- One of just three EB 112 cars now heads to auction in Monaco.
- The sedan traces back to Bugatti’s Italian revival under Artioli.
- Power comes from a naturally aspirated 6.0-liter V12 engine.
A few years after the EB 110 and long before the Veyron, Bugatti tried its hand at a four-door concept called the EB 112. It arrived at a moment when the brand was still redefining itself. Giorgetto Giugiaro was commissioned to design it, seemingly without any real intention of putting it into production. The result became something of a mythical car, and now one of just three examples built could be yours.
The EB 112 traces back to Bugatti’s Italian revival under Romano Artioli, who acquired the brand in 1987 and set out to create both a supercar and a luxury sedan. This was meant to be the sedan, drawing inspiration from Bugatti models of the 1930s. Artioli established Bugatti Automobili SpA in 1989 and built a dedicated factory in Campogalliano, Italy, to bring these ideas to life.
Read: Bugatti Almost Made This W16 Sedan Its Only Model
Just a couple of years after the EB 112 was presented in 1993, Bugatti went bankrupt. However,Many of the company’s assets were sold off, including three unfinished examples of the EB 112. Gildo Pallanca Pastor acquired them and had his firm, Monaco Racing Team, complete and sell the cars.
Originally, there was just one drivable prototype and two non-functional design models. Pastor’s efforts turned all three into fully roadworthy cars.
Simon Gosselin/RM Sotheby’s
Pastor kept this particular example until his death in 2015. It remains registered in Monaco and has covered just 388 km (241 miles) since new. RM Sotheby’s will offer it at its Monaco auction later this month, where it is expected to sell for between $1.75 and $2.3 million. The car comes with bespoke luggage and a custom umbrella styled after Rembrandt Bugatti’s elephant sculpture.
Exotic V12 Power
The EB 112 sits on the same carbon fiber chassis as the EB 110 and uses a naturally-aspirated 6.0-liter V12 rather than the EB 110’s quad-turbocharged 3.5-liter unit. The engine is mounted behind the front axle, and the all-wheel-drive system uses a 38:62 torque split. It is believed to produce 456 hp and 590 Nm of torque. A six-speed manual transmission sends power to all four wheels.
Period figures suggest 0 to 62 mph (100 km/h) in 4.3 seconds and a top speed of 186 mph (300 km/h). It was a true, high-powered luxury super sedan unlike any other available at the time.
Simon Gosselin/RM Sotheby’s
A look inside the cabin reveals most surfaces are clad in high-end black leather with knurled metal accents on the door panels, instrument cluster, and parts of the dashboard. The EB 110 was built as a strict four-seater, and a small TV unit is located in the center of the second row.
Bugatti nearly built a four-door bruiser with a V12 and then just… didn’t, which somehow makes this one even cooler. It’s equal parts what-if and rolling artifact. Go take a look at the listing over here before someone else with deeper pockets beats you to it.
