Obviously the real thing would be so much better – but a fair bit beyond credit card limits (or second mortgage terms) for most mere mortals.
For the majority of us who can only dream of owning a Bentley or a Bugatti, these limited edition replicas can ease some of the angst, while bringing back fond childhood memories of playing with rather more modest Matchbox car models and billy carts.
Featured here are two top-of-the-range supercars for couples who share a passion for motoring memorabilia and cutting-edge design – and are looking for a common wedding anniversary gift for each partner.
Or sons and daughters seeking anniversary gift ideas for parents… gifts that will dazzle them with a potent wow-factor.
Bentley Continental GT
Universally admired as the jewel in the crown of Bentley’s modern design portfolio, the new Continental GT has now been re-imagined as an intricately created model replica. Three models, in fact: a 1:8 collectors’ piece with customisable features including mock veneers and carpets, seat quilting and fluting; and detailed 1:43 and 1:64 miniature models.
To ensure complete accuracy, the 1:8 models are developed under the supervision of the Bentley Design Studio, with each made-to-order and personalised replica meticulously designed to mirror the details of the full-size Continental GT. More than 1,000 tiny individual pieces are used to hand-build the replica, involving about 300 hours in total.
It is 78 centimetres long, 40 centimetres wide and 24.4 centimetres high, and customers can choose from an extensive range of bespoke interior and exterior options, from paint, seating and stitching colours to various veneer effects, wheels and alloys.
The 1:43 scale Continental GT features carefully-formed sculptural lines of the iconic coupé mirrored in a miniature version and crafted using high-quality resin. The presentation box and plinth sport the iconic Bentley wings logo, and the model is 11.2 centimetres in length, 5.2 centimetres wide and 3.3 centimetres in height.
The smallest model within the Continental GT collection is the 1:64 scale miniature created using die-cast metal. The styling lines of the full-size car are present, complemented by soft rubber tyres featuring detailed wheel designs. This model is available in a choice of striking paint colours – Ice, Orange Flame and Sequin Blue – and measures 3.1 centimetres wide and 7.7 centimetres in depth.
The three models are available from Bentley retailers or online at www.shop.BentleyMotors.com: 1:8 Continental GT Bespoke Model – £6,995; 1:43 Continental GT Model – £85 ; 1:64 Continental GT Model – £12
Bugatti Baby Reborn
Developed in partnership with The Little Car Company, and now in series production, the Baby II is not something you would be able to place on a shelf next to the Bentley but rather a reimagining of the original Bugatti Baby. It has, according to Bugatti, been described by those who have had the opportunity to drive it as “more of an unruly teenager than a baby”.
All 500 limited-edition cars were accounted for just three weeks after last year’s Geneva International Motor Show, but “some clients have had a change in circumstances due to recent global events, meaning a very few build slots have become available and will be allocated on a first come, first serve basis”. Visit here for more details.
The original Bugatti Baby was born in 1926, when Ettore and his son Jean built a scaled-down Type 35 for Ettore’s youngest son, Roland, to mark his fourth birthday. It was intended as a one-off car, but feedback from customers visiting Molsheim was apparently so positive the Baby went into production and around 500 were sold between 1927 and 1936.
The original Bugatti Baby (see below) was a 50 per cent scale version (a tight fit even for eight-year-olds) but Bugatti Baby II offers more in both size (designed for ages 14 and above) and performance.
It is available in three versions:
- Base model with a composite body and 1.4kWh battery pack – starting at €30,000.
- Vitesse model with a carbon fibre body, 2.8kWh battery pack and upgraded powertrain including a Speed Key (“like it’s big brother the Chiron1”) – €43,500.
- Pur Sang model, targeted at collectors and offering the same powertrain as the Vitesse but with hand-formed aluminium bodywork – €58,500.
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