Even among the low-volume Tourbillons, Chirons and Veyrons, there’s exactly one 21st century Bugatti that stands a cut above the rest, and it will soon be available to the highest bidder for the first time since its headline-writing 2019 reveal.
Not only is La Voiture Noire the most exclusive and expensive creation Bugatti has ever offered, it’s also the most historically significant from a brand perspective. The name, French for “the black car,” references one of just four examples of the Type 57 SC Atlantic examples produced in the 1930s, one of which was owned by founder Ettore Bugatti’s son Jean and dubbed “the black car.” The black Type 57 SC Atlantic took on a mythical status after it disappeared without a trace shortly before WWII, a development that no doubt factored into the crazed valuations of three extant examples, one of which is estimated by some to be worth up to $100 million.
By comparison, La Voiture Noire was valued at just shy of $19 million when it was revealed in 2019, which made it the world’s most expensive new car until the Rolls-Royce Arcadia Droptail debuted in 2024 with a rumored price tag of $31 million.
Like the Type 57 SC Atlantic, the La Voiture Noire was designed as a minimalist coupe made so through reduction, which includes the lack of a large rear wing. Channeling the pre-WWII vehicle’s overall shape, La Voiture Noire features a dorsal seam down the centerline, an extended front section, and clear, almost entirely uninterrupted lines. The body is rendered totally in a carbon fiber covered with a clearcoat dubbed “Black Carbon Glossy,” which generates virtually no reflections. The bumpers are integrated gently into the bodywork while the windscreen appears to merge with the side windows.
“Every single component has been handcrafted and the carbon fiber body has a deep black gloss only interrupted by the ultrafine fiber structure. This is a material that has been handled perfectly,” explained Bugatti designer Etienne Salome in a previous release. “We worked long and hard on this design until was nothing that we could improve. For us, the coupe represents the perfect form with a perfect finish.”
The attention to detail and coachbuilding craft is predictably meticulous. For instance, there are more than 25 individually milled lights elements per side in the headlamps. and each cell of the 3D-printed front grille has been honed and examined. The rear is dominated by an elegant rear light which features a joint-less single-piece surround. The interior is completely covered in Havana Brown grain leather, yet another nod to the Type 57 SC Atlantic. The natural material contrasts with specially polished and turned aluminum inlays in various locations on the center console, the center spine, and the doors. The driving modes can be changed by actuating an elegant rosewood switch.
Power comes from the same same ludicrous, 1,500-horsepower W16 that powered the 236-mph Divo and the 260-mph Chiron, which was replaced last year by the V16-powered Tourbillon. And though it was a one-off, La Voiture Noire was put through the same exacting gauntlet that determines road worthiness of Bugatti’s low-volume hypercars, including simulations, wind tunnels, and on-track testing. “We spent two years using a test vehicle to develop and test it in all areas like handling and driving safety so that it can be approved,” said head of coachbuilding projects Pierre Rommelfanger in a previous statement.
Not only is La Voiture Noire one-of-a-kind, it’s also hitting the public market for the first time through a collaboration between Supercar Blondie’s SBX Cars auction company and Hagerty’s Broad Arrow. Dates haven’t been set, but you can register interest here.
