When the Bugatti EB110 was first revealed in Versailles and in front of the Grande Arche de la Défense, near Paris, an alien spaceship landing in the French capital would have drawn less attention. Characterful design cues such as the covered headlights integrated into the bonnet, an elongated chassis with its low, purposeful stance, and signature scissor doors projected an other-worldly aura for the reinvented Bugatti brand.

The return of Bugatti as an active supercar manufacturer was as much cause for commotion as the new model itself. Having been inactive since 1952, various attempts to revive the famous marque had failed before Italian entrepreneur and Ferrari dealer, Romano Artioli, acquired the rights to the brand in 1987. Artioli wasted no time in building a state-of-the-art assembly line in Campogalliano, Italy, where Bugatti laid the foundations to do battle with heavyweight supercar manufacturers such as Ferrari and Lamborghini, each headquartered almost within sight on the outskirts of Modena.

Development of the EB110 started straight away, however, the process was not straightforward, and four years passed before for the first modern Bugatti had been realised. The car’s styling came from the pen of Marcello Gandini—famous for his work on the Lamborghini Miura, Countach, and Diablo—and was refined by Giampaolo Benedini, who had helped breathe life into Bugatti’s new Emilia-Romagna factory. The result of their efforts was an angular and muscular design—an evolution of the wedge style that could be traced back to the Countach. Gandini parted company with Bugatti while the EB110 was still in blueprint form, so the experienced Technical Director, Nicola Materazzi, was installed to spearhead the switch to a revised carbon fibre chassis, also addressing concerns relating to the durability of the engine that were raised during testing.

The EB110 was finally unveiled on 15 September 1991, commemorating what would have been the 110th birthday of company founder, Ettore Bugatti. The final road-ready production car was named for the anniversary, officially termed the EB110 GT. The earliest cars were powered by a 3.5-litre, quad-turbocharged V-12 engine rated at 553 horsepower, working alongside a six-speed manual transmission. Official performance figures for the EB110 GT quoted a 0-60 mph time of just 3.4 seconds, with a top speed of a colossal 212.5 mph—one of few production cars of its era that could comfortably break the 200 mph barrier.

Bugatti revealed an even faster version of its halo product just six months after unveiling the first, with the EB110 Super Sport honed for an even greater 603 horsepower. While initial sales looked encouraging—and celebrity ownership endorsements came from figures such as Michael Schumacher—the company hit financial difficulties in the mid-1990s. Some attribute this turbulent phase to Artioli’s—perhaps over-ambitious—purchase of Lotus Cars from General Motors, yet a global recession and poor economic outlook no doubt played their part. Operations ceased in September 1995, just four years into the lifecycle of the EB110. It is thought that 139 examples left the Campogalliano factory including 84 EB110 GTs, while the remaining assets were sold to Jochen Dauer.

The example offered here was built for dispatch to Saudi Arabia, finished in Blu Bugatti over a Grigio Chiaro leather interior, as noted by an order summary filed by Bugatti Automobili SpA on 21 April 1993. This is available to view as part of the car’s history file. Though the supercar was destined for the Middle East, it is understood that the Bugatti stayed in storage in the UK. Early mechanical issues were rectified on return to Bugatti, as noted by retained receipts. The supercar was sold to its next owner in the United States, but later returned to British shores, and was registered with the DVLA in October 2004 as part of a significant collection.

The Bugatti sold at auction in 2005, where it was acquired by a Swiss enthusiast who kept the EB110 GT until 2012, when it became part of The Gran Turismo Collection. Maintained by Joe Macari and H.R. Owen while being enjoyed sparingly by its consigning owner, the Bugatti is the recipient of four newly fitted tyres. The odometer reads only 11,202 kilometres at the time of cataloguing.

Emerging from long-term ownership, this EB110 GT is sure to appeal to any Bugatti enthusiast seeking a fine example of this significant and increasingly popular model.