Bugatti Rimac
Company History
Bugatti Rimac History: Founding, Growth & Key Milestones
Founded 2021 in Sveta Nedelja, Croatia
When was Bugatti Rimac founded?
Bugatti Rimac was founded in 2021 in Sveta Nedelja, Croatia by Mate Rimac and Ettore Bugatti, making it 5 years old.
- Founded
- 2021
- Founding place
- Sveta Nedelja, Croatia
- Founders
- Mate Rimac and Ettore Bugatti
- Headquarters today
- Sveta Nedelja, Zagreb County, Croatia
- Milestones documented
- 12 (2021–2026)
- Current CEO
- Marko Brkljačić
- Acquisitions
- 1
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 2021 | Bugatti Rimac begins operating |
| 2022 | Berlin design and engineering hub |
| 2022 | W16 Mistral unveiled |
| 2023 | Nevera sets 23 records in one day |
| 2023 | Nevera production-EV Nürburgring record |
| 2024 | Bugatti Tourbillon unveiled |
| 2024 | Rimac Campus phase one complete |
| 2025 | Bugatti's highest-volume year |
| 2025 | Programme Solitaire and the Brouillard |
| 2026 | Porsche agrees to sell its stakes |
| 2026 | La Manufacture opens in Molsheim |
| 2026 | Porsche exit completed, new leadership |
- Where was Bugatti Rimac founded?
- Bugatti Rimac was founded in Sveta Nedelja, Croatia in 2021.
- Who founded Bugatti Rimac?
- Bugatti Rimac was founded by Mate Rimac and Ettore Bugatti.
- When did Bugatti Rimac start?
- Bugatti Rimac was founded in 2021.
- How old is Bugatti Rimac?
- Bugatti Rimac is 5 years old as of 2026.
Founding Story
Mate Rimac's first electric car was a 1984 BMW 3 Series that he converted himself in Croatia after its petrol engine failed. Unhappy with the parts he could buy, he began designing his own batteries, motors and controllers, and the car, nicknamed the Green Monster, went on to set electric-vehicle acceleration records. He founded Rimac Automobili in 2009, showed the Concept_One electric hypercar at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show and supplied battery and powertrain engineering to other carmakers. Porsche invested in 2018, and in 2021 Rimac's company took control of Bugatti.
Founders
Mate Rimac
Mate Rimac is a Croatian entrepreneur, born in Livno, Bosnia and Herzegovina, who grew up partly in Germany before settling in Croatia. He began by converting a 1984 BMW 3 Series to electric power, designing his own batteries and motors, and founded Rimac Automobili in 2009 in a country with no car industry. Rimac supplied battery and powertrain engineering to other carmakers, drew investment from Porsche in 2018 and Hyundai, and built the Concept_One and the Nevera. In 2021 he became CEO of Bugatti Rimac at 33, and in September 2026, when Porsche's exit closed, he also became President of Bugatti Automobiles. Mate Rimac was born in 1988.
Ettore Bugatti
Ettore Bugatti (1881 to 1947) was an Italian-born car designer who founded Automobiles E. Bugatti in Molsheim, Alsace, in 1909. He treated cars as both machines and art, building the Type 35, one of the most successful racing cars of the 1920s, and the Type 41 Royale. The brand faded after his death, was revived by Volkswagen in 1998 and has been part of Bugatti Rimac since 2021, with cars still built in Molsheim.
Key Milestones
Bugatti Rimac begins operating
Rimac Group and Porsche AG launch Bugatti Rimac in November 2021, with Rimac Group holding 55 percent and Porsche 45 percent. Mate Rimac becomes CEO and the company is headquartered in Sveta Nedelja, Croatia.
Source: rimac-newsroom.comBerlin design and engineering hub
Bugatti Rimac announces a Berlin hub run by a new German subsidiary, Bugatti Rimac GmbH, while keeping its headquarters and most staff in Croatia.
