|
|
New: News (March 4)
New: Bugatti garage In France (February 18)
New: Bugatti parts wanted (February 18)
New: Bugatti parts for sale For Veyron (February 18)
New: Bugattis for sale (February 1)
New: Events: (February 1)
New: Bugatti books for sale: (January 19)
New: Bugatti Questions (January 17)
New: issue of the Bugatti revue (August 16)
New: Categorized overview of ALL the Bugatti revue back issues! (August 17)
New: Book : Nordic Bugatti Register 2014 (August 4)
New: Book : The art of Bugatti, A comprehensive retrospective of the Bugatti family of artists (April 21)
New: Book
: Bugatti Memories by
Gene Cesari (January 16)
New: Book : Firehawks 2 - Breath of the Dragon (December 18)
New: Bugatti Miniatures for sale (November 7)
New: Bugatti Replica for sale "Baby" (October 12)
New book announcements:
Picture Sheets of the Bugattis, per Catagory
Information on the Bugatti types is also included!
This site was missed since 2001, I put it back on line, thanks to Pascal van Mele, the version is of January 2001!
Especially the the Hunting for Bugatti Information, "Everything Bugatti" (articles) and the Bugatti cars database are of the most interest, but you will find much more!!!
However, of course Jacob does not respond to mails anymore, some older links may not work, the Pim Faber books, models and stamps databases do not work, and the Hunting Bugatti Questions are not followed up. As a service, I will post all answers to his existing questions on my pages, new questions will be published on my site also!
Get a quote for temporary car insurance online today. You could save
money on your gap insurance by searching insurers direct. Looking for classic car insurance online
for your vintage car?
Books
March 4, 2014
Paris – On 28 April, the Christie’s Paris’ Interiors sale will include an important section dedicated to personal items of the world’s greatest vintage cars collector: Fritz Schlumpf. This collection is permanently exhibited at the Cité de l’Automobile – Musée National – Collection Schlumpf of Mulhouse, France.
Flavien Gaillard, specialist at the 20/21 Design department: “We are extremely honored that the family entrusted Christie’s with the sale of this collection. This sale puts an end to the journey of the greatest vintage cars collector in the world. It is the last opportunity connoisseurs have to enjoy the collection as a whole, and acquire some of Fritz Schlumpf’s personal items. This previously unseen collection has remained within the family by descent and allows us to discover the hidden facets of such a charismatic collector. Within the collection, several items signed by Bugatti reflect Fritz’s passion for the Molsheim brand”.
Among the highlights of the collection is the celebrated mascot “Éléphant
dressé” made of plain silver circa 1928 by Rembrandt Bugatti for the legendary
Royal Bugatti (estimate: €150,000–200,000). This mascot was cast by Valsuani
and adorned this car of which only six were ever made. Considered the most
expensive car at the time, Ettore Bugatti wanted to pay tribute to his brother,
who had passed away only few years earlier. Ettore went to his brother’s
workshop to pick an original model from 1904 that he cast to adapt into a
radiator cap. Alongside this legendary car, a 1902 Rochet, a 1906 Piccolo and
a Baby 52 Bugatti model car for children will be offered during the sale.
Richard Rodier, consultant for the Fritz collection: “It is an honor and a
true pleasure to be involved in the sale of this remarkable collection, a
beautiful legacy of a rich and fascinating life”.
Christie's announcement of the sale
List of the items, with estimates
All photographs below courtesy of Christie's:
- Bonhams Auction, Les Grandes Marques du Monde au Grand Palais, Paris, February 5, 2015 :
- Artcurial Auction, Rétromobile, Paris, February 6, 2015:
The Bugatti from the Baillon collection went to a collector in New Zealand:
Sixty classic cars, unearthed last year in a barn in France were auctioned last weekend in Paris.
Tom Andrews, 64, owner of Classics Museum, was excited to learn from his European agent that a 1937 Bugatti Type 57 Ventoux, was among them.
"The Bugatti is something we have been wanting for a long time and it's a very valuable and rare car," Mr Andrews said.
