Long ago, Jean Bugatti demonstrated his design talent with several cars launched by his father Ettore Bugatti's company. Today, the latest customized Chiron from Bugatti's Sur Mesure personalization department honors one of them.
Dubbed the 55 1 of 1, this Chiron wears the distinctive black-and-yellow livery of Jean Bugatti's personal Type 55 Super Sport. The original car was the first Bugatti to wear the Super Sport title, and it also featured a 2.3-liter inline-8 derived from the engine that powered the Type 51 race car. This propelled the Type 55 Super Sport to a top speed of 111 mph—an impressive stat when the car emerged in the early 1930s.
Just 38 Type 55 Super Sports were built, and none looked like Jean Bugatti's personal car. Its two-tone livery has translated to the modern Chiron in the form of a black centerline and rear bodywork, with a yellow hood, front fascia, and doors.
Other custom elements include a hand-painted "55" pattern that starts at the headlights and fades into the front fenders, plus black wheels with yellow center caps, and a "55 1 of 1" script on the underside of the rear wing.
Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 55 1 of 1
The two-tone theme continues inside. Black leather upholstery is contrasted by yellow embroidered accents on the headrests and door panels, which feature a version of the fading 55 pattern from the exterior.
Like a previous Sur Mesure Chiron honoring the Type 50S—Bugatti's first factory entry at Le Mans—the latest car is based on the Chiron Super Sport grade. That means its quad-turbocharged 8.0-liter W-16 produces 1,578 hp, or enough for 0-60 mph in well under three seconds, and a top speed capped at 273 mph.
The Chiron Super Sport is sold out but was priced from 3.2 million euros (approximately $3.5 million) when launched. Bugatti hasn't said how much the custom work on the Sur Mesure cars adds to the price, though the company said it was commissioned by a buyer in Dubai.
Jean Bugatti's Type 55 Super Sport today resides at the Musée National de l'Automobile in Mulhouse, France. The museum's collection comprises more than 600 cars, including more than 100 Bugattis. Many were part of the collection of businessman Frizt Schlumpf, who hoarded Bugattis from the late 1920s to the early 1970s.
