Photo: Mecum Auctions
Jean who? Jean-Pierre Wimille made his Grand Prix debut at the 1930 French Grand Prix behind the wheel of a Bugatti. A long-serving test driver of the French marque, this gentleman was a world-class racing driver who achieved two victories at Le Mans and was a member of the French Resistance during WWII. He sadly passed away in 1949, aged 40.
Wimille served as inspiration for an extremely rare variant of the Veyron, the Jean-Pierre Wimille Legend Edition that premiered in August 2013 at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. Based on the high-performance Grand Sport Vitesse, the special edition harks back to the 1937 Le Mans-winning Type 57G Tank. Contrary to its name, it’s a streamlined racecar.
Chassis number VF9SV2C24EM795035 is one of three units ever produced, finished in a shade of blue that bears the racing driver’s name.
Offered by Mecum Auctions with estimates ranging between $3.1 million and $3.3 million, this fellow is rocking 1,185 miles (1,907 kilometers) on the clock. Dark Blue visible carbon fiber beautifies the bodywork, and exterior highlights further include a silver-painted Le Mans circuit motif.
Visible carbon fiber in Dark Blue is further used for the rear storage compartment lid, as well as the fuel and oil filler caps. Both feature the laser-engraved signature of Jean-Pierre Wimille. As for interior enhancements, the most obvious are the racing driver’s signature embroidered on the headrests, the Les Legendes de Bugatti interior door logo, and the Le Mans circuit logo etched on the central waterfall between the seats.
Gifted with a 280-mph speedometer, the 2014 Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Vitesse Jean-Pierre Wimille Legend Edition is good for 253 miles per hour (408.84 kilometers per hour) with its roof down. It needs 2.6 seconds to reach 62 miles per hour (100 kilometers per hour), and every single unit was already spoken for before Bugatti revealed this car.
Chassis number VF9SV2C24EM795035 is one of three units ever produced, finished in a shade of blue that bears the racing driver’s name.
Offered by Mecum Auctions with estimates ranging between $3.1 million and $3.3 million, this fellow is rocking 1,185 miles (1,907 kilometers) on the clock. Dark Blue visible carbon fiber beautifies the bodywork, and exterior highlights further include a silver-painted Le Mans circuit motif.
Visible carbon fiber in Dark Blue is further used for the rear storage compartment lid, as well as the fuel and oil filler caps. Both feature the laser-engraved signature of Jean-Pierre Wimille. As for interior enhancements, the most obvious are the racing driver’s signature embroidered on the headrests, the Les Legendes de Bugatti interior door logo, and the Le Mans circuit logo etched on the central waterfall between the seats.
Gifted with a 280-mph speedometer, the 2014 Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Vitesse Jean-Pierre Wimille Legend Edition is good for 253 miles per hour (408.84 kilometers per hour) with its roof down. It needs 2.6 seconds to reach 62 miles per hour (100 kilometers per hour), and every single unit was already spoken for before Bugatti revealed this car.
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