For over a century, Bugatti has been designing automobiles to be the most special and exclusive in the world, from the mechanics to the handcrafted finishes, in highly demanding processes. Painting is one of them, following exactly the same model since the brand’s foundation, with a duration of 600 to 700 hours of work: 29 days!
“Ettore Bugatti grew up in a family of artists, and his canvas was the automobile, even before people considered the brand’s models as works of art. We maintain this spirit at Bugatti to this day, ensuring that all aspects of design and production are completed with dedication to aesthetic excellence”, explains Christophe Piochon, president of the French brand.
Simon Vetterling is the specialist responsible for the painting department at Bugatti, in charge of meeting the “high quality standards of the brand, week after week, car after car”. And he oversees every step.
Preparation: before applying the first layer of the product that prepares the car’s surface, the structure is thoroughly checked to repair any possible flaws. Only then, with the impeccable finish, a layer of primer is applied and sanded again to prevent the formation of imperceptible waves or imperfections. The average time to complete this process is 200 hours per car, or nine days…
Painting: the painting process begins with the spray application of the selected colors. A relatively quick process, followed by a new inspection phase to identify possible variations. There are no touch-ups to be made – in case of imperfection, the car returns to the workshop to be repainted.
Polishing: with the painting according to Bugatti’s standards, the models move on to polishing, where they will be for about 4 days.
In total, each Bugatti spends between 600 and 700 hours in painting, before being placed in the light tunnel, where it stays for another ten hours to confirm that there are no stains or flaws.
MAS HÁ MAIS…!
Cerca de um mês é o que demora a Bugatti para concluir a pintura dos seus superdesportivos, quando não se trata de uma pintura personalizada, como a do Divo “Lady Bug” presente nas imagens que ilustram este artigo, desafio tão complexo que a marca de luxo chegou a ponderar desistir da encomenda, no valor de mais de 5 milhões de euros.
O trabalho de alinhar milimetricamente 1600 diamantes na carroçaria do Divo, obedecendo a um efeito complexo em degradê, resultou em várias dezenas de tentativas falhadas. Só para acertar com o padrão, demorou-se meio ano. Ao todo, foram 18 meses dedicados ao projeto “joaninha”.
