For six years, who owned La Voiture Noire remained a secret. In 2019, an unknown person paid 16.7 million euros for the car. Bugatti did not want to name the person who bought what was then the most expensive new car in the world.

Now the unique piece is for sale again. According to information from FOCUS online, La Voiture Noire is offered by Anton Piëch. The son of the former Volkswagen boss Ferdinand Piëch owned the car inherited from his father. The “Handelsblatt” first reported on the incident.

Piëch’s unique Bugatti has 1,500 hp

La Voiture Noire is no ordinary supercar. Bugatti built exactly one example. 1500 hp, a 16-cylinder engine with 1600 Newton meters of torque, six exhaust pipes and a deep black carbon body make the vehicle one of the most spectacular cars in the world.

“Every single component was made by hand,” designer Etienne Salomé once enthused. We worked on the car for so long “until there was nothing left that we could improve.”

The hyper sports car is also a homage to one of the most legendary models in the brand’s history: the Bugatti Type 57 SC Atlantic. Only four examples of this classic were made between 1936 and 1938. Jean Bugatti’s personal vehicle disappeared without a trace in 1939 and is still considered an automotive amber room today. The La Voiture Noire takes up this myth as a modern unique piece.

There are only a few hundred potential buyers worldwide

Like the historical model, the new La Voiture Noire is “a celebration of aesthetics,” said Bugatti President Stephan Winkelmann at the presentation of the unique model. A mixture of purism and elegance, in which even the bumpers are seamlessly integrated into the body and the windshield looks like the visor of a helmet.

After the premiere in 2019, speculation about the buyer became rampant. Prominent names were mentioned again and again, including soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo, boxer Floyd Mayweather and designer Ralph Lauren. In fact, the car had long since belonged to Ferdinand Piëch. However, he never sat behind the wheel himself.

The market for such sports cars leads into the world of the super-rich. Bugatti itself speaks of only a few hundred potential customers worldwide. Designer Achim Anscheidt described the process like this: First the idea is created, then the vehicle is developed virtually. The developers then present the concept to selected collectors. Only when a buyer is found does production begin.

“This unique Bugatti is the holy grail of hypercars”

Ferdinand Piëch did not live to see its completion. After Bugatti presented the racing car at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2019, the VW patriarch died six months later. The Bugatti was only delivered in 2021 and became the property of son Anton Piëch. Now the descendant wants to part with the heirloom. However, this does not seem to be an easy task.

A first sales attempt took place in September 2025. At that time, the car was offered on the SBX Cars platform, behind which is the influencer Alex Hirschi, known as “Supercar Blondie”. Hirschi enthused: “This unique Bugatti is the holy grail of hypercars.”

The price at that time was 27 million Swiss francs. But the offer disappeared again after a few days, no reasons were given.

Piëch calls for 23 million francs as the selling price

Now the sale is starting again. This time 23 million francs are called for. This time the procedure should be a bit more discreet. The sales prospectus is available to FOCUS online. Accordingly, potential buyers must provide proof of financing and pass identity and money laundering checks. After signing a confidentiality agreement, they receive access to a data room with technical documents, insurance information and confirmations from the Bugatti factory.

“Qualified buyers are invited to submit a non-binding indicative offer,” the documents state. If an offer is accepted, 20 percent of the purchase price is due immediately – and the vehicle is off the market.

Bugatti sale should save Piëch’s dream of an electric sports car

Why Piëch is selling the Bugatti probably also has something to do with his start-up. His company Piëch Automotive has been working for years on an electric sports car – a series model does not exist to this day. The electric car was originally supposed to come onto the market in 2020, later 2022 was mentioned, and now there is talk of 2028.

At the same time, numerous managers left the company. Investors continue to wait for progress, but concrete results have so far been lacking. As the “Handelsblatt” reports from the area, the project is said to have consumed considerable funds.

The sale of the Super Bugatti would be more than just a luxury deal: The deal should help to save the dream of owning your own electric sports car – or at least to gain time.