VIN: the Brunei Royal Family Bugatti EB110 SS chassis SS39001
History of chassis 39001
Chassis 39001 was the first of 32 EB110 production cars built to Super Sport specification.
It was painted Grigio Chiaro and fitted with a Blu Scuro interior. Like chassis 39002 (Nero) and 39003 (Giallo), this first example was delivered to the Brunei Royal Family. In addition to these largely standard examples, a fourth more heavily customised SS was also sent out to Brunei (chassis 39013).
Unlike the majority of cars commissioned by the Brunei royals, all four EB110s were built to left-hand drive specification.
From the late 1980s to the early 2000s, the Brunei Royal Family purchased a vast number of exotic and executive motor cars from Europe’s top manufacturers.
As head of state, absolute monarch and head of government, the Sultan, Hassanal Bolkiah, was in total control of the funds raised from Brunei’s gas and oil fields. Together with his brother, Prince Jefri, the two men spent around £500,000 a day on cars for much of the 1990s.
Chassis 39001 was equipped with two special features: it came with Prince Jefri’s initials (JB) located above the sail panel script and a gold plaque on the driver’s side door jam that read: “Bugatti has the pleasure of producing for the Royal Family of Brunei the first of its model EB110S Super Sport car”.
39001 was constructed in late 1993 and dispatched to Brunei in early 1994. Upon arrival, it was registered KF 1188.
Between 1986 and 1997, Prince Jefri served as Brunei’s finance minister and chairman of the country’s investment agency. During this time, he reputedly embezzled $14.8b of state funds. As a result, Prince Jefri was exiled from Brunei in the early 2000s.
At this point, chassis 39001 was exported to the UK. It arrived bearing the Brunei registration number BU 4267.
The car was subsequently sold and UK registered in August 2005.
Bonhams then auctioned chassis 39001 in December 2007, by which time it was showing a little under 6000 miles.
Text copyright: Supercar Nostalgia
Photo copyright: unattributed
