Chiron Super Sport Golden Era, Bugatti's artwork on wheels

Landmark moments

The foundation for the project started with the customer wanting to base the project on a Chirron, which, according to him, marked a significant milestone in the brand's history with its iconic W16 engine.

According to the team, in search of defining moments in the brand's history, the days of its founders, Ettore Bugatti, Jean Bugatti, and Roland Bugatti, which genuinely constituted the first golden age for the company, are among the significant events it identified. Furthermore, it wanted to picture the modern-day Bugatti design from 1987, highlighting the symbols of the era that came to characterize the Bugatti name.

"Our team proposed a concept featuring 45 sketches of the brand’s icons that would be hand-drawn directly onto the car itself, and the owner immediately fell in love with the idea. The implementation may sound quite straightforward, but achieving a perfect finish, and one that would last the test of time, took more patience and craftsmanship than you could ever imagine," said Achim Anscheidt, former Bugatti Design Director in charge of this creation, in a statement. 

The overall design for the automobile aimed to honor Bugatti's past through a collection of exquisitely detailed designs showcasing significant moments in the company's history.

A novel process

To maintain the authenticity of the artwork, Bugatti found a process that would allow its artists to use pencils and do all of the sketches by hand, directly onto the paintwork. Doré, a custom hue, was developed and applied to the vehicle using a gradient color split into a unique metallic version of "Nocturne Black," providing the ideal foundation for the designers to begin the challenging process of drawing straight onto the vehicle.

The Type 57 SC Atlantic, widely recognized as one of the most beautiful cars ever created, and the Type 41 Royale, hailed as the most opulent vehicle when it was shown in 1926, are among the icons depicted in 26 hand-drawn designs on the passenger side. It serves as a display for the occasions when Bugatti's ideas impacted the automotive world.

19 illustrations on the driver's side reflect Bugatti's resurgence and continued success from 1987, beginning with the EB110 and moving on to the Veyron and Chiron. "A beautifully simple representation of the 3,712 individual components that come together to create the legendary W16 engine – the most advanced automotive engine ever built – rightfully takes its place as a part of the masterpiece."

To complete the package, the team of designers saw that three Bugatti icons were hand-applied to each of the interior door panels using a special paint and delicate paintbrush that allowed a design team member to sketch directly into the leather. The Type 35, the Type 57 SC Atlantic, and the Type 41 Royale feature on the one side, while the EB110, Veyron, and Chiron, legends of the present day, are facing these icons of the past that had inspired them. The vehicle is now awaiting a formal delivery to its owner at Monterey Car Week.