Mr Andrews is paying $10,000 to ship the car back to New Zealand and about the same amount as he paid for the car to bring it back to life.
"We knew what we were getting. The vehicle will need extensive restoration and I'm expecting it to take at least two years," he said.
Mr Andrews said the Bugatti will be the only one of its kind in New Zealand, and will be displayed at his museum.
He owns about 140 classic cars, but said this one was "definitely the most valuable".
Thanks to Christophe Chanterault for the auction results
February 1, 2014
I first saw them on a GP Bugatti at the Mullin museum Bugatti exposition in Oxnard, gives you more storage capacity for one of those nice long rally's! And yes, maybe it even does fit your Alfa as well..
For more info, click here!
- RM Auctions, Arizona, January 15 - 16, 2015 :
Thanks to Christophe Chanterault
January 16, 2014
3 Peugeot Bébé enthusiasts from the Netherlands, who together have the largest collection of Peugeot Bébé's (together with the Schlumpf museum) recently started the Peugeot Bébé register !
They know have 65 of those lovely tiny cars (see the above photo, your editor in a 1911 Peugeot Bébé) in their register, as well as a load of nice early photographs.
So please if you know of a nice "Baby", you have information to share or if you need or can offer parts, please go to their website: peugeot-bebe-register.weebly.com
Contents of an e-mail from one of our Bugatti friends to some unknown crook
Henry Bateren,
You are a despicable criminal con man of the worst kind, no doubt professionally
luring and steeling money off naive men, defenseless old women and young
innocent virgins alike by means of skimming the internet for goods, services and
items through „wanted” advertisements.
I had a search ad for certain gearbox parts on the Bugatti Page, the well-known Bugatti
related internet medium, in March, 2014. I had you in my gunsight 10 months later when
you on the 15th of December, 2014 approached me out of the blue by mailing me that
you had the gear parts for sale „in an excellent shape and good condition”.
Some 15 e-mails back and forth you have demonstrated your ruthlessness in detail.
While there is no such thing as PayPal not working at any length of time as stated by
you and that you therefore only accepted an untraceable Western Union payment
method, on top of this you also wanted €14.500 for the deal whereas newly
manufactured first class quality gears would not exceed the value of €2.000. Just
to check your con scheme I had told you that I had an offer on hand in the region of
that unrealistic high amount. By further positively confirming on my request that the
gears had octagonal holes, not hexagonal ditto and that the material was yellow
coloured brass you demonstrated naive stupidity, complete ignorance and total lack
of knowledge about the subject of gearwheels. Everybody in the business know that
neither such shapes nor materials are physically possible, only square shaped holes
and steel material makes mechanical sense. And what nonsense about FedEx covering
the import duty into Europe as you said? By the way, your Nigerian address is not known
to Google Maps and therefore most probably as false as your motives.
All in all, I think that there is a fat chance that you belong to the criminal community of,
say, Nigerians (?) living off social security in, say, Rotterdam. If I ever meet you in person
I will flatten further your flat nose and fat lips.
In the meantime you bet that the Bugatti world will be warned against you and your likes by
the imminent publication of this sad case. People in the know will also have a good laugh
when learning about the stupidity you so amply have demonstrated throughout your
correspondence. Spare your further efforts Henry Bateren, the Bugatti community members
will never pay up front via such means as the Western Union money transfer system.
For the record it remains for me to state that the above comments have no bearing
whatsoever of racial, ethnic or geographical issues.
C. Rank-Shaft
Leake Auction Dallas, TX, USA, November 21 - 23, 2014 :
Lot 471: 1934 Bugatti Type 51 Grand Prix Racer Chassis #51153, Not Sold (High Bid: $2,700,000)
Including one of the Rembrandt Bugatti elephants and a Bugatti "Baby".
February 9, 2014
A Hamilton, New Zealand, car collector is "thrilled" to have won an auction at $500,000 for a rusty car he has to spend another $500,000 (NZ$) to restore.
"I was thrilled when I got it for just under $500,000."
"But at the end of the day, the car would be worth at least $1.5 million if not more."
