Bugatti La Voiture Noire: Price, Owner, Specs and Why It Is So Expensive

Bugatti La Voiture Noire is a one-of-one coachbuilt hypercar created for Bugatti’s 110th anniversary. Revealed at the 2019 Geneva Motor Show, it was inspired by Jean Bugatti’s lost Type 57 SC Atlantic and became one of the most expensive new cars ever sold, with a reported price close to $19 million including taxes.

La Voiture Noire means “The Black Car” in French, but the name is more than a color reference. It connects the modern car to one of Bugatti’s most mysterious legends: Jean Bugatti’s personal black Type 57 SC Atlantic, a car that disappeared before World War II and has never been found.

Unlike a regular limited-edition hypercar, La Voiture Noire was built as a single private commission. It uses Bugatti’s 8.0-liter quad-turbo W16 platform, but its real value comes from the one-off body, hand-finished carbon-fiber design, Atlantic-inspired story, and the privacy surrounding its unknown owner.

Quick Take

Bugatti La Voiture Noire is a one-of-one hyper GT unveiled by Bugatti at the 2019 Geneva Motor Show to celebrate the brand’s 110th anniversary. Inspired by Jean Bugatti’s lost Type 57 SC Atlantic, it uses an 8.0-litre quad-turbocharged W16 producing 1,500 horsepower and 1,600 Nm of torque. The car was priced at approximately €11 million before taxes (around $12.5 million), while reports placed the final purchase price at roughly €16.7 million ($18–19 million including taxes), making it one of the most expensive new cars ever sold.

Bugatti La Voiture Noire at a Glance

Bugatti La Voiture Noire: Four Quick Tidbits About the Supercar

Four years after its sensational launch, the car is still a real mystery to many, despite its immense popularity. Here are a few things that you should know about the Bugatti La Voiture Noire.

1. How Many Bugatti La Voiture Noire are There?

Bugatti La Voiture Noire is as rare as they come, with only one such car in the world. Bugatti is known for making rare cars because they always put a limit on the production run. So, what exactly is the production count of Bugattis? Well, the Veyron (the least pricey Bugatti) with 450 units and Chiron with 500 examples are the prime examples of exclusiveness but La Voiture Noire takes the cake in terms of exclusivity. Even the Divo cannot compete in the same category with 40 units priced at close to $6 million each.

For a wider look at the brand’s modern and historic lineup, our Bugatti models guide explains how cars like the Veyron, Chiron, Divo and one-off creations fit into the company’s modern story.

2. Bugatti La Voiture Noire Top Speed

The most expensive new car of 2019 can go from 0 to 60 in under three seconds. Wait, there is more; it features 1,500 horsepower and 1,180 pound-foot of torque. Moreover, thanks to the quad-turbo W-16 engine, a top speed of 261mph (420 km/h) is attainable with this fastest car. The speed limit is set at this level for safety reasons.

3. Bugatti La Voiture Noire Price

Bugatti La Voiture Noire was priced at about €11 million before taxes when it was revealed. With taxes and final customer costs included, the figure is often reported close to €16.7 million, or roughly $18–19 million depending on exchange rates at the time.

That price puts it far above regular limited-production Bugatti models. The reason is simple: La Voiture Noire is not just rare, it is unique. Only one exists, and it was built as a coachbuilt tribute to Jean Bugatti’s lost Type 57 SC Atlantic.

4. Bugatti La Voiture Noire Interior

The interior of the supercar has beauty in mind without forgetting power. The central idea is to turn long drives into exquisite experiences. To meet the moment, the interior has Havana Brown grain leather. Overall, it feels more natural. Moreover, experts say that the interior of the Bugatti La Voiture Noire has no competition.

Who Owns Bugatti La Voiture Noire?

The owner of the Bugatti La Voiture Noire has never been officially confirmed by Bugatti. The company has described the buyer only as a Bugatti enthusiast, but it has not publicly named the person or organization behind the car.

That is important because La Voiture Noire is often linked online with famous names, especially Cristiano Ronaldo. Those claims are repeated because celebrity-owned Bugattis attract huge attention, but Bugatti has never confirmed Ronaldo, Ferdinand Piëch, or any other public figure as the official owner of La Voiture Noire. For more details on known and publicly discussed Bugatti collectors, see our guide to famous people who own Bugatti cars.

For a one-off car at this level, privacy is normal. Many ultra-wealthy buyers keep delivery details, registration records and private collections away from public view. That is especially true when the car is a unique commission rather than a regular limited-production model.

So, Bugatti La Voiture Noire has one private owner, but the owner’s identity remains officially undisclosed. Until Bugatti or the owner confirms it, celebrity ownership claims should be treated as rumors, not facts.

Is Bugatti La Voiture Noire the World’s Most Expensive Car?

Bugatti La Voiture Noire is one of the most expensive new cars ever sold, but it should not always be called the single most expensive car in the world. When Bugatti revealed it in 2019, the reported price was about €11 million before tax and around €16.7 million with taxes, which made it the most expensive new car sale widely reported at that time.

The picture has changed since then because Rolls-Royce has returned strongly to coachbuilding. The Rolls-Royce Boat Tail and the Rolls-Royce Droptail family are often reported at higher estimated prices than La Voiture Noire, which is why our wider guide to the most expensive cars in the world now needs a more careful ranking than simply calling the Bugatti number one. Because Rolls-Royce does not always officially confirm final customer prices, exact comparisons can be difficult.

