That Italian businessman Romano Artioli was able to revive Bugatti in the 1990s, let alone take on the best in the world with the EB110, was nothing short of remarkable. So remarkable that it’s also unsurprising that the whole enterprise disintegrated before too long, leaving behind some unfinished business.
The Bugatti EB112 was a luxury sedan built on a carbon-fiber monocoque derived from that of the EB110, but it never reached production. Three running examples were completed, one of which will be among the lots at RM Sotheby’s 2026 Monaco auction, happening April 25. The auction house expects it to sell for 1.5 million to 2 million euros, or about $1.7 million to $2.3 million at current exchange rates. So if you couldn’t swing the $4.6 million price tag of a Tourbillon, it’s something to consider.
Unveiled at the 1993 Geneva Motor Show, the EB112 had V12 power like the EB110, which had made its public debut about two years earlier. But instead of the supercar’s quad-turbocharged 3.5-liter engine, the EB112’s V12 displaced 6.0 liters and was naturally aspirated. Mounted ahead of the cabin but behind the front axle, it produced 460 horsepower and 435 pound-feet of torque.
The V12 was coupled to a six-speed manual transmission and all-wheel drive (with a 38% front and 62% rear torque split), as in the EB110. At the time, Bugatti said it could reach 62 mph from a standstill in 4.3 seconds, and continue to a top speed of 186 mph. Not bad for a sedan that could seat four in leather-lined comfort.
That capable drivetrain is wrapped in bodywork shaped by design legend Giorgetto Giugiaro, with more overt nods to Bugatti’s history than the EB110. A pronounced spine and split rear window reference the Type 57 Atlantic; the wheels are inspired by those of the Type 41; and the Bugatti horseshoe grille is restored to the size it was on the automaker’s prewar cars. The EB110 made do with a miniature version that gave it a duckface look.
Bugatti completed one drivable prototype (the car shown in Geneva) and two styling models, plus a handful of chassis and other components before shutting down in 1995. Monegasque businessman Gildo Pallanca Pastor subsequently purchased the company’s assets and had two complete EB112s built from that cache of parts. This is the second of those two cars, which is why it’s listed as a 1999 model even though Bugatti had shut down by that time.
The car was occasionally driven around Monaco by Pastor until he sold it in 2015, but still shows just 241 miles on its odometer. It received a substantial overhaul in 2021 and 2022 covering the brakes, suspension, emissions control system, and the installation of new tires, with a separate engine overhaul in 2022. So anyone brave enough to risk this piece of unobtanium in traffic should have no problems adding a few more miles.
According to the auction house, the other EB112 built by Pastor remains in private hands, while the original prototype is part of ItalDesign’s collection. They’re just as intriguing today as they were when new. While the Volkswagen Group has restored Bugatti to glory, and tried to do its own Bugatti sedan in the form of the 16C Galibier, even this automotive giant hasn’t managed to pull it off.
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