The bag fits all sizes of spare tire, and can be easily attached, leaving the spare tire with just a nice leather cover.
January 29, 2014
- Bonhams Auction, The Scottsdale Auction, January 15, 2015 :
January 16, 2014
on behalf of K.C. Jessen
December 17, 2014
December 17, 2014
Patrick Meney was elected President of the "Club Bugatti France", saturday 6 december, in Paris.
The French Bugatti Club has 260 members and will organize next june, the "2015 Bugatti International Meeting" in Provence (90 Bugattis from 17 countries, during one week and 1000 miles).
Patrick Meney is a 66 year old lover of vintage cars, and especially of Bugatti, since his childhood. He is well known by the french classic car enthusiasts, owning a convertible Bugatti Type 57, and a number of pre-war cars (Lorraine-Dietrich, Hotchkiss...), and a few cars of the sixties (E Type, XK120, MKII...). Outside his passion for vintage cars, he is a journalist (former war reporter for AFP), a writer well known in France, and a TV producer.
We wish Patrick good luck in his new position, and of course a pleasurable ride during the June International rally
December 6, 2014
The German on-line magazine came with the scoop yesterday, amongst the 60 cars there are some pretty impressive ones! Yes, it is still possible!
The text from Classicdriver
Exclusive: Treasure trove of 60 barn-finds includes ‘lost’ Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider
“Never again, anywhere in the world, will such a treasure be unearthed,” says Pierre Novikoff, motor car specialist at Artcurial auction house. He’s describing a staggering collection of 60 barn-find cars that have been discovered after lying hidden for 50 years.
And if you think he’s exaggerating, then let me quote our photographer, Rémi Dargegen, who reported back to us right after the photo-shoot, saying, “It’s amazing, just amazing. The place is incredible… the most impressive thing is the sheer quantity of cars hidden in the barns.”
It all began with the grandfather of the family that currently owns the collection: back in the 1950s, he dreamed of conserving the heritage of pre-War cars in museum surroundings, focusing on the great French brands and famous body shops. This gentleman was an entrepreneur with a transport company in the west of France and he was a serious enthusiast: he even exhibited a roadster that he’d built himself at the Paris Motor Show in the 1950s. Sadly, during the 1970s, his dream fell apart when his business suffered a setback and he was forced to sell some 50 cars. After that, the rest of the collection stayed totally untouched, all these years, until its very recent discovery.
These motor cars, explains Artcurial, have been tucked away in various outbuildings and left under makeshift corrugated iron shelters – cars that include Bugatti, Hispano-Suiza, Panhard et Levassor, Delahaye, Delage, Maserati and Ferrari. There are several Talbot-Lago T26s buried in the collection, one of them a very rare Grand Sport Aérodynamique – and an opulent Cabriolet once owned by King Farouk. But it’s not just the marques that are enough to take your breath away: many are clothed in bodies by the most admired coachbuilders of their day, names such as Chapron, Million-Guiet and Saoutchik. Found sheltering in a garage was one of just three Maserati A6G 2000 Berlinettas with coachwork by Frua, dating from 1956. And then, beneath piles of magazines, they discovered something even more exciting…
…a Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider, with covered headlights, a car whose first owner was comedian Gérard Blain. But according to Artcurial, the intriguing history of this – surely the last barn-find California SWB Spider ever to be unearthed – doesn’t stop there. Blain sold the Ferrari to actor Alain Delon, who was on several occasions photographed at the wheel – accompanied, in 1964, by Jane Fonda (during the filming of ‘Les Félins’) and later by Shirley MacLaine on the Côte d’Azur.
Even the wife of the original collector didn’t know whether he’d sold the California or still owned it, and their children knew nothing about the car until they came across it, a few months ago, hidden under those old newspapers. So it’s hardly surprising that the whereabouts of this important, Pininfarina-designed cabriolet have been – until now – a mystery to marque historians.
