
This exceptional model –
Bugatti Veyron Fbg par Hermes – is priced at
1.55 million euros (not including
tax).






PRESS RELEASE
Emile Hermes and Ettore Bugatti1956 saw the last Molsheim-built
Bugatti pass through the factory gates of the famous
Alsatian car manufacturer. Fifty years later, in the spring of 2006, the first of the new generation of
Molsheim Bugattis, the
Bugatti Veyron 16.4, was delivered to its owner.
Ettore Bugatti and
Émile Hermès met in the 1920s, when
Ettore ordered a bespoke suitcase for his first
Bugatti Royale. Almost eighty years later, at the
2006 Pebble Beach Concours d'Élégance, representatives of
Bugatti and
Hermès met again. And this encounter turned out to be the beginning of a new collaboration between the two houses.
The revival of this relationship may initially appear surprising, as the association between the renowned
luxury house and the legendary
car manufacturer in today's automotive context would not immediately spring to mind. It confirms that heritage is able to survive over a time span of several decades.
"Art-Forme-Technique", the mythical legacy of
Bugatti underlines that strong brand values and a total commitment to excellence are as valid today as they were when
Ettore Bugatti and
Émile Hermès met for the first time. And today's exchange of expertise, skills and craftsmanship, common to both houses in their respective fields, is still as exciting and rewarding as at the time of
Émile and
Ettore's first encounter.
What had begun as a personal friendship has now turned into a
modern industrial design project and an important part of
Bugatti's new individual-isation programme. The
new Bugatti Veyron Fbg par Hermès is a milestone in
Bugatti's renaissance and an enthusiastic and promising partnership between
Hermès and
Bugatti – between a "car-loving saddle- maker" and a "horse-loving carmaker".
Dr. Franz-Josef Paefgen
President
Bugatti Automobiles S.A.S.The meeting between
Émile Hermès and
Ettore Bugatti, at the beginning of the 20th century, marked an epoch-making encounter between a prestigious Parisian saddler with a passion for
cars, and an exceptional carmaker with a passion for the world of horses. The result was a friendship nourished by shared enthusiasms, respect and admiration, and a common vision of the importance of innovation, creativity and modernity.
The
Bugatti Veyron Fbg par Hermès revives the historic links between
Bugatti and
Hermès, demonstrating the enduring power of their shared values, in the pursuit of contemporary excellence.
Since its beginnings in 1837,
Hermès has always sought to accompany people on the move: on horseback, by
car, by plane or most recently by helicopter... Elegance, functionality, creativity and extreme attention to quality are the principles shaping the design and production of everything we make. The
Bugatti Veyron was, then, studied, "tamed" and rethought. At the invitation of
Hermès Artistic Direction,
designer Gabriele Pezzini worked with our craftsmen to create a
car that is just as much
Hermès as it is
Bugatti.
The utmost attention has been paid to the reworking of the interior and exterior alike. A highly detailed approach, reflecting the spirit of excellence underpinning the collaboration between teams from
Bugatti and
Hermès on this shared project. Handcrafted leatherwork by
Hermès is to be found throughout, even under the hood.
This exceptional car has been invested with an aura of serenity and refinement that accompanies it wherever it goes, from country lanes to city streets. In Paris, we shall be delighted to see it glide, astonishingly acquiescent, along the Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré.
Patrick Thomas
Chief Executive Officer
HermèsThe"Bugatti Veyron Fbg par Hermès"On the occasion of the
78th Geneva Motor Show (from 6 to 16 March 2008),
Bugatti and
Hermès copresent the fruit of their partnership: the "
Bugatti Veyron Fbg par Hermès", associating
Bugatti's technical performance with the expertise of
Hermès and its craftsmen. In partnership with Hermès,
designer Gabriele Pezzini has married the distinctive
Hermès style to the legendary
Bugatti Veyron 16.4, magnifying the car's personality.
This remarkable car features an array of excep¬tional characteristics: the innovative alliance of a technologically advanced engine, delivering 1001 horsepower, with an understated yet uncompromising silhouette reflecting the high performance capacities of state-of-the-art engineering and
design, and above all, the pleasure these inspire in every Bugatti owner.
