1995 Bugatti EB110 SS

The storied Bugatti manufacturer was founded in 1909 by Ettore Bugatti with the purpose of building a fast car that was capable of enduring the most punishing conditions demanded of a racecar of that day. The cars that left their factory were not only fast but were stylish works of art in their craftsmanship. The end of Ettore Bugatti's grand company came when it was sold to Hispano-Suiza in 1963, 15 years after his death. The death of his son Jean in 1939 ensured that there was no one to carry on, but the Bugatti name has seen several reincarnations over the years.

Bugatti automobile production would remain dormant for many decades, only to be awoken by an Italian Ferrari dealer named Romano Artioli who believed that he could return it to its former glory through the construction of a new supercar. Bugatti Automobili SpA was established in October 1987 and broke ground on a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility the following year in Campogalliano, Italy. After four years of design and development, Artioli and his team of designers and engineers believed they had created a car that was worthy of the fabled Bugatti name. Their creation was unveiled to the world on September 15th, 1991 at the Palace of Versailles, in front of the Grand Arche de la Defénse in Paris. In celebration of Ettore Bugatti's 110th birthday that same day, the car was appropriately named the EB110.

From 1991 through 1995, there were 139 examples of the Bugatti EB110 vehicles produced. The angular and aggressive design was courtesy of Giampalo Bendini and Marcello Gandini, and the interior was swathed in leather with contrasting wood trim, giving a nod to the road cars of the company's past. Power was from a 3.5-liter quad-turbo V12 engine mated to a six-speed manual transmission.

The EB110 SS, meaning Super Sport, was introduced in 1992 at the Geneva Salon, six months after the launch of the EB110 GT. It was lighter and more powerful and capable of a top speed of 216 mph. Upgrades included a new ECU, larger injectors, and a less restrictive exhaust system, resulting in an increase of power from 550 to 603 bhp. Overall weight was reduced by replacing some aluminum panels with carbon fibre, and tipped the scales at just 3,100 pounds. It is believed that there were 31 (as many as 33) examples of the SS produced and a total of 95 GT models. Eight examples were pre-production models with aluminum chassis, followed by eight with composite platforms.

The EB110 SS sold for a staggering $350,000 putting it well out of reach of most consumers. Michael Schumacher purchased a banana-yellow EB 110 Super Sport which helped boost the model's popularity.

by Daniel Vaughan | May 2009