What a discovery: and it’s hard to guess at the sort of interest it’s likely to generate among collectors. Fortunately, we won’t have to wait long to find out, as the California Spider will be offered – along with the other 59 cars in this amazing collection – by Artcurial Motorcars in the first part of its traditional auction at the Rétromobile Salon, on 6 February 2015, in Paris.
Matthieu Lamoure, managing director of Artcurial Motorcars, likens the experience of first being shown the barn finds to “Lord Carnarvon entering Tutankhamun’s tomb”. In his opinion, “Not since the revelation of the Schlumpf Collection in Mulhouse has such a group of emblematic automobiles been disclosed and, what is more, in such original condition. The magic of these 60 mysterious mechanical creatures is more like a giant work of art: the unrealised dream of their owner.”
Photos: Rémi Dargegen for Classic Driver © 2014.
The cars:
Amilcar C6 berline,
Amilcar CGS,
Ariès coach,
Auto Union cabriolet,
Avions Voisin C15,
Avions Voisin limousine C15,
Avions Voisin C7 par Gallé,
Ballot 8 Cyl limousine,
Barré torpédo,
Berliet coupé chauffeur,
Berliet Type VIGB 10HP Taxi Landaulet,
Bugatti 57 Ventoux,
Citroën Trèfle,
Delage D6,
Delage D8 coach,
Delahaye 135 cabriolet Faget Varnet,
Delahaye 135 coach Chapron,
Delahaye 235 coach Chapron,
Delahaye 235 coach Chapron,
Delahaye 235 coupé Chapron,
Delahaye Type 43 coupé chauffeur,
Delahaye GFA 148 L,
Delahaye Type 43 camionnette,
Delaunay Belleville limousine VL8,
Facel Vega Excellence,
Ferrari 250 GT California SWB,
Ferrari 308 GTS i,
Ferrari 400,
Ferrari Mondial 3.2L cabriolet,
Hispano Suiza H6B cabriolet Millon-Guiet,
Hotchkiss cabriolet,
Innocenti S cabriolet,
Jaguar type S 3.4 L,
La Buire 12 A,
Lagonda LG45 cabriolet,
Lancia Thema 8.32,
Lorraine Dietrich B3/6 plateau,
Lorraine Dietrich B3/6 torpédo par Grumman,
Lorraine-Dietrich torpédo,
Maserati A6G 2000 berlinetta Grand Sport Frua,
Mathis cabriolet,
Mathis FOH,
Packard cabriolet Super Eight,
Panhard-Levassor Dynamic berline X77,
Panhard-Levassor Dynamic coupé X76,
Panhard-Levassor limousine X72,
Porsche 356 SC ex-Sonauto,
Renault AX torpédo,
Renault Vivastella cabriolet,
Sandford cyclecar 3 roues,
Singer Cabriolet,
Talbot Lago 11/6 cabriolet,
albot Lago Baby cabriolet,
Talbot Lago Baby cabriolet,
Talbot Lago Cadette 11,
Talbot Lago coach,
Talbot Lago T26 coach,
Talbot Lago T26 Grand Sport coupé Saoutchik,
Talbot Lago T26 Record coupé Saoutchik,
Talbot Lago T26 cabriolet Saoutchik ex-Roi Farouk
Somewhere I feel a new book coming....
The original article in ClassicDriver.com, with of course many photographs!
November 23, 2014
As the end of the Veyron production is getting near, there are more and more news items about the next Bugatti. The German magazine Motor Revue announces that the next Bugatti will be called "Chiron".
The magazine presents photos taken in Spain of prototypes which look like the Veyron but which, thanks to a hybrid power system develop 1500 HP (and from 0 to 100 km/h in 2.3 seconds ! )
The production car, most expensive and most powerful automobile ever, will be produced from next year. The Bugatti Chiron will have a top speed of 460 km/h. The transmission will be by DSG seven speeds like the Veyron, and a maximum torque of 1500 Nm. A novel injection system will ensure that the car will meet the antipollution Euro 6 standard.
November 20, 2014
Sorry, only one day left!
Lot no.
