Bugatti was originally founded by Milanese car designer Ettore Bugatti in 1909. Utilizing competition as a means of publicity, the initial incarnation of this marque would operate until 1952, at which point it shuttered its doors and pulled the plug on operations. Over the next few decades, numerous attempts were made to revive the company, though none of them would stick, until 1987 when Italian entrepreneur Romano Artioli acquired the brand. The new Bugatti brand quickly began development of its first newly-developed car while its new factory was being built.
On 15 September 1991, — exactly 110 years after Ettore Bugatti was born — the revived firm debuted its inaugural offering with the Bugatti EB 110. The following year at the 1992 Geneva Motor Show, Bugatti pulled the cover off of an even more high-performance version of the early hypercar model with the EB110 Super Sport. Bestowed with carbon fiber bodywork, the Super Sport-spec EB110 was both lighter, faster, and more powerful than its already wildly-high-performance GT counterpart, weighing 330lbs less and being capable of delivering 3.2-second 0-60mph times and a 221-mph top speed. Fast forward a little over three-decades later to today, and one of the two original Bugatti EB110 Super Sport prototypes is now headed to auction, marking a rare opportunity to own a very elite piece of automotive history.
Sporting Chassis No. ZA9BB02E0PCD39006, this prototype Bugatti is constructed around one of two laboratory frames that were utilized for mechanical development, testing, and homologation for the EB110 SS. Wearing a Grigio Metallic paint job, the example that’s now up for sale is equipped with a series of unique factory modifications added during the car’s testing and development phase, including dual fuel tanks with single fuel-filler system, a revised gear selector, and a carbon-fiber lid cover for its more than 600-hp mid-mounted V12. The interior of the prototype is trimmed in Blu Scuro leather and boasts factory blue seatbelts and quilted leather center-console and trim covers. After its initial test mule duties prior to the SS model’s release, this prototype was retained by Bugatti and used as a factory test car for further dialing-in the EB110’s performance and design. Despite being 30 years old, this prototype remains in concours condition, inside and out, and to date only has 3,528 kilometers (2,192 miles) on the odo.
This one-of-two 1993 Bugatti EB110 Super Sport Prototype is currently taking its turn crossing the auction block at RM Sotheby’s ongoing New York, New York sale, where the prototype’s price is available upon request.
