The Bite Magazine - Autumn/Winter 2019 - Issue 26

bite cars On the La Voiture Noire, the supercar has a similar splitter and bumper vents as the Divo but with a more aggressive design. You’ll notice that the headlamps are different as well: for example, they are much larger and have a new LED pattern that looks as if they are made from diamonds. Another difference is the front hood doesn’t have the same vents as the later model and the lou- vers on top of the front fenders have been removed as well. A cool feature noted on the La Voiture Noire is that the wind- screen seems to flow seamlessly into the windows at the sides, which makes the glasshouse look like the visor on a helmet. Just like on the Atlantic, the wipers rest vertically at the centre of the windscreen which stimulated the former model split-window de- sign while the fin on the roof reminiscent of the Type 57’s central fin that kept the two-piece body together. Whilst the production models were made from aluminium, Bugatti retained the infa- mous fin. Final Word A one-off model, since there was only one Atlantic 57-453, La Voiture Noire is the essence of the early Bugatti design language. At $18.7 million, this magnificent masterpiece is the most expen- sive new car and was sold to an anonymous Bugatti enthusiast before it was even made. Described as someone who is “fasci- nated by the Atlantic; with the ‘Voiture Noire’, [the buyer] has acquired a vehicle that takes up the legend and carries the idea forward to the present day.” We wonder who they are! Having unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show earlier this year in March, La Voiture Noire went on to show at the Villa d’Este in Lake Como, Italy where it won the design award marking a fan- tastic year for Bugatti since it is also their 110th anniversary. “The Elegance Contest at the Villa d’Este is a major event for the world of luxury sports cars,” explained Stephan Winkelmann. “The models that can be seen here every year are iconic and the setting in which they are displayed could not better!” The star of the moment also appeared at the Concours d’Art et d’Elegance Richard Mille in July at Chantilly Castle in France where among a 115 acres park, lakes, and a gigantic forest, it stood out among the horde of designers, constructors, and brands showing their future models. As Winkelmann said, “La Voiture Noire is an exceptional and very special model. We are very proud of the work accomplished and are always happy to present the car at the various elegance shows like the one from Chantilly.” If Jean Bugatti was still alive today, we believe he would have been proud of the modern La Voiture Noire. A pioneer of exquisite design, the mastermind behind many of Bugatti’s models would have loved to have done much more to the original Atlantic 57- 453, had he not met an untimely death in 1939. We raise our glasses and salute Bugatti’s history and their 110th anniversary. www.bugatti.com/la-voiture-noire Images courtesy of Bugatti