The fascination exerted by this
sports coupé, capable of reaching 407 km/h, is due in large part to its unique alliance of the very finest
motor-racing technology with comfortable handling for everyday driving. The
16-cylinder "W" configuration engine is fed by
four turbochargers and features 64 valves, generating 1001 horsepower at 6000 rpm. The engine draws on its 8-litre displacement to deliver a maximum torque of 1250 Newton-metres between 2200 and 5500 rpm. With full-time all-wheel drive, the car's phenomenal power produces breath-takingly dynamic handling, with acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h in a mere 2.5 seconds. The
Bugatti Veyron 16.4 benefits from aeronautical and aerospace technologies, making it the fastest production
car ever made. The
car also features a
braking system designed to deliver unprecedented powers of deceleration, establish¬ing a new industry benchmark. The carbon-fibre discs provide brake pressure of up to 180 bars, combined with eight-piston monobloc callipers and titanium pistons fitted with fine steel heads and ceramic heat protectors. Apply the brakes at speeds above 200 km/h, and the rear wing acts as an airbrake, positioning itself at an angle of 113 degrees in less than 0.4 seconds, augmenting the
Bugatti Veyron's already impressive stopping power. The airbrake increases negative lift at the rear of the car to 300 kg, enhancing the braking torque on the rear axle. At 400 km/h, emergency braking will bring the
sports car to a complete halt in less than 10 seconds.
This, the world's most fascinating car, has pushed back the limits of physical engineering to offer a completely new sensation for driver and passenger alike. But it has also adopted a radically different stance to that of other sports cars: its features and finish are sure to impress the most demanding clientele.
Hermès and
designer Gabriele Pezzini have lavished attention on the interior and exterior of this exceptional car, to create the
new Bugatti Veyron 16.4: the "
Bugatti Veyron Fbg par Hermès"
A harmonious design, inside and out
The official name of the highly exclusive
Bugatti Veyron "Fbg par Hermès" refers to the historic
Hermès headquarters on the Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, in the heart of Paris's eighth arrondissement: the "
Fbg" appellation evokes the house's "faubourg" address.
With the
Bugatti Veyron Fbg par Hermès, the exacting standards of
Émile Hermès and
Ettore Bugatti come together for the first time, in an exceptional collaboration: the culmination of their extreme attention to aesthetic and technological quality and performance.
Gabriele Pezzini has reinterpreted
Bugatti's traditional two-tone carriage work, fostering a fluid, harmonious transition between the
car's exterior and
interior design. The colour of the hood extends to the
interior of the cockpit, and re-emerges behind, at the level of the rear wing.
As a tribute to the celebrated
1924 Bugatti Type 35, undoubtedly the most famous of all time, thanks to its many successes on the racetrack, the
new Bugatti Veyron Fbg par Hermès features eight-spoked wheels in polished aluminium, central butterfly wheel locks branded with the letter H, and air vents around the rims repro¬ducing the characteristic appearance of
Hermès saddle-stitching. The horseshoe radiator grille, and the lateral ventilation grilles flanking it, are made from lightweight alloys with a design of interlocking H's evoking the Hermès "signature".
A refined formal vocabularyThe inner surfaces of the
Bugatti Veyron Fbg par Hermès have been designed and sheathed in bull calfskin by the
Hermès workshops in Paris. The
care and attention to detail observe an extremely refined, minimalist formal vocabulary, reflecting the tradition of the very first
Bugattis and the fundamental design principles of the house of Hermès. The door handles echo the fluid forms of handles on Hermès travel bags and luggage. And the dashboard, traditionally finished in brushed aluminium, is here clad entirely in bull calfskin. Passengers aboard the
Bugatti Veyron Fbg par Hermès will find a dashboard glove compartment designed to hold a selection of small travel accessories and a zipped
Hermès wallet. Both seats are covered in two-toned bull calfskin, and the panel separating the cockpit from the central rear engine – traditionally made of carbon fibre – is covered in the same fine leather. The leather-lined trunk holds a specially-fitted "Toile H" and leather case, hand-made by craftsmen from the Hermès workshops.
This exceptional model – in toning colours of ebony and étoupe, or ebony and brick – is priced at 1.55 million euros (not including tax), available at the end of 2008.