Luxury Exceptionalism: The Bugatti Brand

A blog created from two angles:  a Detroit feel-good story and a love story.

The feel-good story happened a week ago when a demolition company hired by Ford Motors Company discovered a windfall of premium leather cowhides valued over $100,000 believed to have been purchased and stored for prototype interior seating for the Ford F-140 King Ranch, Ford Explorer, Ford Escape, Lincoln Aviator and Lincoln Navigator.  

Instead of hauling the unusable leather to a dump, Ford graciously donated the leather to two local Detroit entrepreneurs who specialize in leather products that benefit military veterans (Pingree) and domestic abuse survivors (Mend on the Move).  What an amazing impact based on hidden treasures of leather!

The love story has to do with automobile leather and my love with the interior stitch work that defines luxury automobiles, including a personalized Bugatti that was discovered while doing research on automobile leatherwork from the feel good story.    

Prior to the pandemic in early 2020, I had the good fortune to be introduced to the Chiron Bugatti at a regional auto show.  I have such a deep appreciation for ultra-luxury automobiles and Bugatti has certainly earned its title as one of the best.   

We actually wrote about this car brand a few years ago when we began studying companies that create and deliver premium goods to the affluent.   This is a revisit to the initial blog, as we have had a great deal of recent exposure to a number of extraordinary automobile brands. 

Our blog’s purpose is to open up the world of luxury ‘according to Beau Satchelle’, as we continue to edge our way into the exclusive world of affluent buyers with our luxury leather accessories.  It is our way of sharing our personal journey in studying particular brands that strive for ultimate perfection when offering their goods or services.  Beau Satchelle embraces those same values. 

Growing up in Detroit, many of your family and friends work in the auto industry, so it is inevitable that you develop an appreciation for well-built cars.  My journey as a car buyer has led me to purchase and drive several makes and models both import and export.    As a woman buyer, I am always drawn to cars that are sexy, powerful, and excel in craftsmanship.   In addition, as a co-founder of a luxury leather company, my profession leads me to study high net worth individuals’ attraction to certain automobiles that conjure up prestige and exclusivity.

Luxury cars fall into a number of categories ranging from entry-level luxury to ultra-luxury and depending on the origin of the country of the automaker that will determine their definition of luxury.   The ultra or super luxury segment of cars will have a price tag of more than $100,000 US dollars and these brands will certainly include the powerhouses of Rolls Royce and Bentley.    The popularity of ultra-luxury cars has grown exponentially among the wealthy markets of Russia, China, and Middle Eastern countries.

This topic caught my interest because of being up close and personal, without a doubt, to an incomparable ultra-luxury automobile, the Bugatti with its meticulous craftsmanship and multi-million dollar price tag.   A Bugatti owner is the elite of the elite.  Not only purchasing the car is rare air, but the process of purchasing is just as lavish.  

The 2021 Model List 

  • Bugatti Veyron (starting price $1.9 million)
    First released in 2006, and at that time was the world’s fastest production car.

  • Bugatti Chiron (starting price $2.9 million)
    Breathtakingly superb in both technology and luxury.   Bugatti also designed special-edition lines to satisfy the buyer who demanded an elevated option. (the Chiron Noire, Chiron Sport 110 Ans Bugatti, Chiron Sport, the Chiron Pur Sport, the Chiron Super Sport 300+ and finally the Chiron Hermes Edition)

  • Bugatti Divo (starting price $5.4 million)
    The beautiful high-performance machine only 40 individuals can claim ownership and bragging rights to this masterpiece of performance.

  • Bugatti Centodieci (starting price $8.6 million)
    Only 10 of these hypercars were produced and sold.

  • Bugatti La Voiture Noire  ($12 million)
    Only one was made and according to Bugatti the most expensive new car ever sold to one customer who was approached with the sketches and idea for the car

For a comprehensive list of the models, reviews and specifications, link to Luxe.digital.

In addition to the close-knit circle of royalty and billionaire collectors of luxury cars, Bugatti’s most celebrated owners have included actor Tom Cruise,  music mogul Jay Z, NFL quarterback Tom Brady, former talk show host, Jay Leno, media mogul Simon Cowell, international soccer star Christiano Renaldo, fashion icon Ralph Lauren, and boxer Floyd Mayweather, Jr. to name a few.

