There are few places where the soul of Bugatti feels more profoundly present than in Mulhouse. Within the grounds of the Musée National de l’Automobile, Collection Schlumpf, the ghosts of Ettore Bugatti‘s most extraordinary creations linger in every polished curve and hand-riveted seam. It was here, across the weekend of 27 and 28 June 2026, that a new chapter in automotive celebration was written, one that looked simultaneously backward and forward, honouring a century of brilliance whilst affirming the vitality of a marque that continues to push the boundaries of what a motor car can be.
The inaugural Concours d’Élégance International Schlumpf did not simply arrive fully formed. It was born from a conviction that the Collection Schlumpf, one of the most significant repositories of Bugatti history anywhere in the world, deserved its own dedicated stage: an annual gathering of exceptional automobiles, discerning collectors, and passionate enthusiasts that would do justice to the heritage preserved within its walls. What unfolded over those two days exceeded even the most ambitious expectations, delivering a weekend of rare emotional and aesthetic intensity.
A Grand Prelude: Monte Carlo And The Coupé Napoléon
Before the concours took its rightful place in Mulhouse, its spirit was kindled on the streets of Monte Carlo. The official launch of the Concours d’Élégance International Schlumpf coincided with the Monaco Historic Grand Prix earlier in 2026, when the Musée National de l’Automobile made a gesture of singular cultural significance, entrusting the legendary Coupé Napoléon, one of the most revered automobiles ever constructed, to H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco for a tour of the fabled circuit.
It was a moment of living history: a machine of almost mythological status, threading its way through the very streets that have defined motorsport grandeur for generations. Accompanying the Prince aboard the Royale was Christophe Piochon, President of Bugatti Automobiles, a personal connection that bound Bugatti’s contemporary leadership to the marque’s most treasured artefacts, and in doing so, lent the new concours an immediate sense of gravitas and occasion.
That pairing, of a reigning automotive president and an irreplaceable pre-war masterpiece, captured precisely the spirit that the Concours d’Élégance International Schlumpf seeks to carry: a living dialogue between the ages, conducted with reverence and passion.
The Stage: Mulhouse And Its Singular Significance
To understand why Mulhouse matters so deeply to Bugatti, one must appreciate the extraordinary nature of the Collection Schlumpf itself. Assembled by the brothers Fritz and Hans Schlumpf over several decades, the collection represents perhaps the most comprehensive single gathering of Bugatti automobiles ever compiled. Today, housed within the Musée National de l’Automobile, it stands as a monument to the vision of Ettore Bugatti and his family, a place where the faithful go not merely to look, but to feel the weight of automotive history pressing gently against the present.
The concours unfolded across the museum’s autodrome, its lawns providing a naturally theatrical setting for the assembled masterpieces. Located just 100 kilometres from Molsheim, Bugatti’s historic home and the site of its modern atelier, the venue carried an almost geographic symbolism. The distance between Molsheim and Mulhouse is, in automotive terms, the distance between creation and commemoration, between the workshop and the archive. The concours, in bridging these two worlds so directly, created something genuinely rare in the contemporary events calendar.
The inaugural edition welcomed automobiles across historic categories spanning from before 1930 through to 1995, alongside an open category for automobiles produced between 1996 and 2026, a breadth of scope that allowed the concours to encompass virtually the entire arc of Bugatti’s extraordinary history.
One Hundred Years Of The Royale: A Centenary Celebration
At the emotional heart of the weekend lay a tribute of profound historical weight: the celebration of the Bugatti Royale’s 100th anniversary. Few automobiles in the entire canon of automotive design carry the mystique of the Royale. Created by Ettore Bugatti himself as the ultimate expression of luxury, power, and artistic ambition, the Royale represents a moment in automotive history when the boundaries between engineering and art dissolved entirely.
Three examples from the Schlumpf Collection took centre stage during the celebrations. The Coupé Napoléon, already burnished by its appearance at Monaco, processed before assembled guests alongside the Park Ward, a Royale that had not moved under its own power for more than four decades, now awakened once more in a moment of extraordinary mechanical resurrection. Completing this triumvirate was the Esders restoration, a car whose recent return to original condition speaks to the dedication of those who preserve Bugatti’s heritage with such exacting care.
Together, the three Royales created what can only be described as a symphony of beauty, each one distinct in character, yet unmistakably united by the singular genius of Ettore Bugatti. To witness all three in motion, on the same autodrome, in the same afternoon, was to experience something that no amount of museum glass or archival photography could ever fully convey.
The Renaissance: W16, F.K.P. Hommage, And Bugatti’s Modern Soul
If the Royale centenary looked backward with tender reverence, Bugatti’s modern presence at the concours looked forward with equal purpose. The legendary W16 engine, the sixteen-cylinder powerplant that has defined Bugatti’s contemporary identity and become one of the most celebrated pieces of automotive engineering in history, was displayed in proud isolation, its architecture a reminder of the extraordinary technical ambition that has characterised the marque’s 21st-century chapter.
Positioned alongside the engine stood the Bugatti F.K.P. Hommage, the second creation from Bugatti’s exclusive Programme Solitaire. An exquisite vehicle in every sense, the F.K.P. Hommage pays tribute to Prof. Dr. Ferdinand Karl Piëch, the visionary figure whose determination brought Bugatti back to life and whose influence shaped the Veyron, the car that introduced the W16 engine to the world and redefined what a hypercar could be at the dawn of the 21st century. Bugatti’s ongoing dedication to one-of-a-kind artistic commissions can also be seen in the Bugatti W16 Mistral Blanc Éternel, another remarkable expression of the marque’s commitment to treating the automobile as a canvas for fine art.
