Molsheim in Alsace, France, is forever associated with Bugatti. It was in this town that Ettore Bugatti founded his eponymous company, where he built cars and greeted customers, and where he and his family found their final resting place. Every year the Bugatti Festival comes to Molheim: still home to this cult brand.
The Bugatti Festival is always held on the weekend closest to Ettore Bugatti’s birthday, on September 15th, when the Bugatti Festival takes to the streets of Molsheim to publicly celebrate Ettore and his legacy. The calendar of events organised by Enthousiastes Bugatti Alsace (EBA) traditionally begins with a visit to Ettore Bugatti’s final resting place at Dorlisheim Cemetery in honour of the man who changed the automotive landscape forever.
On Friday, 56 vintage Bugattis and 5 modern Bugatti supercars from customers gathered in Molsheim for the first crossing of Alsace. For fans of the brand, the best way to pay tribute to the founder of the world’s fastest, most luxurious and most advanced cars is to use and enjoy them in the area he calls home. Representing the truly greatest Bugatti models, the vehicle range includes: Type 13, Type 35, Type 44, Type 49, Type 57, Type 101. Many are Grand Prix legends with significant racing experience, while others hide their cutting-edge technology beneath the slick hand-built bodywork for the elite of the early 20th century.
Bugatti Automobili has been working hand in hand with EBA to pay tribute to the founder of the company and the unparalleled legacy he created. To discover Ettore’s resting place and the birthplace of the brand, Bugatti Festival participants were invited on Saturday morning to Bugatti’s home in Molsheim, the Castle Saint-Jean. Bugatti president Christophe Piochon attended the 16 editions of the festival, including 10 as a member of the jury, welcoming fans to a private breakfast.
At around 10.30am, the Bugatti convoy departs from the castle for the second day of driving through the various landscapes and roads of Alsace and the Vosges Mountains. They were joined by six Bugatti customers and their fantastic vehicles: two Veyrons, a Veyron Grand Sport, a Chiron Sport¹, a Type 101 Antem and a rare EB110 America developed exclusively for the US market . Bugatti also offers the Chiron Pur Sport² and Chiron Super Sport³. However, the biggest day of the Bugatti festival is yet to come.
As the sun rose on Sunday, the horn of the legendary Bugatti engine rang through Molheim’s Jesuit Park, where the brand’s historic vehicles and modern supercars are on public display.
Over the course of the morning, the cars were shown to Bugatti enthusiasts near and far, wowed by them. The people in Molsheim were also able to get an up-close look at Bugatti-branded cars. The cars drove through the streets of Molsheim in the afternoon before stopping to be judged by an expert jury that included Christopher Piochon. The judges meticulously examined each car, looking for a Bugatti worthy of the Coupe Bugatti Automobiles. After much back and forth, the trophy finally went to the Corsica, a Type 57C convertible, a nod to Bugatti’s convertible heritage, which continues to be so stunning today on the recently introduced W16 Mistral.
Other awards were given, including the Trophée Fondation Bugatti. This year’s winner was a Gangloff Type 46 “Petite Royale”, which received the intricate trophy, itself made of the same material that makes Bugatti cars, and topped with a Lalique crystal.
Other awards were presented, including: Trophée Lalique – Trophies for loyal Bugatti customers, Grand Prix Enthousiastes Bugatti Alsace, Trophée Cul Pointu and Prix de la Meilleure Participation Internationale.
Each new entrant also received a prize from a Bugatti Alsace enthusiast to thank them for their participation in the 39th edition and to encourage them to come back in the future.
For those unable to attend the festivities during the festive period, Bugatti also revealed a transparent cube containing the Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse World Record Edition in downtown Molheim – at least until the end of September.
Christophe Piochon, President of Bugatti Automobiles, said: “When we call Molsheim the home of Bugatti, we mean it in the truest sense of the word. Yes, the cars are handbuilt here, but it’s a far deeper connection than purely that. A visit to Molsheim is like a pilgrimage for enthusiasts of the Bugatti brand, delivering a greater understanding of the man that began this journey and the cars that have written it into the pages of history. We’re proud to be continuing this legacy by supporting the Bugatti Festival and maintaining the home of Bugatti in Alsace”.