The Maximum Minimum

In 1938, there were four Bugatti Type 57S Atlantics built, of which today only three exist. The fourth, with chassis 57453, was the private car for Jean Bugatti, son of the founder. Only Jean and the Grand Prix drivers were allowed to drive this particular car, and it was also the only one to have a perfect gloss black finish. This is what gave the automobile its name, La Voiture Noire.

Mysteriously, in 1940, with the Second World War looming, when the Bugatti factory was relocated to a different location, one car left but never arrived at its destination. It was lost, obtaining mythical status. To this day, no one knows what happened to this particular car, and if found now, it would most certainly be the most expensive classic car of all time.

Yet, the masterpiece of sophistication from Jean Bugatti is definitely the Atlantic. It embodies speed, luxury, and elegance like no other automobile—a breathtaking black sculpture, something so unique, so profound, that it will always be remembered.

Through my twelve years working for Bugatti Automobiles, the Atlantic was a constant source of inspiration. We used it for project Sang Noir and the Galibier 16C concept. But in September 2018, the Bugatti design department decided to celebrate the 110-year anniversary of the brand with a return to designing a "1 of 1."

The base of this coach-built project was with none other than the mighty Bugatti Chiron, with its enormous W16 quad-turbocharged engine, delivering 1500 horsepower and reaching speeds over 400 km/h. In order to make history once again, during the 2019 Geneva Motor Show, I asked myself: if Jean were still alive today and had access to all our technology, what design would he create for his car to be reborn?

Bugatti still holds the crown for being the ultimate graceful GT for today’s world. A unique position in the market, unrivaled by other supercar brands. All those modifications, being road legal, and the uniquely designed body resulted in La Voiture Noire quickly earning infamy for being the most expensive new car ever built, as the vehicle sold to an undisclosed customer for €16.7 million ($19 million).

What is perfection? I always say that a good design is a memorable one, one you could just see for a fraction of a second, but it will leave an imprint in your mind. In order to achieve this, the design needs to be simple, a pure extract of your thoughts as a designer. In the end, the perfect design is ready when there is nothing left to take out. No extra ornaments, only purposeful and purely functional. This leads to a timeless design as well as an elegant one. As elegance is not about catching someone’s eyes; it’s about staying in someone’s memory.

La Voiture Noire for me was the perfect big finale. Sometimes you have to take risks, and I wanted to test my own limits, grow further. Look into other luxury industries, such as yachting, architecture, and product design. Nevertheless, hypercars, or cars in general, are what touch my heart the most, what live and breathe in every part of my soul. I am still within the hypercar industry and recently released the Nilu 27 with my dear friend and former Bugatti designer, Sasha Selipanov. And a few upcoming projects that, unfortunately, I can’t talk about yet.

I think as an automotive designer, it’s important to have core values. That can be represented in many different facets. I think the Bugatti La Voiture Noire as my last project at Bugatti and my current projects have quite a lot in common. It’s about reducing to the max, until there is nothing left to take out. It’s about the purity, the brand, and the design DNA carved out of the material.

Every single line, every material, every shape has a meaning. But I don’t want to wrap my DNA around every project I do. As an actor dives into his role before starting a project, I am pretty much doing the same as a designer. Diving into the project, the target group, the design essence of the project. Nevertheless, the Nilu 27 is a deeply personal project. You can really see what influenced Sasha and myself from our childhoods. For the Nilu 27, we were inspired by key design elements that we take into account today. We dared to try new things, pushing the limits. For example, one of the main inspirations was the Ken Block freestyle scene. So, I designed the pedals in a skateboard shape out of bent wood. Surely a very unique way of designing a supercar, far from the crystal and gold-plated metal parts from other manufacturers.

For the Nilu 27, I was also inspired by the Lamborghini Countach, the Ferrari F40, and the Ford GT. For the future, it’s about proportions first. Cars are going bigger and bigger. But that doesn’t make the design necessarily better. Allowing cars to be simple and light, to fit around the driver’s body like a perfect glove. But I would add, that is not the most important part.

What counts is creating a memorable luxury experience. Perceiving that experience in your subconscious with all your senses. Hearing the raw sound of the engine. The way the doors close. The way the light is reflected on the side lines. Even more important, it is about making the experience personal. Your Bugatti La Voiture Noire. A road trip through the French Riviera. Driving through the late summer night on Monegasque roads. With your loved one on your side, the right playlist. Making memories.

Etienne Salomé is the former deputy chief designer at Bugatti who designed La Voiture Noire.

By Etienne Salomé

Contributor