At the final Geneva Motor Show, I found myself standing before the Bugatti Royale. Up close, its vast proportions and intricate detailing made it less a car than a monument to ambition. It was a reminder that every Bugatti, no matter the era, is more than engineering. Each carries history, story, and presence in a way few marques can match.
Preserving that essence is at the core of Bugatti’s La Maison Pur Sang program, established in 2020 to document and authenticate the life of each car with meticulous care.
Among the machines recently entrusted to this process is an exceptionally rare EB110 America, chassis SS025. What emerged from Bugatti’s work was not just a record of authenticity, but a rediscovered journey spanning decades, collectors, and moments that defined an era.
The EB110 America holds a distinct place in Bugatti’s 1990s chapter. Produced as a development vehicle, SS025 combined the long-distance comfort of the EB110 GT with the sharper edge of the EB110 SS. Its first assignment was as a demonstrator in North America, where it made a strong impression: appearing on the cover of Robb Report, winning the People’s Choice Award at Concorso Italiano, and standing under the lights of the Chicago Auto Show in 1995.
In 2000, the car was acquired by Romano Artioli, the entrepreneur who had revived Bugatti during that decade. He safeguarded it in France before returning it to Campogalliano for servicing and later refinishing it in Bugatti Blu. That choice of color gave the car a timeless identity and eventually caught the attention of a UK collector in 2013. Under new stewardship, SS025 became a familiar sight on the concours circuit, gracing Salon Privé at Blenheim Palace, appearing on the cover of Octane, and featuring in Jeremy Clarkson’s The Grand Tour.
For La Maison Pur Sang, this process is not about nostalgia. It is about clarity and permanence. To immerse an owner in the story of their car is to transform a machine into a chronicle of human ambition and achievement. With SS025, that chronicle stretches from its earliest days as a factory demonstrator to the concours lawns and television screens of today, never losing sight of the essence that makes a Bugatti singular.
The Royale I saw in Geneva was very different but carried that same essence, an echo of Bugatti’s past that still commands reverence. SS025, through the work of La Maison Pur Sang, now carries its story with equal weight. For the owner, and for the marque itself, the car’s history is not only preserved but given the clarity it deserves, alive and ready to be told again.
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