With two Le Mans wins, dozens of grand prix victories, five Targa Florios, a Manufacturers’ Championship, and the build of some of the pre-war period’s most celebrated sports and luxury automobiles to its credit, it is no wonder that the Bugatti marque is regularly honored at world-class concours d’elegance and museums. The Molsheim, France-based brand is so esteemed that a commemoration of its 100th anniversary was never in doubt. So when the occasion arrived in 2009, the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance duly pronounced Bugatti’s centenary as one of the event’s guiding themes.

This opportunity was not lost on Bugatti Automobiles SaS, the modern successor to Ettore Bugatti’s original Alsatian concern. The company’s signature product, the 1,001-horsepower Veyron 16.4, had spent years in careful development by the VW Group’s specialized engineers, and was received with justifiable acclaim by journalists and enthusiasts alike upon its 2005 introduction, redefining the benchmark for the modern hypercar in the process.

The Veyron was capable of accelerating from 0 to 62 mph in just 2.46 seconds, en route to a top speed just over 408 km/h (nearly 254 mph). Built around a magnificent mid-mounted, quad-turbocharged 8.0-liter W-16 engine with four valves per cylinder and a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, it astonished the world with its surefootedness even at the most extreme speeds, enabled by a full-time Haldex all-wheel-drive system. The stopping power was stunning, as the Veyron was anchored by massive carbon-ceramic disc brakes with 15.7-inch discs and eight-piston, four-pad calipers up front, while 15-inch discs with six-piston, two-pad calipers were mounted at the rear. The alloy wheels, respectively 20 and 21 inches at the front and rear, were shod with special Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 PAX run-flat tires engineered specifically for the Veyron.

Three different drive modes governed the dizzying array of technology: a Normal mode, at which the ride height was 4.9 inches; a Handling mode that deployed the rear spoiler and lowered ride height to 3.15 inches; and a special, key-activated High-Speed mode that dropped ride height to 2.56 inches in front and 2.75 at the rear, while changing the spoiler position. Even the car’s ancillary systems, including no fewer than 10 radiators, were marvels of automotive engineering conceived to perform under the most demanding circumstances.

All of this was encased within an intricately hand-crafted structure, actually shorter in overall length than a modern Porsche 911, though riding on a longer 106.7-inch wheelbase, while being noticeably lower and wider than the benchmark German sports car of the day. It was instantly and definitively recognizable as the pinnacle product that it aspired to be—the modern Bugatti, a sporting speed machine that looked and performed like absolutely nothing else on the road.

GENESIS OF THE ‘SANG BLEU’

At the 2008 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, Bugatti trotted out a new open-top variant of the Veyron, dubbed the Grand Sport. On both the original Veyron and the Grand Sport, the design lines of the Jozef Kabaň-penned coachwork paved the way for distinctive two-tone color schemes in the tradition of the pre-war grand touring models, and these combinations were generally executed in complementary paints.

A year later, Molsheim’s approach to surfacing was a bit more experimental. To properly celebrate its 100th anniversary at Pebble Beach in August 2009, Bugatti unveiled the featured car, a one-off iteration of the Grand Sport dubbed the Grand Sport “Sang Bleu.” Evoking the spirit of the French Racing Blue worn by many successful Bugatti racecars, the Sang Bleu (literally translating as Blue Blood) was cosmetically finished with a beautiful two-tone exterior, but this time the color scheme was not executed with paint. The conceptual choice was made to reveal these colors through unfinished materials alone, so the hood and rear section of the car were bodied in exposed carbon fiber treated in royal blue, while the front fenders, door panels, and the distinctive C-shaped character scoop were finished in polished aluminum. In combination, the two materials present with a fantastic flair that lend this Grand Sport an opulent, machine-like presence.

Additional design cues specific to the Sang Bleu include the finishing of the engine intakes in matching royal blue, and the fitting of two-tone wheels in royal blue over diamond cut. The cockpit was trimmed in plush Gaucho leather, emitting a warmth that wonderfully complements the cool metallic exterior.

Chassis number 043 was initially presented to great acclaim during the 2009 Monterey car week, on the famous Concept Car Lawn at the Pebble Beach lodge. It handsomely bolstered the concours d’elegance’s wonderful assortment of Bugattis that celebrated the centenary date, including an uber-rare Type 41 Royale. Following Pebble Beach, the Sang Bleu was used as an exhibition car at a small number of official Bugatti promotional events, including a private preview at the Frankfurt Motor Show.

The Sang Bleu now claims a mild life of careful and minimal use, having been acquired by its first private owner in 2011 before passing to the consignor two years later. Under current ownership the Bugatti has been dutifully maintained while being presented at a handful of shows in the southeastern United States, including the 2014 Celebration Exotic Car Festival, the 2014 Hilton Head Island Concours d’Elegance, and the 2015 Lake Mirror Classic Auto Festival. In preparation for the current offering, the car was treated to an annual major service by marque dealer Braman Motors of Miami, Florida, in September 2023.

Displaying just 2,793 miles at the time of cataloguing, this unique one-off Grand Sport retains its major original equipment and amenities, including the molded-on Michelin tires. The Sang Bleu would make a phenomenal addition to any Bugatti-focused collection, or it would constitute the perfect choice for any supercar connoisseur in search of a unique special-edition Veyron. Sure to encounter a warm welcome at major concours d’elegance, marque events, and supercar gatherings, the one-of-a-kind Sang Bleu is an unadulterated triumph of form and function.