You probably won’t see the Bugatti La Voiture Noire on the streets. Actually, you might never see it. What’s the deal with this supercar, and what makes it so rare? La Voiture Noire, “The Black Car” in French, is finally revealed in full but is still a pretty mysterious automobile.

How many of the Bugatti La Voiture Noire are there?

There are just one of these Bugatti supercars. DuPont Registry notes that after over two years of work, the final version of the Bugatti has been revealed. This vehicle was an homage to Jean Bugatti’s Type 57 SC Atlantic, which the brand called La Voiture Noire. This particular vehicle went missing before World War II and was never seen again. Without the loss of the original car, we might not have this spectacular new version.

“We were rather in awe of the idea of developing the La Voiture Noire. No other vehicle in the long history of Bugatti has acquired the same legendary status as the Type 57 SC Atlantic and has become so synonymous with the brand. We had a great deal of respect for this historical responsibility as well as for the customer,” 

Achim Anscheidt | Bugatti Design Director

The bodywork itself is one-of-a-kind, and it is paired with a Black Carbon Glossy clear coat over the carbon fiber. The headlights are each made from 25 individually milled lights on either side. The inside is Havana Brown leather, an ode to Jean Bugatti’s original vehicle.

Who bought the $14.3 million Bugatti La Voiture Noire?

While the vehicle was sold for $13.4 million to a mystery buyer, the value is around $18 million since there will only be one. It isn’t clear who bought the vehicle, either. Some sources say Soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo bought it since he has a few other cars, including the Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse and McLaren MP4 12C. Ferdinand Piech, formerly of the VW Group, was another rumored buyer.

Thus far, no one actually knows who purchased the vehicle. Ronaldo’s spokesperson denied the purchase. Ralph Lauren allegedly owns one of the two Atlantic vehicles on the planet, so he likely isn’t the owner of this item. No matter who the owner is, this is likely the most expensive vehicle in the world.

What took so long to create this car?

Bugatti isn’t known for rushing perfection. This particular version has been in production for years now, and it was finally revealed just last week. According to Bugatti’s press release, La Voiture Noire was created to celebrate the brand’s founding 110 years ago.

Stephan Winkelmann, President of Bugatti, noted, “With the completed La Voiture Noire, we are demonstrating once again that we develop the world’s most sophisticated hyper sports cars.” The idea for the car was dreamed up by Design Director Achim Anscheidt more than 20 years ago, but it took this long to make the dream come to fruition.

It is described as a minimalist coupe, so don’t expect all the bells and whistles of a production car. It has a distinct lack of lines in the bodywork, which makes it appear as one piece. Additionally, the clear coat mentioned before does not offer many reflections, “but plenty of tension and drama.”

Regardless of if we ever see the Bugatti La Voiture Noire in person, take solace in the fact that it exists at all is good enough for us.