Why these classic Bugatti racing cars are worth millions

Remi Dargegen

There has been a lot of speculation lately that after a 25-year absence, Bugatti will finally get into racing with the Bolide, its new track-oriented, W16-powered hypercar that supposedly develops 1,825 horsepower and is capable of blasting over 300 mph will return.

So this seems like a fitting moment to take a look at the famous French brand’s last two racing cars, the EB 110 LM (Le Mans) and the SC (Sport Competizione), which raced in 1994 and 1996 and marked the end of an era marked for Bugatti.

Remi Dargegen

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It was far too short a racing revival for the brand, which competed in Le Mans from 1923 to 1939, the year in which Pierre Veyron defeated the competition in a Bugatti Type 57 C. Fast forward to September 15, 1991, the birthday of the brand founder Ettore Bugatti, when its owner at the time Romano Artioli unveiled the EB 110.

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Thanks to its 560–610 hp V12 engine (depending on the variant) it reached a top speed of 218.5 miles per hour and was equipped with four turbochargers and a lightweight carbon monocoque, making it the most modern, most advanced and fastest production supercar of all time built.

A notable new book, The Last Bugatti Racing Cars, by motorsport experts Johann Petit and Pascal van Mele, edited by Bugatti’s former Head of Tradition, Julius Kruta, examines the racing variants of the EB 110 that for a time looked like they would continue the historic racing success of Bugatti.

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While it was not, the racing cars and the vehicles they are based on – the made-to-order EB 110 GT (Grand Touring) and SS (Super Sport) – have become modern icons, some of their rarest and most valuable vehicles Time.

Jakob Greisen, Head of US Motoring at the world-famous British auction house Bonhams, says that the Super Sport versions, of which only 32 were built, are the biggest draw for high-profile collectors.

Although, he tells us: “In my opinion, the EB 110 had to increase in value in every variation and be valued more as a collector’s car for several reasons: It corresponds to the age and epoch that a car should normally be when you start to work estimate; it was made by a reputable manufacturer; and it shaped the epoch in which it was built [breaking several world records]. In other words, people remember them and there is some affection and romance for them. ”

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While the EB 110 didn’t always attract the attention or prices of McLaren F1, even a “base model” EB 110 GT (only 96 of which were built) can currently fetch up to $ 1 million at auctions. “If the Miles (or km) are short and the car is original, well preserved and maintained – sometimes even more if the color is rare and sought-after, ”says Greisen.

Under the same conditions, he notes that a super sport can bring in up to $ 3 million. The two incredibly rare official racing versions would cost far more in the unlikely event that one were ever put on sale. Equally desirable, should it ever come onto the market, the yellow EB 110 SS would be owned and driven by the legendary F1 driver Michael Schumacher.

The Last Bugatti Racing Cars pays an extraordinary homage – limited editions of the book range from about $ 550 to over $ 1,000 – to an extraordinary car and contains many previously unpublished photos and a wealth of archival material, as well as memories and eyewitness accounts from key figures in its development and Racing career of the EB110 involved – including racing driver Derek Hill, racing engineer Dieter Gass and Bugatti test driver Loris Bicocchi. The latter was recently on the road with an EB 110 SS.

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“I’m still amazed at how modern the EB 110 SS still feels when driving,” he said. “It’s direct, to the point, easy, and incredibly fast. It has good road holding and offers top grip. ”

In 2019, Bugatti honored the EB 110 with the presentation of the Centodieci (Italian for 110), a reinterpretation of the original that celebrates the brand’s 110th birthday. With just 10 examples built for collectors worldwide, the 1,578-horsepower rocket ship with an (electronically limited) top speed of 240 miles per hour costs about $ 9 million.

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Fittingly, the Centodieci shares its drive strategy with the bolide, which may pick up where the EB 110 LM left off if it can be used in Le Mans in 2022 – without a doubt, which doesn’t quite herald a new era of racing dominance for the brand wait so quietly.