Bugatti Has Restored The First-Ever Veyron Grand Sport

Bugatti may be looking to the future with its tie-up with Rimac, but it hasn’t forgotten about the models in its recent history. You can’t really forget about something like the Veyron, which blew every other contemporary supercar into the last decade. The stats were insane - not just the 986bhp power output and 250mph top speed, but also that it needed 10 radiators and bespoke tyres that cost nearly £10,000 per corner.

In 2008 the Veyron Grand Sport was unveiled. It’s the targa top version of the Veyron, but will still hit 229mph with the roof down. This car was the very first Grand Sport, an unregistered prototype that was shown off around the world. It’s quite a subtle look compared to some Veyrons, with white silver metallic paint and a Cognac leather interior.

This prototype Grand Sport, known as the ‘2.1’, is the first car to go through Bugatti’s new ‘La Maison Pur Sang’ restoration programme. With Pur Sang translating to ‘pure blood’ or thoroughbred, it has a focus on authenticity. Perhaps they’re making sure the car isn’t a Veyron replica based on a Ford Fiesta or something. Each Veyron has its VIN stamped on a number of key parts, and these are all checked.

The car was completely stripped down and restored over four months, with a fully repainted exterior and a completely refurbed interior. The scale of the work makes it sound like the Veyron was found in a barn, although given that the car is unregistered and therefore undriveable on public roads, that could well be the case. Now it’s in the same pristine condition as when it left the Molsheim factory in 2008.

Bugatti models come up at auctions semi-regularly, and they almost always attract sky-high bids. Five classic Bugs came up at auctions in 2020 and all broke records. Whoever ends up buying the restored Veyron Grand Sport 2.1 prototype will pay even more than normal, because the Bugatti stamp of approval will add yet more provenance.

Is this how you’d spec a Veyron, or would you go for something more outlandish? Tell us in the comments.