So the most accurate answer is this: Bugatti La Voiture Noire is one of the most expensive new production-based hypercars ever built, and it remains the most expensive modern Bugatti one-off in public conversation. However, it is not always ranked as the world’s most expensive car today because ultra-bespoke Rolls-Royce coachbuilt models have reportedly surpassed it. For the broader price ranking, see our guide to the most expensive Bugatti cars.

It is also worth comparing it with the Bugatti Chiron Profilée. The Chiron Profilée sold for a record figure at auction and became one of the most valuable modern Bugattis, but it is a different case. La Voiture Noire was a private one-off commission, while the Chiron Profilée became famous because of its auction result. Both cars prove the same thing: the most valuable Bugattis are no longer judged only by horsepower, but by rarity, story, specification and collector demand.

La Voiture Noire vs Chiron vs Divo

The easiest way to understand Bugatti La Voiture Noire is to compare it with the Chiron and Divo. All three belong to Bugatti’s modern W16 era, but they were created for different purposes. The Chiron is the core performance hypercar, the Divo is a more handling-focused limited model, and La Voiture Noire is a one-off coachbuilt grand tourer built around rarity, design and heritage. For more background on Bugatti’s modern W16 performance story, see our Bugatti Chiron vs Veyron comparison.

5 Facts that Help Bugatti La Voiture Noire Stand Out

It is obvious that the “Black Car” is in a league of its own. However, the following facts confirm how extraordinary the overall product is.

1. La Voiture Noire is Entirely Handmade

Designer Etienne Salomé set a high bar for himself and his team. They wanted nothing short of perfection. Mr. Salomé feels that the coupé has an out-of-this-world finish to go with its perfect form. Moreover, the different components of the car were crafted by hand.

Salomé claims that the team worked in a way to ensure that the final result was truly the best of what they could have offered. All these creative efforts made it to be called a true craftsmanship and hence, secured most pricey vehicle tag on the globe..

2. La Voiture Noire Picks up Where the Bugatti Chiron Left off

The Bugatti La Voiture Noire is an extraordinary piece of art. However, some of its predecessors deserve credit for their role in its creation. The Type 57 SC Atlantic served as inspiration in several ways, including the name. Moreover, you can also add the Bugatti Chiron, which was shown to the public in March 2016, and quickly climbed the charts of the top speedsters of that year. The two models share a similar frame. However, inspiration should not be seen as an upgrade with no real identity. That is not the case; La Voiture Noire stands on its own and more. The cooling system, the wheels, and the wonderful interior are areas where La Voiture Noire proves that you can always build on a great foundation.

3. La Voiture Noire Does not Neglect Details

This is a car that tries to hit all the right notes at every turn. With the handcrafted component, it shows a real focus on details. Moreover, it took over two years to build the supercar.

The team paid a lot of attention to the wheels, shape, and lighting, among other things. If you are looking at La Voiture Noire, you will find something special that will stay with you for a while.

This is way longer than what usually happens in the industry. However, Bugatti often tries to get everything right, and this time is no exception. It is safe to say that the company continues to have a great record when it comes to delivering the goods.

Case in point: the Bugatti La Voiture Noire has a carbon fiber body. Concretely, the car is lighter at 4,000 lbs. While this is a normal range for a supercar, this feature still adds to the grandiose nature of La Voiture Noire.

4. Mystery Buyer Helps Get the Design Right

Most of the ideas came from Bugatti. However, the buyer had some input. For example, they requested that six exhaust pipes be added to the supercar. The experts found it to be a great addition and made the move. In the grand scheme of things, this arrangement makes sense. If you are buying the most expensive Bugatti car in the world, you might as well customize it to your liking.

5. Advanced lighting – precision-milled headlamps and a seamless rear light surround

Bugatti gave La Voiture Noire some pretty extraordinary lighting details. Up front, each headlamp hides over 25 tiny, individually milled light elements—almost like jewelry for a car. Around the back, the taillight stretches in one seamless band with no visible breaks, which Bugatti says is the first time they’ve pulled that off. Whether you see it as art or engineering wizardry, the effect is striking. Even the grille, partly shaped through milling and 3D printing, shows how this one-off creation tries to balance old-world craftsmanship with modern production tricks.

Sources Checked for This Bugatti La Voiture Noire Guide

This guide was reviewed against Bugatti’s official La Voiture Noire reveal material, Bugatti’s model page, and Bugatti newsroom updates about the completed one-off car. Reported prices can vary because coachbuilt cars are private commissions and final customer prices are not always fully public.

• Bugatti official La Voiture Noire reveal and anniversary press release
• Bugatti official La Voiture Noire model and design page
• Bugatti official completed-car and handover update
• Bugatti official note on the Geneva show car, 110th anniversary and €11 million net price

Conclusion

Bugatti La Voiture Noire is not important only because of its price. Its real value comes from the combination of rarity, design, history and mystery. It is a one-off coachbuilt Bugatti, inspired by the lost Type 57 SC Atlantic, powered by the W16 platform, and still attached to an officially undisclosed owner.

That is why it remains one of the most talked-about modern Bugattis. Some newer coachbuilt Rolls-Royce models may be reported at higher prices, but La Voiture Noire still stands as one of the most dramatic one-off hypercars of the modern era. For Bugatti, it works as both a tribute to the past and a statement of what ultra-luxury car building can look like.

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