The
Bugatti Veyron Veyron has changed its outfit more often than Superman but the end is in sight for the watchers who ask each other what the next model will be dressed in. From now on Bugatti are switching production from individually designed to production models for which new purchasers will have only a limited choice of designs. Hark back to the good old days of the Veyron and you’ll find some very distinctive designs, not all of them particularly attractive some say. These are our favourites…
1. Pur Sang
These weren’t specially commissioned models but a short production run with the name meaning ‘pure blood’ or ‘thoroughbred’. The cars have no paint coating, simply a clear lacquer that revealed the slightly golden coloured silver oxide finish on the carbon fibre panels. The opulent look was finished off with high gloss bronze road wheels. The car was launched in September 2007 at the Frankfurt Motor Show and it continues to be one of the most sought after second hand Veyrons.
2. Sang d’Argent
Based on the Pur Sang, this model’s name means ‘silver blood’ and differs only in having a matte silver and aluminium livery. It was a one off model shown as a display model at the Dubai Motor Show two years after its protégé was shown in Frankfurt. It eventually became the first Veyron to sell for over $2m.
3. Sang Bleu
Another ‘Sang’ model completes the top three with the 2010 Sang Bleu. This time the innovation is in the use of glazed blue carbon fibre with polished aluminium contrasting panels. The wheels complement the bodywork being in two tone diamond cut and midnight blue. This model appeared in 2010.
4. Bleu Centenaire
Celebrating the 100 year anniversary of the Bugatti brand, the Bleu Centenaire was one half of two models released that year to celebrate the event. The Bleu featured a return to the original Bugatti colour and was liveried in matt and gloss blue panel work. It has a chrome strip through the middle of the bonnet added, reminiscent of that on the first Bugattis. The second part of the special edition range was a series of four designs representing the great racing car nations; France, Italy, Germany and Great Britain. The colour schemes in order were; two tone blue and silver; two tone red and silver; two tone beige and silver and two tone green and silver.
5. Matte White
Another one off, shown at the 2011 Shnghai Motor Show, this model featured a matte white finish above, contrasting with glazed blue carbon fibre panels below.
6. L’Or Blanc
This model whose name means ‘white gold’ was the first to feature porcelain based paints and is fitted out in a distinguished blue and white. It was an experimental venture with Konigliche Porzellan-Manufaktur and is highly sought after in the collector’s market.
7. Black Carbon
This was one of two models to feature the glazed unpainted body panels without their silver oxide finish. Inside it has a snow beige and Beluga black interior. It was shown at the 2011 Shanghai Auto Show and specially built for a Chinese client who gave permission for it to be displayed.
8. Edition Merveilleux
This model is similar to the Black Carbon except it has black wheels and a vividly contrasting bright blue interior, often seen illuminated to show off the contrast. Sold to a Chinese collector, seemingly as a 40
th birthday present to himself, Bugatti released a video of the car with the company’s directors wishing ‘Simon’ a happy birthday – a very strange piece of marketing!
9. Sang Noir
Sang Noir, or ‘black blood’ was an emergency edition in response to the poor response to the ‘World Record’ edition. This model is similar to the Merveilleux except it has an even more extreme tangerine interior and everything apart from the interior is black. It showed at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show and had the highest price tag yet for a Veyron at $3.4m.
10. Le Saphir Bleu
This model seems to be a potential new model; glimpsed only occasionally around Molsheim and similar in design to the L’Or Blanc but with a Bugatti style blue livery. No official comment has been made by Bugatti.
There are many other Bugatti Veyron designs, some of which have received less than favourable reviews. The all red ‘Red’ edition takes some getting used to, as do the special editions covered in decals such as the Wei Long from 2012, the Bijan Pakzad from 2011 in black and yellow with decals or the Bernar Venet also from 2012 covered in mathematical symbols.
