Words: Elliott Hughes | Photography: Bugatti
A 2008 Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport is the first 21st-century Bugatti to be granted a certificate of authenticity from the recently formed La Maison Pur Sang certification programme.
La Maison Pur Sang was unveiled at the Rétromobile Show in Paris 2020, and is dedicated to “preserving historic and contemporary classic models for the enjoyment of future generations”, as well as determining the authenticity and provenance of a particular car.
The programme has been established at a time of unprecedented values, with five classic Bugattis setting sales records through Bonhams and Gooding & Company auctioneers recently. With Bugatti prices firmly on the incline, only models with impeccable authenticity are accepted by collectors.
La Maison Pur Sang operates from Bugatti’s Molsheim headquarters and verifies any model from the company’s illustrious 112-year history. As well as certification, La Maison Pur Sang also offers extensive restoration and reconfiguration services for Bugatti owners.
“To preserve their original state and renovate them, if needed, with original parts has made them win awards at prestigious concours, and their value rise over the decades,” explains Hendrik Malinowski, Bugatti’s director of sales and operations.
Bugatti’s certification programme is made possible thanks to the extensive research, archive material and the close contacts the company enjoys with Bugatti clubs, historians and collectors all around the world. “We can trace the history and determine the authenticity of any Bugatti model, regardless of age,” says Luigi Galli, who has been appointed head of La Maison Pur Sang.
As the first car to undergo the full La Maison Pur Sang treatment, the 2008 Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport has been meticulously worked on by Bugatti’s engineers for four months to return it to its original Pebble Beach launch specification.
To achieve this, all of the car’s exterior panels were removed and repainted in the original white-silver metallic paintwork. The interior received the same fastidious level of restoration, with the entirety of the cognac leather and aluminium surfaces refreshed.
Following the comprehensive work, the car was granted La Maison Pur Sang certification and it “rapidly attracted attention from a number of captivated collectors and was acquired almost immediately”, says Galli.
Bugatti’s confirmation of a car’s validity through La Maison Pur Sang is an important step for the marque to safeguard its heritage as it transitions into a new phase of its history in collaboration with Rimac and Porsche.
For more information about La Maison Pur Sang, click here.
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