The founder of Bugatti was such a perfectionist he built a secret workshop to beat Hermès at its own game

The founder of Bugatti was something of a perfectionist.

He was such a perfectionist, in fact, that he once built a secret workshop.

This little act of rebellion was in response to Ettore Bugatti’s lack of satisfaction with the French company.

So he decided to take the company on, and build its product better than Hermès could.

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French journalist takes a trip to Molsheim

Today, the partnership between the Bugatti and Hermès brands feels mutually exclusive.

They are two luxe powerhouses that continuously push the boundaries of what ultra-luxury looks like.

But did you know that the automaker once beat Hermès at its own game?

In order to understand why, we have to go all the way back to 1928.

That’s when a French journalist named Frédéric Loiseau took a visit to Molsheim, where the headquarters of Bugatti are located.

Loiseau left with more than positive impressions of the brand’s cars.

He actually left feeling absolutely amazed by Bugatti’s stables.

Ettore Bugatti was just as passionate about horses as he was about his cars, and his stables very much reflected the passion.

Stall doors carried polished metal plates and finely finished wood.

It was a barn that more accurately resembled a drawing room.

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Ettore Bugatti beats Hermès at its own game

The French journalist was then led into the saddle room, where he noticed something amazing.

He saw harnesses stamped in an oval with the words ‘Sellerie Bugatti.’

Intrigued, Loiseau asked Ettore if his brand had entered the tack business.

Ettore’s reaction was as charming as it was blunt and direct.

Hermès had been unable to deliver exactly what Ettore had wanted.

As a result, he made a drawing, handed it to his workers, and they made it for him themselves.

What is amazing is that they managed to do a better job than Hermès ever could, even though its founder, Thierry Hermès, got his start in the world of high-quality horse harnesses and saddles, AKA the tack business.

And the stables at Bugatti HQ were an extension of the factory floor.

Ettore was totally obsessed with perfection in every area of production and manufacturing.

This applied equally to his passions on four legs as it did on four wheels.