Free Republic

When eccentric doctor and compulsive hoarder Harold Carr died at the age of 89, his relatives faced a daunting task to sort through his possessions. His home was packed with piles of medical machinery, 1,500 beer steins, thousands of receipts and even a World War Two spy drone. But all the effort became worth it when they opened the door of his garage - and struck gold. Inside they found a 1937 Bugatti Type 57S Atalante, one of only 17 ever made. The historic automobile with only 26,284 miles on the clock still has 99 per cent of its original...

A classic Bugatti car, which gathered dust in a Tyneside garage for almost 50 years, may fetch up to $4.35 million when it goes under the hammer. Relatives of reclusive Newcastle doctor Harold Carr found the 1937 Type 57S Atalante in a garage after he died. Now the classic car, thought to be one of just 17 built, is to be sold by Bonhams in Paris next month. Dr Carr, a former army surgeon, left the contents of a lock-up garage to his family when he died in 2007. As well as the Bugatti, his nephew also discovered a classic...

Here’s one set of wheels that is worth a trip downtown: the $2.4 million, 1001-horsepower Bugatti Veyron “Fbg par Hermès” special edition roadster. Volkswagen AG revived the formidable Bugatti brand name three years ago with the original edition Veyron. With a carbon fiber-composite body and a top speed of 250 miles per hour, it’s the fastest production car ever built. The Hermès edition, unveiled this morning at Battery Park Gardens and on display later today at the new Hermès boutique on Broad Street, costs more than twice the original version and recalls the early 20th-century friendship of racing legend Ettore...

In Germany, sales of SUVs have risen by more than 45 percent in the past three years. People proselytize for hybrids and fuel efficiency, but they buy fat, gas-guzzling autos. Why do drivers, businessmen and politicians have such a hard time saving gas to protect the environment? Children can sometimes be painfully honest. When they play top trumps, there's only one question that matters: Which car is the most powerful -- which is fastest? "Mine has 255 horsepower." -- "Mine has 278." -- "From zero to 100 kilometers an hour in 7.1 seconds." Later, when the children have become grown-up...

CASTELBUONO, SICILY — Warning! Do not read on if: 1) Your right foot is heavier than your left foot, and 2) Your driver's license is one ticket away from being revoked. Okay, you made it this far, which means you are probably at least sane enough to consider the following: Forget the 660-bhp Ferrari Enzo, the 605-bhp Porsche Carrera GT, the 617-bhp Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren, or even the mighty 627-bhp McLaren F1. These supercars are simply slugs compared with the new 2006 Bugatti Veyron 16.4 (16.4 for 16 cylinders, 4 turbochargers). This $1.2 million "hyper-exotic" boasts 987 bhp (1001 metric...

VW Will Start Selling Costly Bugatti in the U.S.; Zero to 62 in 2.5 SecondsAfter seven years of false starts, a $1 million car billed as the world's fastest factory-produced automobile is about to arrive on American shores. Volkswagen AG is launching early next year the Bugatti Veyron, a curvaceous two-seater with air-intake scoops and a large radiator grille that prominently displays the Bugatti badge. For the German car maker, it represents an unusual bet on the high-end market at a time of cost cutting for the company and as U.S. car makers continue to struggle with slow sales. The...

A superlative on four wheels, the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 is not only the world's fastest production car but also the most expensive: $1.25 million before taxes and richly deserved gas-guzzler penalties. Also, the most powerful: Its 8.0-liter 16-cylinder quad-turbo engine produces about 1,000 horsepower and churns it through a high-tech all-wheel-drive system and gob-smacking foot-wide tires. Also, the quickest: The Veyron accelerates to 60 mph in 2.1 seconds, faster than a Formula 1 car, but then it's just getting started. In 20 seconds — about the time it takes a fast reader to get through this paragraph — it reaches...

NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - Volkswagen's latest product probably won't be very good on gas and it has a rather high price tag. But that hasn't stopped a handful of people from putting down payments on the car before production started earlier this month. Each Bugatti Veyron 16.4 will cost an estimated $1.24 million, according to media reports. For that, buyers will get an all-wheel-drive two-seat sports car with a lightweight carbon-fiber body and 16-cylinder engine capable of producing 1,001 horsepower. VW purchased the Bugatti name in 1998, according to a report in the industry newspaper Automotive News Europe, and introduced...