A Custom Bugatti Factor One is Up for Auction Next to a $3 Million Hypercar

Only 250 of these UCI-illegal superbikes were made. Now, Sotheby’s is auctioning a true 1-of-1 edition alongside rare diamonds, luxury watches, and a literal Ferrari child's car.

(Photo: Sotheby's)

Today, Velo received information about “A New Luxury Summer Auction Furthering Sotheby’s Commitment to the Middle East & Celebrating Materiality as the Essence of Luxury.” Nothing to pay attention to for a cycling publication, right? Except the note was about one of the most audacious bike collaborations of all time: the Bugatti Factor One.

This is a bike that we reported on when it came out, and it’s actually one of the better bike and car collaborations. It is not just a logo and some paint, and it is not some sort of unrideable e-bike. Instead, Factor and Bugatti introduced aerodynamic upgrades that aren’t UCI legal. This edition of the Factor One comes in Bugatti Blue and features a Bugatti logo, but it also has a new lower section of the fork that uses specialized shaping to manage airflow around the hub and caliper. The design prevents air from splaying outward and improves the aerodynamic flow across the rest of the chassis. Factor then builds on that detail with a special version of the Black Inc 62 wheels that are 100 grams lighter—a shocking amount to shave off an already light 1392-gram, 62mm-deep wheelset. The build is finished with a custom Carbon-Ti crankset, a bespoke Selle Italia saddle, and a set of blue Bugatti-branded Continental GP 5000 TT tires.

Only 250 of these special Factor One bikes have been produced, and now one of them is up for auction in this collection. The bike already carries a price tag of $23,599 / €25,799, and now it is being listed next to a jewelry collection described by Sotheby’s as “five unique jewellery creations designed by the highly sought-after maison Hemmerle, offered for sale for the first time. The jewellery offering is further enhanced by a series of exceptional white and coloured diamonds jewels, a remarkable 200-carat Paraiba tourmaline from Mozambique, and necklaces by Bulgari and Van Cleef and Arpels beautifully showcasing emeralds, rock crystal and peridot beads.”

That’s not all, either. Sotheby’s also highlights “thirteen ultra-rare watches using a mix of gold, platinum, titanium, tantalum, and hardstone coral also feature in the sale. They include a Rafael Nadal Richard Mille RM35-03 skeletonized wristwatch, alongside a selection of Patek Philippe, Rolex, F.P Journe, Urwerk and Audemars Piguet timepieces.”

I could leave the description there, but there is a certain intrigue to these auction listings. Moving on, the next highlighted item from Sotheby’s is something I actually had to look up to understand what it was. Saving you the extra search, it is a handbag described as “a stunning and very rare Hermès limited edition Midas Sellier Kelly 25 in black box leather with eighteen-carat yellow gold hardware.” There are also a few cars, including, of course, a Bugatti. That specific collection is described as “two exceptional cars by Bugatti and Mercedes-Benz, plus one Ferrari 126C4 child’s car to complement the sale.”

Obviously, the “stock” Bugatti Factor One wouldn’t quite hold up in this crowd. With 250 units in existence and the price tag mentioned above, this specific lot has to be special—and it is. The bike being offered for sale in this auction is a “pièce unique” model of the Bugatti Factor ONE. The frame will be custom-made to perfectly fit the winning bidder, and the buyer will also get to work directly with the Factor design team to create a completely custom color scheme.

I intentionally used the standard subhead we use on normal stories about new products. The sheer normality of it is an excellent contrast.

If you are interested, bidding is live now at the Sotheby’s website, and the auction closes in just a couple of days on July 10. Pricing guidance for the Factor One is listed as “No Reserve / estimate guide 20,000 – 30,000 USD,” while the 2019 Bugatti Chiron estimate is a casual 2,850,000 to 3,500,000 USD.