49,
An important archive of photographs , artwork
Estimate £15000–20000
An important archive of photographs (by Rene Jacques and others), artwork, typographical and layout designs illustrating various models of the Bugatti Type 57 touring car and the Autorail railcar for the promotional campaign at the 1937 Exposition Internationale de Paris, including the catalogue "Bugatti le Pur-sang de l'Automobile" and the 1937 pamphlet of the same title, together with the maquette and preliminary designs for the catalogue and the pamphlet, approximately 40 gelatin silver prints, some retouched and shaped to create photomontages, 11 layout designs in gouache and ink on different medium, 10 black and white proofs of the catalogue and other related ephemeral material, designs for the Bugatti "Exposition Internationale de Paris 1937" pamphlet with 6 gelatin silver prints, two colour sketches in gouache and a colour proof, the Autorail collection comprising approximately 130 gelatin silver prints and 70 negatives, 34 glass negatives of Bugatti mechanical pieces for American copyright and six glass plates, Various sizes
The avant-garde streamlined design of Jean Bugatti's 1934 Type 57 perfectly represents the marriage of aesthetic sensibility and engineering skill for which the company was famous. The Autorail railcar, the brainchild of Jean's father Ettore, was equally revolutionary. Powered by four Bugatti petrol engines each producing 200 hp, it was capable of 200km per hour on standard gauge track. The first prototype dates from 1933 and they went into service with the French State Railways the following year.
There are interesting photographs of the AutoRail, and various of engine parts, quite artistically photographed!
November 10, 2014
Bugatti design studies, often by design students, are presented often, and this "Type 60" by Vaughan Ling is no exception.
I present it here, just because I think it has a few nice details, though many would oppose to the grille, which has lost the "horse shoe" shape...
October 29, 2014
There were 600 classics, hot rods, muscle cars and motorcycles at the Lake Mirror Classic in Lakeland last weekend, 200 of those arrayed around Lake Mirror for the annual concours d’elegance.
Area winners included a Golden Swan in the American Modern class to Ponte Vedra Beach resident Leo Sugg’s 1961 Pontiac Ventura; and Best in Class — Classics to the 1932 Lincoln Judkins Coupe owned by Wellington and Janet Morton of Saint Johns.
Also on display were Tom Bungay of Jacksonville’s one-of-one 2002 Volkswagen Beetle Turbo, the only VW ever done by Porsche 911 modifier Alois Ruf in Germany with 250 horsepower, huge brakes and Recaro racing seats. Gleaming amid a flock of Vettes was Ronnie and Pam Edge’s 1957 Chevrolet Corvette, bought new in Jacksonville three owners before.
“These are really spectacular. This Bugatti in front of us is just eye-dropping gorgeous,” said show founder and Lakeland resident Ford Heacock.
That Bugatti was one of the Best in Show winners, both won by Richard Workman of Windemere. The classic winner was his shapely 1938 Bugatti Type 57C coupe with supercharger; the non-classic was his imposing 1956 Mercedes-Benz 300 SC. The Mercedes also won the Amelia Island Concours Award.
When Rick Workman bought his black 1938 Bugatti Type 57C at a car auction two years ago, he remembered the advice of veteran car collectors: Buy what you love.
The Windermere, Fla., resident was new to car collecting, but his instincts proved right on Sunday, when his car was awarded Best of Show at the 13th annual Hilton Head Island Concours d'Elegance & Motoring Festival.
"And I sure do love that car," Workman said. "I looked at it and thought it was an extremely beautiful car. It's a classic beauty."
The award was presented by the festival's honorary chairman, Edsel B. Ford II, great-grandson of Henry Ford, the founder of Ford Motor Co.
Workman bought the car in mint condition, and Sunday's award came fresh off his Best of Show win in October at the Lake Mirror Classic Auto Festival in Lakeland, Fla. The Bugatti was in the Hilton Head show's Rare Wheels Collection; Workman said only 17 of the coupes were made.
This was Workman's first time at Concours d'Elegance, and he says he can't wait to return next year.
