGATTI’s racing history. On two occasions, he won what was then the most famous and important circuit race in the world, the Targa Florio in Sicily, in a BUGATTI TYPE 35.

Ettore Bugatti’s cars from the 1920s were characterized by lightweight design and a technical aesthetic. The TYPE 35 was one of the most successful race cars of all time. The VITESSE “Meo Costantini” is hence also an homage to the TYPE 35.

The carbon body elements were painted in a newly developed color, “BUGATTI Dark Blue Sport”, in reference to the classic French racing colour and the TYPE 35. The wings, doors, “medallions” and corners of the front bumper are made of hand-polished aluminum. BUGATTI is the only manufacturer of production cars to offer bodyshells with polished visible aluminum. The outline of the historic Targa Florio racecourse appears in blue on the silver underside of the rear wing. Costantini’s signature is laser-engraved onto the petrol and oil filler caps and painted silver.

Inside the car, Costantini’s signature can be found on the headrests. The outline of the Targa Florio also makes another appearance here, in the form of a milled and polished aluminum relief on the lid of the rear storage compartment. The racing scenes and images of vintage cars on the doors provide a unique interior highlight. They were laser-engraved into the leather paneling with the greatest of precision and attention to detail. They show the most glorious moments of Meo Costantini’s racing career and the fascinating world of motorsports in the third decade of the last century.

Rembrandt Bugatti was Ettore’s brother and one of the most important sculptors of the early 20th century. He became famous for his sculptures of animals. His works, most of which were cast in bronze, were exhibited in many collections and museums across the world.

One of his most famous works is the sculpture of a dancing elephant which appears on the radiator cap of the BUGATTI TYPE 41 ROYALE and came to symbolize the brand. Just as Ettore had a flair for creating automotive artworks, Rembrandt Bugatti was renowned for his extraordinary artistic talent and outstanding skill at crafting surfaces. Rembrandt Bugatti represents the strong artistic roots of the BUGATTI family. That was why BUGATTI dedicated its fourth Legends model to him. The model was unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show in 2014.

Rembrandt Bugatti’s bronze sculptures are patinated and have real soul. This, as well as the carved character of his works, inspired the BUGATTI designers’ choice of colors and materials for this car. The body of the LEGENDS VITESSE is largely made of visible carbon in “bronze” as a reference to the artist's favorite material. The bottom edge of the car is painted in a lighter, elegant tone of brown. The BUGATTI horseshoe on the front grille is made of gleaming platinum, as is the EB logo on the rear. The wheels are coated in dark brown “Firefinch” and light brown “Noix”. Rembrandt Bugatti’s signature is engraved onto the petrol and oil filler caps.

The interior is lined with light brown leather. The most striking detail is Rembrandt Bugatti’s famous elephant sculpture, which was used as the radiator cap for the TYPE 41 ROYALE and is now the symbol of both the brand and the Legends series. The cast bronze elephant, the product of painstaking craftsmanship, is inlaid into the lid of the rear storage compartment. The braided leather door panelling in gently contrasting shades of brown is an impressive demonstration of BUGATTI’s commitment to high-quality materials and outstanding craftsmanship. These highly elegant fittings were developed exclusively for the Legends model.

The fifth model in BUGATTI’s Legends series recalls the TYPE 18, nicknamed “Black Bess”, which went down in motoring history as one of the first street-legal supercars. In its day, it was one of the fastest road cars in the world, and is the direct ancestor of the BUGATTI VEYRON.

Its first owner was the French aviation pioneer Roland Garros, who successfully crossed the Mediterranean in an airplane in 1913 after winning several flying competitions. The TYPE 18 caught his eye after Ettore’s win at Mont Ventoux. Roland Garros, who loved speed, was looking for a car that would allow him to travel as fast on land as he did in the air. He chose the TYPE 18 – a huge marketing success for Ettore Bugatti. 

The world premiere of the LEGENDS VITESSE “Black Bess” took place at Auto China in Beijing in April 2014.

The black carbon body of the LEGENDS VITESSE offers a modern interpretation of the gold elements that made the TYPE 18 “Black Bess” so unmistakable. It was the first time that elements of the body of a B BUGATTI were coated with 24-carat gold. The BUGATTI horseshoe, the EB logo on the rear and the hubcaps are also made of gleaming gold. The effect is accentuated by golden stripes that extend backwards over both front wings in a ray shape, tapering off as they approach the doors. Not to be overlooked: the petrol and oil filler caps, engraved with the name “Black Bess” and painted gold.

The most striking details inside the car are the door panels. The two leather-covered panels depict different scenes featuring the TYPE 18 “Black Bess” and Roland Garros’ airplane. The ink drawings were applied by hand directly to the leather – the same way that components of luxury cars used to be painted in the early 20th century. In order to protect the drawings from abrasion, a new impregnation process was developed. Never before in the history of car manufacturing had traditional details been so perfectly implemented in line with modern quality and production standards.

The sixth model is the crowning glory of the Legends series, made in honor of Ettore Bugatti, the founder and patron of the brand. Ettore Bugatti was one of the most important figures in the history of 20th-century motoring. He was able to combine his family’s rich artistic legacy with his own technical ideas, thus laying the foundation for a design style that would shape the brand and make it unmistakable.

The brand values “Art, form, technique” describe this unique approach. Ettore Bugatti strove to always create a unique artwork. His ideas and cars laid the foundation for an automotive brand that would become one of the most renowned and valuable in the world – both then and now. Ettore Bugatti himself is a legend. Therefore it only makes sense to dedicate the final Legends car, modelled on the historic TYPE 41 ROYALE, after him. BUGATTI unveiled the car in August 2014 at the Monterey Car Week in California.

The front part of the carbon body is made of hand-polished aluminum, coated with clear lacquer. BUGATTI is the only manufacturer to use visible aluminum for the body of a production car. The rear, sills and A-pillar covers are dark blue with visible carbon. Specially for this car, a wheel design was developed that is based on the most famous rims in motoring history – Ettore Bugatti's BUGATTI aluminum wheels. The striking BUGATTI horseshoe and the EB logo on the rear are made of gleaming platinum. The petrol and oil filler caps are engraved with the signature of Ettore and painted silver.

For the interior of the car, Bugatti used two varieties of leather for the first time: traditional fine calf’s leather and highly exclusive natural cordovan leather. The latter, which had not been used before, requires painstaking work. The tanning process alone can take around six months. Cordovan leather, which is normally used for the finest-quality shoes, is extremely resilient and provides firm purchase. The most eye-catching interior detail is the platinized "dancing elephant" figure designed by Ettore’s brother Rembrandt, which recalls the radiator cap on the TYPE 41 ROYALE. It is inlaid into the lid of the rear storage compartment.