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Bugatti marks 20 years of the Veyron with a festival for the ages

From 1,001 hp to icon: Bugatti Veyron celebrates 20 years in style

By Bruce Brown Sep 15, 2025 6:50 AM

Frontal photo of a dark grey Bugatti Veyron with a red Bugatti badge. — Bugatti

Ettore Bugatti, founder of the automobile brand that bears his name, was born on September 15, 1881. Each year, the town of Molsheim, France, celebrates Bugatti’s birthday on the 15th. This year, the festivities expanded to honor the 20th anniversary of the Veyron, Bugatti’s first hypercar.

The Veyron, conceived by Dr. Ferdinand Karl Piëch in 2004, set new milestones as the fastest car in the world and thrust Bugatti into the attention of enthusiasts everywhere.

A hypercar that changed everything

The Veyron was born from an idea that sounded borderline impossible: deliver a road car with 987 horsepower and a top speed north of 249 mph, while keeping it refined enough to drive to dinner. The car fused Ettore Bugatti’s pursuit of artistry with modern engineering brilliance, carrying the name of Pierre Veyron, the French racing driver who helped shape the brand’s legacy.

Following the Veyron’s launch, Bugatti released several upgrades, including the Super Sport and Grand Sport Vitesse in the Veyron’s 11 years of production, which ended in 2015.

The Bugatti Chiron, also with upgraded versions, succeeded the Veyron from 2016 to 2022. Notable editions included the Chiron Super Sport 300+, which was the first car to exceed 300 mph. The L’Ultime was the final version of the Chiron.

The Bugatti Tourbillon, revealed in 2024, is a hybrid hypercar with a naturally aspirated V16 and electric motors that combine for a total of about 1,800 horsepower. The Tourbillon begins production in 2026.

The Veyron changed Bugatti

At the 2025 Bugatti Festival, the company is celebrating that vision with a new “20 Years of Veyron” logo. The emblem blends the French tricolore with Pierre Veyron’s signature.

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Hendrik Malinowski, Bugatti Managing Director, commented on the Veyron’s impact on the company and the . “Its legacy continues to inspire every vehicle we create today, and this year’s Bugatti Festival is a celebration of both the Veyron’s extraordinary achievements and the enduring spirit of craftsmanship and passion that drives our brand forward.”

Bruce Brown Contributing Editor As a Contributing Editor to the Auto teams at Digital Trends and TheManual.com, Bruce… Read Full Bio

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