Few places in the automotive world carry as much significance for Bugatti as Molsheim, Alsace. Each year, the Bugatti Festival brings the marque’s legendary automobiles back to the roads, streets and landmarks that helped shape its history. In 2026, however, the event took on an even greater significance as Bugatti celebrated the 100th anniversary of the Type 41 Royale.
Organized by the Enthousiastes Bugatti Alsace, this year’s festival brought together historic and modern Bugattis for a weekend celebrating more than a century of engineering, design and the enduring legacy of Ettore Bugatti. At the center of it all were three of the most important Royales ever built.
A century after the first Royale was created, the Coupé Napoléon, Coupé de Ville Binder and Packard Royale returned to Bugatti’s spiritual home in Molsheim. All three were displayed together on the historic grounds where Ettore Bugatti’s extraordinary vision first took shape.
The reunion was particularly significant because only six Bugatti Royales are known to survive. Seeing three of them together at the home of the marque is an exceptionally rare occasion.
The ultimate Bugatti
Introduced in the 1920s, the Type 41 Royale was conceived as the ultimate expression of automotive luxury. Its enormous proportions, lavish craftsmanship and imposing presence were intended for royalty and the world’s wealthiest customers.
The three cars reunited in Molsheim also illustrate just how individual each Royale could be. The Coupé Napoléon, designed in its final form by Jean Bugatti and famously owned by Ettore himself, stood alongside the Coupé de Ville Binder and the Packard Royale, each representing a different chapter in the model’s remarkable history.
The cars were first presented to Bugatti customers around the Château before being shown to classic-car owners and enthusiasts attending the Festival. For a weekend, the Royale effectively transformed the Bugatti estate into a living automotive museum.
But the 2026 Festival wasn’t simply about looking backward.
Modern Bugattis take to the Alsace roads
As part of the celebrations, Bugatti organized a special Petit Tour for 20 modern Bugatti hyper sports cars. The customer-only drive took participants across some of Alsace’s most spectacular roads and landscapes, connecting the marque’s modern era with its historic roots.
The route began at the YONA Hotel in Obernai before heading toward Maison Cattin winery and Domaine Haslach. Along the way, theatrical scenes brought different chapters of Bugatti history to life, covering everything from the latest Tourbillon to the Chiron and Veyron, the brand’s rebirth in Molsheim, and finally the golden era of Ettore and Jean Bugatti.
The experience culminated in a 1920s-inspired dinner at the Château, attended by Christophe Piochon, President of Bugatti Automobiles, and Hendrik Malinowski, Bugatti Managing Director. The three Royales provided the centerpiece, positioned behind the Château as guests were treated to an atmosphere inspired by the period when Ettore Bugatti himself welcomed customers to Molsheim.
The following morning, the festivities opened up to the wider Bugatti community. Festival participants and their classic cars gathered at the Molsheim premises for breakfast, with the three Royales once again taking center stage. They were joined by approximately 70 other classic Bugattis before the cars departed for a tour through Alsace.
From Type 35s to Type 57s
Sunday brought the main Festival gathering in the heart of Molsheim, where the town’s streets once again became a showcase for Bugatti history. Among the highlights was an exceptional group of Type 35s, including a 1927 Grand Prix example. The display also featured a 1934 Type 57 Stelvio and a Type 57 C Cabriolet by Gangloff, alongside a selection of modern Bugatti models.
The awards ceremony provided another memorable moment. The 1934 Type 57 Stelvio received the prestigious “Prix Bugatti Automobiles,” while Christophe Piochon was presented with the “Bretzel d’Or” award. Often considered the Alsatian equivalent of France’s Legion of Honour, the Bretzel d’Or was particularly fitting this year, with the award celebrating its 50th anniversary.
Ultimately, though, the 2026 Bugatti Festival was about more than a collection of rare automobiles. It was a celebration of the connection between Bugatti’s past, present and future, and the people who continue to keep that history alive.
For Bugatti, bringing three Royales back to Molsheim during the model’s centenary provided a particularly powerful reminder of just how extraordinary Ettore Bugatti’s original vision was.
“The Bugatti Festival is always a deeply meaningful moment for the marque, because it brings together our modern era and our customers with the incredible history that defines Bugatti. This year, with the 100th anniversary of the Royale, that connection was even more powerful. To see three Royale automobiles in Molsheim, especially at the home of the brand, alongside historic Bugatti creations, passionate collectors, customers and enthusiasts, was a moving reminder of what makes Bugatti unique. The Festival brings together the people who share this passion and celebrates a heritage that continues to inspire, from the roads of Alsace to the Château, and through the extraordinary automobiles that carry the Bugatti name forward.” Christophe Piochon, President of Bugatti Automobiles
A century after the Royale first appeared, its return to Molsheim alongside dozens of other historic Bugattis made the 2026 Festival a fitting tribute to one of the most ambitious automobiles ever built—and to the extraordinary legacy that continues to define the Bugatti name.