Source: newsroom.bugatti.comW16 Mistral unveiled
Bugatti shows the W16 Mistral at Monterey Car Week, a roadster limited to 99 cars and the last road car built around the W16 engine.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgNevera sets 23 records in one day
The Rimac Nevera sets 23 acceleration and braking records in a single day at Automotive Testing Papenburg, including 0-400-0 km/h in 29.93 seconds.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgNevera production-EV Nürburgring record
The Nevera laps the Nürburgring Nordschleife in 7:05.298, a record for a production electric car.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgBugatti Tourbillon unveiled
Bugatti unveils the Tourbillon in Molsheim on 20 June 2024: a naturally aspirated 8.3-litre V16 engineered with Cosworth plus three electric motors for 1,800 PS, limited to 250 cars at ~$4.29 million (€3.8 million).
Source: newsroom.bugatti.comRimac Campus phase one complete
Rimac Group completes phase one of the Rimac Campus in Sveta Nedelja, a 75,000 m² production facility within a 100,000 m² site, with production already under way.
Source: rimac-newsroom.comBugatti's highest-volume year
Bugatti builds more cars than in any previous year, begins W16 Mistral deliveries, delivers the final Bolide and starts Tourbillon customer configurations.
Source: newsroom.bugatti.comProgramme Solitaire and the Brouillard
Bugatti launches Programme Solitaire in August 2025, limited to two one-off cars a year, and shows its first creation, the Brouillard coupé, at Monterey Car Week.
Source: newsroom.bugatti.comPorsche agrees to sell its stakes
On 24 April 2026 Porsche signs agreements to sell its 45 percent of Bugatti Rimac and 20.6 percent of Rimac Group to a consortium led by HOF Capital.
Source: newsroom.porsche.comLa Manufacture opens in Molsheim
Bugatti inaugurates La Manufacture on 2 July 2026, a 3,245 m² building for Tourbillon production that raises capacity to up to 200 cars a year.
Source: newsroom.bugatti.comPorsche exit completed, new leadership
The sale closes on 9 September 2026 for about $1.13 billion (€1 billion). Mate Rimac becomes President of Bugatti Automobiles, Christophe Piochon steps down and Marko Brkljačić joins as COO.
Source: newsroom.bugatti.comMajor Acquisitions
Bugatti Automobiles S.A.S. (contributed to the Bugatti Rimac joint venture)
2021Porsche contributed Bugatti, which it held within Volkswagen Group, to a new joint venture with Rimac Group, combining Bugatti's brand and Molsheim operations with Rimac's electric powertrain engineering.
Keep researching Bugatti Rimac
Bugatti Rimac Company History FAQ
How did the Veyron change Bugatti?
Launched in 2005 under Volkswagen, the Veyron was the first production car with more than 1,000 PS and topped 400 km/h, restarting Bugatti as a car brand.
When did the Chiron break 300 mph?
In August 2019 a pre-production Chiron Super Sport 300+ reached 490.484 km/h (304.773 mph) at Ehra-Lessien, Germany.
When did the Rimac Nevera set its records?
In 2023 it set 23 acceleration and braking records in a single day, including 0-400-0 km/h in 29.93 seconds, and lapped the Nürburgring Nordschleife in 7:05.298.
What happened at Bugatti in 2025?
Bugatti built more cars than in any previous year, began W16 Mistral deliveries, delivered the final Bolide, launched Programme Solitaire and started Tourbillon customer configurations.
What is La Manufacture?
A 3,245 m² production building in Molsheim inaugurated on 2 July 2026 for the Tourbillon, raising Bugatti's capacity to up to 200 cars a year.
Did Rimac buy Bugatti?
In 2021, a massive joint venture was formed where Porsche transferred Bugatti into a new company, Bugatti Rimac. Rimac holds a controlling 55% stake, essentially putting the young Croatian company in charge of the historic French brand.
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