The world's most expensive car is up for sale. And whether or not you think it's worth the estimated $10 million asking price, it's no doubt exceedingly rare, beautiful and--like many follies in automotive history--a triumph of hubris over reason.
This Bugatti Type 41 Royale was the brainchild of Ettore Bugatti--and also a hugely expensive misstep in the history of his firm. In the 1920s, Bugatti was expecting to get a contract from the French military to build 16-cylinder aircraft engines. The contract never materialized, but Bugatti felt he could use half that engine, a straight eight, to form one of the most amazing luxury cars in history.