Bugatti Veyron Grand Sports take pride of place in the Manufacturers’ Parade
When Bugatti revealed the Veyron 16.4 in 2005, the world had never seen anything like it. At a stroke it redefined the standards by which all supercars would be judged. Powered by the now-iconic 8-litre, quad-turbo W16 engine, it was the first in the world to develop more than 1,000hp and exceed 250 mph, all with the additional control and composure ensured by an intelligent all-wheel drive system. Bugatti had succeeded – in spectacular fashion – in its aim of turning the supercar into a luxury road car suitable for everyday use.
When the Veyron Grand Sport was unveiled just three years later – an occasion marked by the first production model being sold at auction for more than $3 million – the world marvelled again at another unprecedented achievement from the Molsheim marque: a truly breathtaking machine that effortlessly combined the unrivalled performance of the Coupé with the timeless allure of a roadster.
With its innovative transparent roof fitted, the Veyron Grand Sport could still exceed 250mph; in open-top configuration maximum speed was more than 223 mph. With or without the roof in place, acceleration from 0-62mph took just 2.7 seconds. It was befitting that this astonishing design and engineering masterpiece recall the Grand Sport name first given to the groundbreaking Type 40 and Type 43 from the late 1920s and early 30s respectively, and which were themselves the ultimate sports cars of their time.
So it was with great pride that the H.R. Owen team brought two of these extraordinary machines to Salon Privé London to help mark the start of the English summer Season: they played their part to the full in thrilling the crowds during the Supercar Manufacturers’ Parade. Finished in White over a Black Leather interior, and in Antigua White over exposed Pebble Beach Blue Carbon Fibre with a Blue Indigo Leather interior, both of these cars were the very embodiment of Ettore Bugatti’s maxim that “If comparable, it is no longer Bugatti.”