Every Bugatti is special in its own way, but some are in their own category. The Type 57SC Atlantic is an iconic rarity. The quad-turbo V12-powered EB110 is the only product of the brand’s 1990s revival by Italian industrialist Romano Artioli. In the 2000s, the 987-horsepower Veyron took the Molsheim hypercar-maker into a new stratosphere of price at a top speed of 253 mph. Then there’s the Baby II.
The original Bugatti Baby, styled after the Type 35, was what its name implies it would be. According to the company, “In 1926 Ettore and his son Jean decided to build a half-scale Type 35 for Ettore’s youngest son, Roland, on the occasion of his fourth birthday.” That was supposed to be a one-off, but it was so popular with Bugatti clients that the company ended up producing approximately 500 Baby models between 1927 and 1936. Back in 2019, to celebrate its 110th anniversary, Bugatti announced a 500-unit production run of the Baby II, a three-quarters-size all-electric replica of the Type 35 that could be driven by children and adults. The 1-kW “child mode” capped the top speed at 20 km/h (12 mph); the 4-kW “adult mode” raised that to 45 km/h (28 mph). There was even a “Speed Key” upgrade that unlocked 10 kW and took the governor off.
Now comes news of an even more exclusive Baby II. Hedley Studios (formerly known as The Little Car Company) collaborated with Jascha Straub, Bugatti’s Manager of Sur Mesure and Individualisation, to create a 1-of-1 Baby II inspired by Bugatti’s history and its founder, Ettore Bugatti.
The body is finished in a combination of Nocturne black and Giallo Midas yellow, a pairing which Ettore himself favored, which is why it was applied to the Type 57 Roadster Grand Raid Usine.
Straub decorated the two-tone finish with hand-drawn sketches that honor Ettore and Jean Bugatti, Bugatti’s home city of Molsheim, Ettore’s love of horses, and the Type 35’s racing victories, all of which are protected by clear coat.
The open cockpit is furnished with black leather from Bridge of Weir as well as a vintage-style four-spoke steering wheel and an engine-turned dashboard fascia (driving goggles not included).
No word on who commissioned this or the price tag for it, but it’s highly likely seeing Bugatti’s bill for it would make the average person cry . . . like a baby.