Bugatti, the French automotive manufacturer launches a new exclusive version of the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 in co-operation with Hermès: The Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Fbg par Hermès, which will be available in autumn 2008.  

The special edition is named after the street Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré (Fbg) in
Paris, where the headquarters of Hermès are located. 

It is not the first time the French luxury fashion brand Hermès is involved in car design with Bugatti. Both brands are rich in tradition and address an exquisite target group with its luxury products. Co-operations between them go back to the 1920s when Ettore Bugatti asked his friend Émile Hermès to produce suitcases and bags matching the design of the first Bugatti Royale. 

The Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Fbg par Hermès combines exclusive design and premium technology. Gabriele Pezzini - responsible for the exclusive design - integrated the unique Hermès style into the vehicle. There is a range of Hermès typical design features, so for instance the door handles, which are reminiscent of handles used on Hermès trunks. Furthermore the purchase price of € 1.55 Mio includes a unique Hermès trunk with ones initials.  

The brands fit well together as they both play in the same “brand league” and address a HNW, design-oriented target group. Consequently this co-operation offers a chance for both companies to strengthen and enforce their positioning as one of the most exclusive, premium brand’s in the world.  

It is nice to see that the traditional friendship between a “car-loving saddle maker and a horse-loving carmaker” leads to a co-operation like this, where the combination of design, technology and passion of two luxury brands result in such an exclusive product. 

As the both brands are integrated in the product name, it can be assumed that the Hermès brand will play a vital role in the marketing of the car. I look forward to this autumn, when this co-branded Bugatti is launched. Not because I consider purchasing it (I wish!) but I’m curious how it will be marketed.