Rare Bugatti EB110 GT Shatters Auction Record at $3.8 Million

A rare Bugatti EB110 GT has shattered a new record in the global auction world, selling for $3.625 million before the buyer's premium, bringing the final price to approximately $3.806 million. This price surpasses all previously publicly recorded results for EB110 models, including the more powerful Super Sport variant, marking a significant shift in the model's standing among classic car collectors.

Auction Details and the New Record

The auction was held on the duPont Registry Live platform, where the car witnessed intense competition with 257 bids before settling at $3.625 million. This is now the highest publicly documented price for any EB110 GT or EB110 Super Sport model ever sold at auction. The car outperformed the previous record of $3.167 million set by a Super Sport version at Pebble Beach in 2022, achieving a difference of roughly $457,500, representing a 14.4% increase.

The Secret Behind the C13 Prototype

The car that sparked all this fierce competition is not a standard production model, but a factory prototype bearing chassis number 39012, known among specialists as C13. It is one of only 15 prototypes ever built by Bugatti during the EB110 development program. The C13 belongs to the second generation of prototypes, which utilized a carbon fiber monocoque chassis produced by French aerospace company Aérospatiale, after earlier models used aluminum structures and carried the A code.

Unlike the prototypes that were consumed in grueling endurance tests or crash testing, Bugatti retained the C13 for display and promotional duties. It appeared at the Bologna Motor Show in December 1992, followed by a private exhibition at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London during February 1993, making it one of the rarest surviving cars from this development program.

Why Did the GT Outperform the Super Sport?

This result carries additional significance because the GT was originally designed as the more road-oriented and comfortable variant, while the Super Sport was lighter, more powerful, and typically commanded higher values in the classic car market. However, the extraordinary rarity of the C13 prototype, combined with its unique backstory and promotional history, flipped the equation and pushed its price beyond the most potent EB110 versions. This transaction reflects the major transformation the EB110 is experiencing, evolving from a hypercar that lived for years in the shadow of the Veyron and Chiron, into one of the most sought-after collector cars from the 1990s worldwide.