24h Le Mans
As the Bugatti track in Le Mans toasts its fiftieth anniversary, the Geneva Motor Show marks the end of an era for an exceptional car, the Bugatti Veyron, named after Pierre Veyron, winner of the Le Mans 24 Hours in the 1930s.
Photo : D.R - ARCHIVES ACO
Pierre Veyron (1903-1970) raced a Bugatti in his first four Le Mans 24 Hours. He won in 1937 but his most impressive race was in 1939, when he and Jean-Pierre Wimille won in a type 57C.
Fast forward to 2005. Seven years after the Bugatti brand had been revived by the Volkswagen group, the manufacturer introduced a special 450-piece edition of the car, named after Veyron. The Bugatti Veyron boasts a W16 turbocharged engine developing 1,001 bhp. It is fitted with a computer-controlled hydraulic system that adapts the car’s aerodynamics to its speed, increasing the down force and opening the rear aerofoil. With such power and technology, the Bugatti Veyron can reach top speeds of over 400 kph. The car’s pedigree and 2-million-euro price tag reflect the outrageous luxury and performance associated with Bugatti in the 1930s.
The story of an exceptional car, dedicated to a winner of the Le Mans 24 Hours, is drawing to an end. The last of the 450 Bugatti Veyrons, aptly named “La Finale”, is on display at the brand’s stand at the Geneva Motor Show 2015.
Jean-Philippe Doret / ACO Translated by Emma Paulay
Photo: LE MANS (SARTHE, FRANCE), CIRCUIT DES 24 HEURES, LE MANS 24 HOURS, SATURDAY 17 & SUNDAY 18 JUNE 1939. The distinctive radiator grill of the Bugatti 57 that Pierre Veyron and Jean-Pierre Wimille drove to victory in 1939 is also a feature of the Bugatti Veyron.