October 29, 2014
Ard op de Weegh and myself (Arnoud op de Weegh) are writers of several automotive books, for example “The Fate of the Sleeping Beauties” that tells the true story behind the famous Dovaz Collection (Sleeping Beauties)
Currently we’re busy writing a book about the Schlumpf affair. In this book the truth behind the affair will be told. For example that Fritz Schlumpf had tried to sell his whole collection to keep the factory running.
There will be a lot of new facts and never published pictures in this book. But of course we’re always looking during the writing for new facts / documents / photo’s that could make our new book better.
If you have some information / documents / photo’s that could help us or could be valuable for our new book. Don’t hesitate to contact us.
Arnoud op de Weegh: Arnoud@opdeweegh.net
Ard op de Weegh: Ard@opdeweegh.eu
Article based on info from the authors, about the Schlumpf collection (in French)
p.s. The text with the top photo is wrong, the visit of Fritz Schlumpf to the museum was 10 years earlier, in 1991.
October 18, 2014
As Bugatti SAS is just about 10 cars away from delivering the last of the 450 Veyrons (300 closed, 150 open) in a myriad of versions and special editions, they must work hard to get the next model ready. Very little is known about this next model, just that it is again a supersportscar, with probably even more power and maybe some type of hybrid as well.
The photo above was taken about a week ago, showing the test of the new engine, in an old style Veyron. No details of the engine can be seen, I'm sorry. Knowing Bugatti, we will have to wait for the official presentation to know everything.
Photo Wilco Blok
October 4, 2014 Last Sunday, September 28, 2014, Ettore Bugatti's second wife Geneviève Marguerite Delcuze died at the respectable age of 94. She and Ettore Bugatti married on October 12, 1946. Together they had two children, Thérèse and Michel. After Ettore's death in 1947, she, together with Roland Bugatti, Pierre Marco and Geneviève's new husband René Bolloré led the Bugatti factory through the 1950's and early 60's. Below a photograph taken August 2014, together with her great-granddaughter, one of Caroline Bugatti's daughters. We wish the children and grandchildren strength with this loss.
 |
September 17, 2014
A baby Bugatti replica belonging to The Strojer Collection in Denmark has been stolen. The little car had temporally been exhibited in the front window of a local fashion shop. The thieves smashed the window at night and took away the kids car which usually was to be seen alongside a full size Type 37 GP rep. in the Collection. Thousands of visitors must have seen the small car which for nearly 15 years has been one of the attractions of the Strøjer Collection.
The car was commissioned by Jørgen Strøjer Hansen in 1999 and was constructed in Denmark with utmost accuracy to replicate the original baby Bugattis built by the Bugatti factory. All materials are as originally – i.e. steel chassis, aluminium castings, axles, and hand formed aluminium bodywork by Peel. The body is fitted with Bugatti body screws wire locked with copper wire. The alu wheels are from Crosthwaite with tyres of beefier section giving the car an easily recognizable feature. The little radiator is in polished brass giving it yet another unique feature. Many photos from the build exist and can be provided in case anyone should see it offered for sale.
Well, somebody might offer this replica to some Bugatti enthusiast, if so, please contact Mr. Hansen through me
September 11, 2014
Original title: Delahaye is best of show at astounding new French concours The inaugural Chantilly Arts & Elegance took place just north of Paris on 7 September in the sprawling grounds and stunning manicured gardens of the imposing chateau. The scale of the event, which was larger than many had anticipated, was matched by the quality of cars that made the journey to Picardie – in particular, the 1937 Delahaye 135M that scooped the top award.
A triumphant Peter Mullin accepted the Best of Show award for his stunning French-built deco beauty. Surprisingly, it was to a backdrop of largely empty seats, which were free for all visitors to use, in contrast to other concours' that reserve such good views for VIPs. Equality and egalitarianism are alive and well in France.
Fittingly for a new French concours, the headline class was dedicated to the country's most revered pre-war manufacturer, Bugatti. A 1930 Type 41 Royale Coupé from the former Schlumpf Collection stole the show for many, as it took pride of place on its own stand in the courtyard of the chateau, But it was the 1938 Type 57C Atalante of Henri Chambon that drew the crowds on the lower part of the display. See also above
The car was entered into the Tribute to Bugatti class, though its original condition – complete with cracked windscreen and a healthy coating of dust – outshone many in the Untouched Cars class, picking up an award in the process.
