THE LAST BUGATTI RACERS

Here’s why racing examples of the famed French marque’s EB 110 can be worth millions

- JARED PAUL STERN

There has been much speculation of late that Bugatti will finally return to racing after a 25-year absence with the Bolide, its new track-focused, W16-powered hypercar reportedly packing 1,825 horsepower, and capable of blasting past 300 mph. So, this seems like a fitting moment to take a look at the famed French marque’s last two race cars, the EB 110 LM (Le Mans) and SC (Sport Competizione), which competed in 1994 and 1996, marking the end of an era for Bugatti.

It was an all-too-brief racing revival for the marque, which competed at Le Mans from 1923 until 1939, the year Pierre Veyron triumphed over the competition in a Bugatti Type 57 C. Fast forward to September 15, 1991, which would have been marque founder Ettore Bugatti’s 110th birthday, when its then-owner Romano Artioli unveiled the EB 110. Capable of a top speed of 218.5 mph thanks to its 560–610-hp V12 engine (depending on the variant), and equipped with four turbochargers and a lightweight carbon monocoque, it was the most modern, most advanced, and fastest production supercar ever built.