Jascha Straub, Manager of Sur Mesure and Individualization at Bugatti, met with the collector at Molsheim in October 2023 to begin work on what would become one of the programme’s most personal and carefully considered commissions. The collector is the author of his own literary work, a book conceived as a continuation of Antoine de Saint-Exupery’s beloved novel, in which the young prince returns from the moon to earth. That story, and the lunar imagery at its heart, became the creative foundation for the entire car.

Straub and the collector worked through colour references, tonal samples and creative ideas together until a clear direction emerged. The moon, soft, radiant and full of quiet wonder, became the governing theme. Bugatti’s specialist CMF team in Berlin, led by Sabine Consolini, then took that concept and spent months translating it into a fully resolved and beautifully finished motor car, working outward from the central idea until every surface and material told part of the same story.

The finished W16 Mistral ‘Le Retour du Jeune Prince’ is a stunning and cohesive piece of work. Rich copper paintwork, hand-applied silver constellations, embroidered lunar motifs and an extraordinary sculpted silver rose all combine to produce a car that is as visually arresting as it is technically impressive. Bugatti has built some remarkable bespoke machines over the years, and this one is up there with the very best of them.

Dressed in copper

The bespoke exterior colourway is one of the most striking features of this commission. Built around warm copper and bronze tones, it was developed to capture the golden quality of moonlight on the earth’s surface. The finish is highly metallic and beautifully reflective, shifting and glowing across the sculptural body of the W16 Mistral as the light around it changes. The colour is rich and earthy, with a luminous quality that makes the car look genuinely alive under both natural and artificial light.

The iconic horseshoe grille has been subtly reworked, with its internal lines redrawn to follow the upward sweep of the bonnet. The Bugatti Macaron on the grille is finished in gold, a warm and refined accent that sits beautifully against the copper bodywork. Copper brake calipers and matching EB emblems at the centre of each wheel carry the palette through to the finest details, giving the exterior a satisfying sense of unity from every angle.

Starlit surfaces

Across the rear flanks and the upper surface of the rear wing, Bugatti’s finishing specialists have applied a glittering constellation of silver stars directly into the paintwork.

The process was extremely intricate, requiring multiple layers of application and careful refinement to achieve a natural, seamless result. The stars sit within the surface of the paint rather than on top of it, catching the light with a subtle and beautiful intensity against the warm copper ground.

The air brake holds a wonderful surprise. When deployed, it reveals a beautifully rendered scene from Saint-Exupery’s original novel, a delicate and expressive reinterpretation of the prince and the fox. It is a thoughtful and accomplished piece of hidden artistry that honours the story behind the commission.

The interior is finished in two complementary leather tones. Terre d’Or, a pale and luminous hide, covers the door panels and primary surfaces, while Driftwood, a richer and warmer shade, adds depth and contrast throughout the cabin. The Terre d’Or door panels feature embroidered inlays depicting the moon, with finely stitched star motifs surrounding them. The hand-stitched headrests carry the same constellation detail, and the centre console is finished with elegant star-inspired inlays set into a brown-carbon weave.

The gear shifter is home to the most extraordinary single detail on the entire car. Set within it is a miniature silver rose, sculpted from a three-dimensional scan of a real flower and finished with the precision of a fine jeweller. It is a beautiful and accomplished piece of craft, a direct and considered reference to the rose in Saint-Exupery’s original tale, and one of the most remarkable interior details Bugatti has ever produced.

The Sur Mesure programme

Bugatti’s Sur Mesure programme is the marque’s most personal creative offering, allowing collectors to commission a W16 Mistral built entirely around their own story, vision or passion. Jascha Straub leads the programme from Molsheim, working alongside Sabine Consolini and the specialist CMF team in Berlin to take a client’s concept from initial conversation through to a fully finished and resolved motor car. The process is thorough, patient and genuinely collaborative.

The ‘Le Retour du Jeune Prince’ is a superb example of what the programme can produce. The collector remained actively involved throughout, ensuring the finished car stayed true to the spirit of his literary work at every stage. The result is a car where every choice has a clear reason behind it, and where the quality of the craftsmanship matches the ambition of the original brief.

“The W16 Mistral ‘Le Retour du Jeune Prince’ is a beautiful example of what Sur Mesure can achieve when a customer’s personal story is placed at the heart of the creative process. Working with the customer and our specialized CMF team in Berlin, led by Sabine Consolini, we were able to transform a literary tribute into a beautiful narrative canvas. Time and dedication intertwine at the intersection between Haute Couture, architecture and design to deliver what is an exceptionally crafted vehicle in every detail. It has been an honor to bring this vision to life in a way that respects both Bugatti’s heritage and the customer’s individual story.”

Jascha Straub Manager of Sur Mesure and Individualization, Bugatti

The W16 Mistral is powered by Bugatti’s celebrated 8.0-litre quad-turbocharged W16 engine, giving this open roadster a performance character as dramatic as its visual presence. As a platform for a Sur Mesure commission, the car offers an exceptional range of possibility. Its wide, sculptural surfaces, open cabin and beautifully detailed mechanical components provide a canvas that few other cars can match, and Bugatti’s craftspeople have made outstanding use of every part of it here.

The copper exterior, the hand-applied silver stars, the embroidered moon, the stitched constellations, the carbon inlays and the sculpted silver rose all contribute to a single, coherent and beautifully told story. The W16 Mistral ‘Le Retour du Jeune Prince’ is a remarkable motor car, produced to an extraordinary standard, and one of the finest examples of personalised automotive craft in the world today.