The juxtaposition of engine and automobile, of industrial artistry and finished masterwork, invited those gathered to reflect upon the journey Bugatti has made since the Veyron’s arrival: the evolution of craftsmanship, the deepening of individuality, and the continuing pursuit of an ideal that refuses to accept the merely exceptional when the truly extraordinary remains possible.
Category E: Veyron Super Sport Claims First Place
The competition itself provided the concours with some of its most charged and memorable moments. Representing Bugatti in the open category for automobiles from 1996 to 2026, designated Category E, was a Bugatti Veyron Super Sport, a car that has long occupied a singular position in modern automotive history.
Driven on the museum’s autodrome by Christophe Piochon himself, the Veyron Super Sport delivered a masterclass in the fusion of performance and refinement that has always distinguished Bugatti from its contemporaries. The judges were not unmoved. The Veyron Super Sport was awarded first place in Category E, a result that reaffirmed the model’s enduring significance and its continuing ability to command admiration on any stage, in any era.
That the President of Bugatti Automobiles took the wheel personally was not merely symbolic, though the symbolism was considerable. It spoke to a philosophy that Bugatti has consistently held: these cars exist to be driven, experienced, and celebrated in motion, not preserved behind rope barriers as passive objects of contemplation.
Category D: Type 38 Triumph Before 1930
The weekend’s competitive narrative was further enriched by the performance of the Bugatti Type 38, bodied by the celebrated coachbuilder Figoni and recently restored to exceptional condition. Entered in Category D, dedicated to vehicles constructed before 1930, the Type 38 claimed first place, its recently completed restoration evidently leaving a powerful impression upon the judging panel.
The result served as a reminder that Bugatti’s genius was not confined to a single decade or a single model line. From the grand touring ambitions of the pre-war era to the hypercar revolution of the 21st century, the marque has maintained a consistency of vision and a standard of execution that sets it apart in automotive history. The Type 38’s victory in Category D placed that pre-war brilliance in direct conversation with the Veyron Super Sport’s Category E triumph, two wins separated by nearly a century of history, united by the same fundamental commitment to beauty, performance, and craft.
A Sweeping Narrative: Bugatti Across The Generations
What made the inaugural Concours d’Élégance International Schlumpf so remarkable as an event, and what distinguished Bugatti’s participation within it, was the sheer breadth of the story being told. Few marques could have assembled a presence spanning pre-war Royales, a recently created Programme Solitaire commission, a celebrated W16 engine, and a competition-winning hypercar, all within the same weekend. Fewer still could have done so in a setting so intimately connected to the brand’s own history.
The narrative that emerged was not merely chronological. It was emotional, architectural, and deeply personal: a meditation on what it means to carry a legacy forward without allowing that legacy to become a constraint. Bugatti, as the weekend demonstrated, has never been in the business of looking backward at the expense of moving forward. The past informs the present; the present honours the past. It is a relationship conducted with extraordinary care and intelligence.
Christophe Piochon: On Heritage, Passion, And The Road Ahead
In reflecting upon Bugatti’s participation in the inaugural concours, Christophe Piochon offered words that captured the spirit of the weekend with characteristic clarity and warmth.
“Taking part in the first Concours d’Élégance International Schlumpf was a natural choice for Bugatti. Mulhouse is a place of extraordinary significance for the brand, where some of the most precious expressions of Ettore Bugatti’s vision are preserved and celebrated. Driving the Veyron Super Sport to first place in its category made this occasion even more meaningful. It was a reminder that Bugatti’s heritage lives through the cars, through the people who care for them, and through the passion that continues to carry the brand forward.”
It is a sentiment that resonates far beyond the confines of a single weekend in Alsace. Heritage, in Piochon’s articulation, is not a static thing, not a museum piece sealed behind glass or a legend preserved in aspic. It is alive, kinetic, and dependent upon the ongoing commitment of those who choose to honour it through action rather than merely through words. Driving a Veyron Super Sport to competitive victory on the autodrome of the world’s finest Bugatti collection is, in that sense, an act of custodianship as much as it is an act of celebration.
The Birth Of An Annual Institution
As the weekend drew to a close and the final automobiles departed the grounds of the Mulhouse autodrome, it was clear that the Concours d’Élégance International Schlumpf had achieved something that first editions rarely manage: it had arrived fully convinced of its own identity and purpose. The combination of extraordinary setting, exceptional automobiles, and the emotional resonance of Bugatti’s centenary Royale celebration gave the inaugural edition a character that will prove difficult to surpass. If the ambition on display is any indication, future editions will certainly attempt to do so.
For Bugatti, the concours is more than a successful competitive outing or a well-curated display of heritage vehicles. It is a commitment to engaging with the past in a manner that is vivid, participatory, and genuinely felt: a commitment that, 100 years after the creation of the Royale, remains as vital and as urgent as ever. The road from Molsheim to Mulhouse is short. The journey it represents, however, spans a century of genius, and shows no sign of reaching its destination. Those who appreciate fine craftsmanship brought to life at grand gatherings may find a parallel spirit in events such as the Lewis Collection Sotheby’s auction, where the intersection of heritage, connoisseurship, and passion for extraordinary objects commands the same devotion.
