When the storied Bugatti nameplate was resurrected in 1987 by Romano Artioli, the revived company announced work on a new mid-engined two-seat supercar. The new Bugatti design team included hallowed names such as Paolo Stanzani and Marcello Gandini who led the project, and their previous work with Lamborghini promised that this new Bugatti would be a spectacular exotic. The result of their efforts did not disappoint when the EB110 was unveiled in September of 1991 in Paris and Versailles, coinciding with the 110th anniversary of Ettore Bugatti’s birth (thus the model’s name).

The new car had a carbon fiber monocoque chassis designed by Aerospatiale that utilized a four-wheel independent wishbone suspension with Brembo brakes and bespoke 18-inch BBS alloy wheels fitted at all four corners. All of was this was enveloped by wedge-shaped aluminum coachwork that was faintly reminiscent of the original Countach LP400, complete with that car’s trademark upward opening doors. Behind the two-seat cockpit sat a new midship-mounted 60-valve 3.5-liter V-12 engine with an unprecedented four IHI turbochargers that produced 561 horsepower and drove all four wheels through a six-speed gearbox. The Bugatti EB110’s top end was well in excess of 210 mph, making it one of the elite performance cars of its day.

Much like Jaguar’s XJ 220, the EB110 was at least partly a victim of the rapidly softening supercar market in the mid-1990s. Bugatti halted production in 1995 after approximately 129 cars had been built, including some in higher-powered SS form (one of which was owned by Michael Schumacher). Some unused and surplus chassis post-production went to B Engineering and Dauer for their own projects, and the latter even completed a few cars after Bugatti had shuttered its doors.

The Bugatti EB110’s fantastic performance, appearance, and very low production, coupled with a bespoke status for almost every part of the car and engine promises a thrilling, expensive, and challenging ownership experience today for those with the means and bravery necessary to accept the task. After a brief stint with also-ran status, the car today is highly prized and well regarded among knowledgeable enthusiasts.