Before we start our journey into this peculiar Bugatti shown here, it’s important to note this is not a homemade kit car project, nor is it a new and upcoming model, rather, this is the 1999 Bugatti Veyron Concept (Secreta) by Walter de’Silva! While serving as head of design at Volkswagen-owned SEAT, de’Silva was asked by former Volkswagen head of design Hartmut Warkuss, to create a concept proposal for the next Bugatti supercar in the late 90’s. Ferdinand Karl Piëch (former chairman of the executive board of Volkswagen Group) was looking to revive the Bugatti brand and was accepting proposals from numerous designers such as this example from de’Silva and other examples such as a series of Giorgetto Giugiaro-designed concept vehicles. The exterior design of the famous production ready Bugatti Veyron was eventually crafted by Slovak automobile designer, Jozef Kabaň, and clearly Bugatti did not choose de’Silva’s design shown here. As soon as de’Silva was asked to create a proposal for the next Bugatti, he almost immediately began creating sketches and within just a few months, he would have a full scale presentable 1:1 mock-up completed, the model shown here. The model is a full size proposal with a complete interior however, lacks any sort of mechanics in order to actually allow this car to function. The ‘Bugatti Secret’ was eventually denied as a proposal by Ferdinand Piëch, and the car seemingly vanished off the face of the earth. That was until 2009, when Italian automobile magazine ‘Quattroruote’ unveiled some never-before-seen photos of the car, and refreshed the memory of this forgotten Bugatti concept. The car is seen here photographed by @al.spots alive and well all these years later in Wolfsburg, Germany. Although de’Silva’s Veyron was not chosen, he did go on to serve as Volkswagen’s head of design from 2007-2015.
How many made? 1 of 1
Engine: N/A
Debut: N/A
Top Speed: N/A
0-60mph: N/A
Photo Credit: @al.spots
Research: @rarecarsonly
1999 Bugatti Veyron Concept (Secreta) by Walter de’Silva
12.06.2025
Bugatti