Rare Bugatti Veyrons at auction, rare pedal car an option

The first and last hardtop Bugatti Veyron supercars made, numbers #001 and #300, went up for aution in RM Sotheby’s auction Thursday night, Aug. 13 during Monterey Auto Week. It will be nteresting to note what prices the two rare cars attract as well as the difference between the selling points the two iconic vehicles.

The three-day auction, which began with a preview Aug. 12, is being held at the Portola Hotel and Spa in Monterey.

The original Bugatti, a 2006, Bugatti Veyron 16.4, is predicted to sell for $1.8-$2.4 million. The second Bugatti, a 2012 Veyron 16.4 Super Sports, is predicted to sell for about $1 million.

Bugatti enthusiasts can also take note:

If you didn’t make the highest bid for the either of the Bugatti Veyrons, there’s an option — and at a reasonable price. How about a Bugatti pedal car? Here’s the link to a website with the information in images and a video about a craftsman’s unique creation: bugattipedalcar.com.

As a purchasing incentive, buyers of the cars will receive from the manufacturer a two-year warranty plus two additional years of free maintenance and a free set of new tires.

The two Veyrons are among the only 450 (300 hardtops, 150 convertibles) of the nearly 1,000-horsepower machines made.

“This is likely the most historically significant Veyron,” said Andrew Olson, a representative of the Canadian-based auction house. “As the first one, it’s the car that really set the standard for supercars for the next 10 years. Even today, it’s a lot faster than some of the stuff you can buy.”

The Veyron was designed and developed by the German Volkswagen Group and produced by Bugatti Automobiles SAS in Molsheim, France.

The car is named after French racing driver Pierre Veyron, who won the 24 hours of Le Mans in 1939 while racing for the original Bugatti company.

Initially displayed in April 2006, first Bugatti Veyron stunned the automotive world. It has a dual-clutch direct-shift gearbox that’s computer-controlled and has seven gear ratios. The Veyron has magnesium paddles behind the steering wheel and a shift time of less than 150 milliseconds.

The Bugatti can be driven in either semi-automatic or fully automatic mode and a  replacement transmission costs more than $120,000. Its permanent all-wheel drive uses run-flat tires that cost an estimated $25,000 per set.

And then there’s the car’s specs: 987 horsepower, 16 cylinders, 4 turbochargers and 10 radiators. Its 0-60 mph time is 2.4 seconds and it has a top speed of 253 miles per hour.

The first Bugatti Veyron cost about $1.5 million new. It’s had two owners (the names aren’t public), and arguably it’s most extraordinary feature is its lack of use. It been driven only 764 miles.

“The low mileage is very unusual,” Olson. “It’s been well preserved and well maintained. It was even displayed at the Geneva Auto Show this year with the last Veyron ever made. All of its history and low mileage make is slightly more valuable than a standard Veyron.”

The first Bugatti Veyron set for auction is the second time in recent years the first car of high-end brand was sold. The original 1998 Mercedes CLK GTR sold in 2012 for $1.1 million.
Preview passes for the RM Sotheby’s auction are $40.

A $300 bidder registration includes two preview passes, two auction passes and an auction catalog.

For additional information, visit: www.rmauctions.com.