A 1933 Type 55 with Figoni et Falaschi coachwork also proved popular with visitors, and was mobbed throughout the afternoon. It was brought to the event from the United States by The Revs Institute.
The original article, with more photo's of other cars, can be found on www.classicandsportscar.com
Thanks to Christophe Chanterault
September 11, 2014
The complete article can be read online, and includes various photographs.
Go to www.airspacemag.com to read the article (3 pages, one has to click through).
Also on the same site are various sketches and drawings of the Bugatti 100P airplane.
Gooding & Company Auction, Pebble Beach, Monterey, USA, August 16 - 17, 2014:
No surprise results, all results for the classic Bugattis are more towards the lower end of their price estimates or just below. Will we be seeing some kind of price drop?
Thanks to Christophe Chanterault
Highlights and special classes covered the evolution of the sports car, the visionary designs of Virgil Exner, Jet Age pick-ups from the fifties and sixties and the 50th anniversary of the Ford Mustang and Lamborghini. In addition, there was a full field of the traditional concours fare comprised of American and European brass, antique and classic cars.
The highlight of the event was the awarding of the best-in-show trophys, one to an American vehicle and the other to a foreign vehicle. The Best in Show – American was won by a 1932 Duesenberg Model J Convertible Victoria owned by William and Barbara Parfet of Hickory Corners, Michigan. Best in Show – Foreign went to a 1939 Bugatti T57C Cabriolet (CHassis 57819) from the Patterson Collection of Louisville, Kentucky.
The 1932 Duesenberg wearing coachwork by Walter M. Murphy is believed to be one of the earliest Convertible Victoria bodys to be built on a Model J chassis. The 1939 Bugatti T57C when new was fitted with very distinctive coachwork by Voll & Ruhrbeck, a German coachbuilder. Two of its styling elements of interest are the unusual art moderne style grille and the peaked and razor-edged rear fenders.
Full information.
The Bugatti was purchased by Nice when it was three years old and was used extensively throughout the 1920s. It features a supercharged 2292cc straight-eight engine capable of producing 130bhp and propelling the car to over 130mph. The right-hand-drive car has been restored several times, most recently being repainted from French Racing Blue to its original shade of Taupe.
Nice was a pioneer in the truest sense of the word, becoming a successful racing driver after being inspired by Charlotte Versigny, who had campaigned a Talbot in 1927. Two years later Nice won an all-female Grand Prix at Montlhéry at the wheel of an Omega-Six, and in the process set a new Land Speed Record for women.
Her relationship with Phillippe de Rothschild led her to be introduced to Ettore Bugatti, which in turn resulted in her piloting the Type 35C in five Grands Prix in France.
Countless hillclimbs and sprints followed, as did an outing on the Monte-Carlo Rally, before she suffered a serious accident at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix in 1936, in which she was thrown from her car and several spectators were killed.
Though the trauma of the accident undoubtedly affected the star, it was the Second World War that would effectively end her career. In 1949 she was accused of being a Gestapo agent by Grand Prix driver Louis Chiron. Despite his lack of evidence, it resulted in her never driving competitively again.
From: www.classicandsportscar.com
As part of the Monterey Car Week (11 – 17 August), Bugatti is celebrating the conclusion of its “Les Légendes de Bugatti” edition (Bugatti Legends). One year ago, Bugatti launched the exclusive model series during the Monterey Car Week at the well-known and attended automotive events “The Quail: A Motorsports Gathering” and “Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance” with the first Legend. This year, the crowning conclusion will be held on August 15 at the same location with the world première of the company’s sixth Legend. It honors Ettore Bugatti, founder and patron of the brand, and is based on the historical model Type 41 Royale. As with the five previous Legends, only three of the final Legends model will be produced. It costs €2.35 million net. Bugatti is presenting all six Bugatti Legends together for the first and only time.
