, which Bugatti had bought and where he made his cars. The formal mansion, with its oeil-de-boeuf windows and balustrades, was built by the Wangen de Geroldseck family in 1857, on the site of a 13th-century stronghold of the Knights of Malta. The Milanese founder of the Bugatti marque threw lavish parties here to celebrate his Grand Prix wins. The marque dominated motor circuits in the 1920s and '30s, won the first-ever Monaco Grand Prix in 1929 and triumphed at the 24 Hours of Le Mans twice. No wonder his were among the world's most coveted road cars. Today, the Château Saint-Jean remains the centrepiece of the company and, as I discovered on a recent visit, it's a little more welcoming to the hopefuls who jet in to personalise a new Bugatti. Based on their investment, the clients deserve a warm welcome: a 'standard' 8,000cc Chiron costs from £2.7 million, and there are almost infinite possible upgrades with commensurately gigantic price tags. No two Bugattis are the same: designer Jascha Straub custom builds unique cars. 'Many clients come in with a firm idea of what they want, such as a family crest, favourite colour or seat material,' he explains. 'Some choices don't work, so I'm there to offer advice on how we remedy that. Ultimately, it's up to the customer - the only feature that isn't negotiable is the Bugatti badge.' Most explore the company's Sur Mesure customisation programme, which builds on Bugatti's long history of coachbuilding and handcrafted interiors. One Qatari customer specified an elaborate Titanic Blue and grey scheme, han){kind=link}
For those in the market for a Bugatti, the road begins with a pilgrimage to a chateau in northern France
Automotive designer Ettore Bugatti is said to have judged the suitability of customers for his cars mainly by their table manners. Lapses in etiquette or poor knife control meant prospective drivers missed out on their dream machine.
From the company’s very start in 1909, clients would be vetted at the imposing Château Saint-Jean – a property near Molsheim in the Alsace region (now a part of France but then annexed to Germany), which Bugatti had bought and where he made his cars. The formal mansion, with its oeil-de-boeuf windows and balustrades, was built by the Wangen de Geroldseck family in 1857, on the site of a 13th-century stronghold of the Knights of Malta.
The Milanese founder of the Bugatti marque threw lavish parties here to celebrate his Grand Prix wins. The marque dominated motor circuits in the 1920s and ’30s, won the first-ever Monaco Grand Prix in 1929 and triumphed at the 24 Hours of Le Mans twice. No wonder his were among the world’s most coveted road cars.
Today, the Château Saint-Jean remains the centrepiece of the company and, as I discovered on a recent visit, it’s a little more welcoming to the hopefuls who jet in to personalise a new Bugatti. Based on their investment, the clients deserve a warm welcome: a ‘standard’ 8,000cc Chiron costs from £2.7 million, and there are almost infinite possible upgrades with commensurately gigantic price tags.