An art collector and Bugatti enthusiast, whose identity has not been disclosed, paid £378,000 ($459,111) for the one-off sculpture, made by Asprey and accompanying NFT, at a live auction hosted at Phillips, in Berkeley Square, Mayfair, UK.
“We are delighted to have once again received such international demand for the flagship born of our partnership with Asprey of London,” said Bugatti’s Managing Director, Wiebke Stahl. “The new owner of this highly exclusive piece is one of many impassioned admirers of the marque, and is in no doubt looking forward to the sculpture becoming a cornerstone of their collection.”
Handmade by Asprey at their London workshop using 24k rose gold, the sculpture takes over four months to come to life, and it will be mounted on a bespoke base, bearing the colors of the two companies. Linked to it via a QR code will be the NFT, described as “a valuable digital addition to the physical art piece” by the Molsheim brand. Optionally, the winning bidder can spend more on the accompanying Noire (Black) version of the sculpture.
Besides the aforementioned centerpiece of the collection, Bugatti and Asprey also launched 261 smaller copies, made of sterling silver. These were inspired by the La Voiture Noire as well, with the number of units evoking the hypercar’s maximum speed in miles per hour, equaling to 420 kph. Accompanied by a respective NFT, and linked to it via a QR code, just like the bespoke offering, they sit on different colored basis. The limited edition run was sold out in no time, Bugatti says.
