Voiture Noir: is the most expensive car in the world a good investment?
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It is expected that the luxury car, developed at the Geneva Motor Show and sold for US $18.9 million, will only increase its value in the future
During the Geneva Motor Show this year, Bugatti unveiled its latest luxury car, called "La Voiture Noire" ("the black car", in French). The car was specially built to celebrate 110 years of Bugatti and therefore there will be only one model in the world. According to The Verge, La Voiture Noire was sold for US $18.9 million to the first person who it was offered almost immediately after it was revealed, which makes it the most expensive new car in history. Thus, it dethroned the Rolls-Royce Sweptail, which was sold in 2017 for approximately US $13 million.
Leer en español: Voiture Noir: ¿el carro más caro del mundo es una buena inversión?
The identity of the La Voiture Noire buyer has not been officially published. However, BBC reports that it could be Ferdinand Piëch, grandson of Porsche's founder. Between 1993 and 2015, Piëch was part of the highest executive ranks of Volkswagen (company owner of Bugatti) and, according to the BBC report, during that time he acquired the reputation of supporting the projects and more expensive developments of the company.
In spite of the rumors, Bugatti has affirmed that the buyer of the black car is nothing but "an enthusiast of the brand". Regardless of the identity of the buyer, he will have to wait for two and a half years to receive his purchase, because, according to The Verge, Bugatti still has to resolve some issues regarding the engineering and approval of the luxury car.
In a way, a good investment
However, the high price paid for the black car and the wait for more than two years to receive it should be seen as an investment. According to the same report from The Verge, Bugatti's La Voiture Noire "will have the exact inverse value curve of a regular car: it’ll start to appreciate rather than depreciate the moment it’s delivered, and after 20 or so years, it’s likely to be an even more desired and exceptional art/status/wealth piece".
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The reasons behind that statement are multiple. First of all, there is the personalization that the black car will have. As reported by the newspaper El Motor, La Voiture Noire will not look like it was presented at the time it is delivered to the buyer, as he will be able to work together with the Bugatti team to customize it to his liking. Secondly, there are the technical aspects of the black car: an engine of eight liters and 16 cylinders in W 20 times more powerful than a Ford Fiesta, a gearbox of seven relations, special Michelin tires able to withstand speeds higher than those 400 km/h, an aerodynamic model designed to reduce its weight as much as possible and state-of-the-art technology capable of assisting anyone who gets behind the wheel.
Despite this, The Verge clarifies that La Voiture Noire will not beat Bugatti's Vigo (valued at US $5.7 million) in relation to the technical performance of the car. However, it is the exclusivity of the luxurious black car that adds the most important added value. Considering the classic and exclusive car market and the fact that only one will be made, it is to be expected that its value will increase over time.
Despite its high price, La Voiture Noire is still far from being the most expensive car ever sold. That prize is still held by a 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO sold in 2018 at US $48.4 million.
LatinAmerican Post | Juan Diego Bogotá
Translated from "Voiture Noire: ¿el carro más caro del mundo es una buena inversión?
