As far as history goes, Germany invaded France – and a couple of nations -- in World War II. What if, in the course of the war, German carmaker Volkswagen Group was able to absorb French carmaker Bugatti? A whole lot of things would have happened. Rendering artist RC Workchop has its own idea of what would have transpired if Bugatti became part of VW, and that includes a 1945 Bugatti Veyron.
RC Workchop’s 1945 Bugatti Veyron is just a speculative rendering. Of course, there are many reasons why such rendering as an actual vehicle would be next to impossible in 1945. But for the sake of automotive art, creativity and design, this work is very laudable and pretty convincing.
As we can see, the 1945 Bugatti Veyron rendering could be best described as a more streamlined version of the VW Beetle with various Bugatti design cues as seen on the real Veyron. Up front, the 1945 Bugatti Veyron looks more like a VW Beetle with the front wheelarches overextending forward. The front end is also defined by headlights and front bumper from the VW Beetle. However, this special rendering also features the horseshoe grille found on the Bugatti Veyron with the brand’s red Bugatti oval logo. The positioning of the grille is somewhat awkward, since at the time, the engine of the Beetle was located on the rear compartment.
As expected, the 1945 Bugatti Veyron rendering sits a lot closer to the ground compared to an ordinary VW Beetle of that time. Moreover, the 1945 Bugatti Veyron rendering features the so-called "Bugatti line," which is essentially the C-bar on the side that is also employed as a design element in the cabin. The rear wheelarches also wrap the rear wheels, although they are rounder on the 1945 Bugatti Veyron rendering than on the actual Bugatti Veyron. The wheels of the 1945 Bugatti Veyron rendering, meanwhile, are similar to the rims of the VW Beetle.
Even if this rendering had existed in 1945, it would have been impossible for VW to build the Bugatti Veyron. At the time, VW’s Wolfsburg factory was still totaled by bombs from Allied planes. Moreover, VW and Germany had already succumbed to control of Allied forces. In addition, the war had resulted to lack of funds and resources, which meant that VW couldn’t realize the Bugatti Veyron on its own.
Overall, the 1945 Bugatti Veyron rendering is a piece that’s classy and elegant; its design and styling could even impress the customers of today. This shouldn’t be impossible considering that the French carmaker was acquired by the VW Group in 1998. Once created, VW or Bugatti could refer to this new vehicle as the new Bugatti Bug – a cross between the so-called superbug (Beetle) and the Veyron.