The Molsheim Experience

A prospect will begin his/her journey by participating in the purchasing process appropriately named “The Molsheim Experience” at the Bugatti headquarters in Molsheim, France.   Prospects are given a tour of the grounds and the historic collection, have the opportunity to drive a vintage sport Bugatti, and test drives a new model Chiron or Diro, before sitting down with designers to go through the painstakingly bespoke process of creating a personal Bugatti to fulfill their needs and desires. 

The Bugatti Bespoke Experience

What makes this brand so fascinating is its hyperfocus on exclusivity for the super-rich.   A few examples include

1.  The process of commissioning a Bugatti is impressive as its’ bespoke services provide sheer attention to detail. An example of this comes from Bugatti’s newsroom which epitomized the conception and production of a custom Chiron Sport ordered by a husband as a gift to his wife, Alice. The colors, Matt Blanc and Silk Rosé were selected and woven throughout the exterior and interior of the Chiron Sport.  The interior is stunningly lovely with Chiron Sport stitching throughout the interior cabin.  Alice’s name is not only stitched in the headrest but also finished in aluminum on the door sills in the Silk Rosé.   Just those few slight finishing details perfectly summarizes Bugatti’s commitment to superiority in the ultra-luxury category.

2.  In 2019, the company launched the recreation of the Baby that the company’s founder, Ettore Bugatti built for his young son in 1926 as a toy model of the Type 35.  Subsequently, 500 units were made to satisfy Bugatti customer’s demands for their children.   The Baby II, very much in alignment design-wise as its predecessor, but scaled roomy enough for an average-sized adult to enjoy.   The Baby II, although designed with the latest technology is still hand-built with a limited run of 500 cars paying homage to the original Baby.

3.  Bugatti launched in 2021, their Passeport Tranquillité service program for owners which includes one service per year with an official Bugatti service partner and is designed to cover vehicle life’s after the end of the provided standard warranty period.  The service plans can be tailored to service “Active” or “Collector” options depending on the owner’s driving habits.  The service plans also include a one-call premium recovery service 24 hours a day, seven days a week, anywhere in the world.  The Passeport Tranquillité is assigned to the vehicle, rather than the customer, as an added-value benefit if the car is put on the market.

4.  As with any forward-thinking luxury brand, Bugatti and its competitors (i.e., Maserati, Ferrari, and Porche) have focused on becoming more female-focused by developing accessories and brand extensions to attract the newly ultra-affluent and aspirational buyers of their cars.   Product offerings of leather first-aid kits, luggage compartment mats, luggage, and I-pad cases were designed with a more feminine take.   These brands have now delved into the luxury goods market of accessories, jewelry and cosmetics, and now fashion.  Bugatti designed and introduced a crocodile handbag sculpted to mimic the front grille of the Bugatti and now has offers other handbags that retail for over $5000; women buyers can enjoy the brand beyond the vehicle, by spending their dollars in other areas of Bugatti’s luxury goods.

Needless to say, the Bugatti Brand has honed its success in building not only cars that the wealthy aspire to own, but creates an exclusiveness that only a few ultra-luxury brands can pull off.  Our admiration for the values that Bugatti embodies; no two models are ever the same and the journey to create the ultimate car is intimately personal with endless custom options.  For Beau Satchelle this truly defines bespoke and we strive to extend the same experience with owners of our luxury leather goods.   -AJ

Share your thoughts in the comment section below or on Twitter! 

Thank you to these sites for their source content:

Bugatti.com – Official Bugatti Automotive Website

Bugattibaby.com

Luxe. digital – Luxurious and Lavish: Why A Bugatti Will Cost You Several Million?

The Business Insider  The Molsheim Experience

South China Morning Post –luxury car makers focus on women drivers

Credit to the following photo contributors

Bugatti’s newsroom – Customized Chiron Sport

Mark Thomas – 1935 Bugatti Type 57s Aerolithe

Saluki32 – Bugatti Veyron

Joachim Steiof-Pingel – Roadster

Michael Bagra – parked in front

Pointman2000 – Bugatti Watch

Iwan Bettschen – Chiron on Display

Peter Pivak – Leather interior of Vintage Bugatti

Peter Pivak – Dashboard interior of Vintage Bugatti

Gerhard G. – Vintage Bugatti

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