BUGATTI’S ITALIAN REBIRTH

Perhaps one of the storied marques of the pre-war era is Bugatti, with its name steeped in racing prowess and engineering. The cars produced by Ettore Bugatti were some of the most incredibly engineered automobiles of their time, as they were born and bred in and for the crucible of racing. Not only did Bugatti produce incredible performance cars, but they were also known for their lavish street cars, which often incorporated lessons learned from the company’s experiences on the track and were the crème de la crème of French automobiles.

Although Bugatti had closed its doors in 1952, Italian Ferrari dealer Romano Artioli dreamed that the brand could be revived through the construction of a new supercar. Artoli established Bugatti Automobile SpA in October 1987, and the following year, construction of a new, state-of-the-art factory in Campogalliano, Italy, began. Artioli and his team of engineers worked tirelessly for four years to create a supercar that they believed would be worthy of wearing the Bugatti name. The car was unveiled on September 15, 1991, in celebration of Ettore’s 110th birthday at the Palace of Versailles, in front of the Grand Arche de la Défense in Paris. It was appropriately named the EB110.

The new EB110 had everything a supercar needed to stand up against Ferrari’s F40, Porsche’s 959, and Lamborghini’s new Diablo. It was a supercar in every sense of the word, as it was bestowed with a 3.5-liter V-12 with four turbochargers that was capable of producing 550 horsepower; a six-speed manual transmission; angular and aggressive styling penned by Giampalo Benedini and Marcello Gandini; and of course, Gandini’s signature “scissor doors.” Of course, the EB110’s performance more than stood up to its styling, as the car was capable of a blistering 213 mph. Inside, the cabin was swathed in leather, which was beautifully contrasted with wood trim, giving a nod to the luxurious road cars of Bugatti’s past.

Sadly, Artioli’s dream and the new Bugatti’s tenure would be short-lived. The manufacture went bankrupt in 1995, due to the effects of a worldwide economic recession, and the assets of the company were sold to Jochen Dauer. Dauer had enough spares at his disposal to create an additional 11 production cars before Bugatti closed its doors in Italy for good. By that time, a total of 139 examples had been produced, leaving it as a very rare supercar with few rivals.

THIS EB110 GT

This particular EB110 was just the sixth production example built by Bugatti. Shortly after its completion in March 1993, it was sold new to Yutaro Okamoto, a Japanese-based collector, and it was originally finished in dark green over a grey leather interior. As Okamoto was an enthusiastic owner and driver, he took his EB110 back to Italy and participated in the Italian Bugatti rally in June 1994; following the completion of the rally, the car was subsequently shipped back to Japan. Sometime thereafter, it was refinished in is current shade of Bugatti racing blue and the dashboard and transmission tunnel were retrimmed in grey alcantara, giving the car’s interior a more contemporary look and feel that was more befitting of a modern supercar. This EB110 has recently been imported into the United States from Japan under the Show and Display Law, and it is in excellent condition, ready to return to the open road, where it can be enjoyed as its designers had intended.

Although the EB110 and the production of Bugattis in Campogalliano were short-lived, the EB110 is fondly remembered by enthusiasts as being a viable alternative to the established crop of supercars from Ferrari, Porsche, and Lamborghini. Additionally, the occasion of an EB110 being offered for sale is indeed a rare occasion, as only a handful have made it over to this side of the Atlantic. The EB110 holds an important place in Bugatti’s history and has already proven to be a modern-day collectible. This particular example surely will not disappoint its next owner.