“Ettore Bugatti is our ‘patron’. His demand that an automobile be a perfect harmony of technology and aesthetics still applies to us today,” said Wolfgang Dürheimer, President of Bugatti Automobiles S.A.S. “Ettore Bugatti always strived for the creation of a total work of art. His ideas and vehicles set the foundation stone for an automobile brand that was lauded then and now as the most valuable in the world. Ettore Bugatti himself is a legend. It was clear from the start that we should dedicate the final Legends model to him personally.”
Ettore Bugatti is one of the most important figures of the automotive world in the 20th century. He knew how to combine his family’s rich artistic heritage with his technological ideas and succeeded in creating the foundation for a design language that shaped the brand for years to come and made it unmistakable. The brand’s values of “Art, Forme, Technique” define this unique approach. Under his leadership, vehicles were produced that were ahead of their times both technically and stylistically, and are today highly valued collectors’ items. Two such vehicles are the Type 57 SC Atlantic and the unforgettable Type 41 Royale that Ettore Bugatti built as the most powerful and luxurious car of its time. It also serves as the historical basis for this Bugatti Legend. The lightweight construction designs of the 1920s, such as the Type 13 “Brescia” or the Type 35 – which was one of the most successful racing cars in motor sport history with 2,000 victories and podium finishes – are further notable representatives of the brand.
One-off presentation of all six Legends at Pebble Beach
Alongside the world première of the Ettore Bugatti Legend, for the first and only time, Bugatti will be presenting all six models of the Legends Edition on Friday, August 15 at “The Quail: A Motorsports Gathering” and also on Sunday, August 17 at the “Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance”.
The Bugatti Legend “Ettore Bugatti”
The “Ettore Bugatti” Legend is based on the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Vitesse1, as are all the other Legends. The super sports car is powered by a 1,200 PS, 8-litre W16 engine that transmits an unequalled 1,500 Nm at 3,000 to 5,000 rpm to the tarmac and rockets it from zero to 100 km/h in 2.6 seconds. With a maximum speed of 408.84 km/h (254 MPH) with the roof down, the Vitesse is the world’s fastest production roadster ever built.
Design – pure image
“The legend’s design is dedicated to Ettore Bugatti’s passion for the unusual in automobile construction. One of his masterpieces – the Type 41 Royale – never fails to impress and inspire with its mere presence,” explains Achim Anscheidt, Chief Designer at Bugatti. “Ettore liked to describe his creations as ‘Pur Sang’, as thoroughbreds. In dedicating this Bugatti Legend to him, we are staying true to his philosophy of aesthetically functional beauty for the automobile by using pure and natural materials such as polished aluminium and the finest cordovan leather.”
A body of clear-coated carbon and hand-polished aluminium Exterior. The design of the carbon body of the Legends model “Ettore Bugatti” is based on a 1932 Type 41 Royale with the chassis number 41111 and sports a “yin-yang” color split.
The front part is made of hand-polished aluminium and finished with a clear coating. Bugatti is the only manufacturer to use clear-coated aluminium on a production vehicle. For the first time, this material is used for the entire front and side panels including the bonnet, the mirror bases and housings, the exterior door handles and the corners of the bumpers, the wings, the doors and the regions just behind them, the so-called “medallions” (in French). The vehicle’s rear, sill panels and A-pillar trims are finished with dark-blue exposed carbon.
Based on one of the most famous wheel rim designs in automotive history, the polished, diamond-cut wheel rims were specially developed for this vehicle and color-coordinated with a dark-blue finish. The eight-spoke wheel was created by Ettore Bugatti who was looking for a light wheel for his racing cars, like the famous Type 35. Ettore Bugatti thus made a decisive contribution to the development of the aluminium wheel in automobile manufacture. The new wheel rim design on the Vitesse Legend therefore carries the name “Ettore Bugatti.”
The distinctive Bugatti horseshoe and the EB logo at the rear shine out in platinum and underscore the gleaming exterior appearance of this Bugatti Legend.
The signature of the company’s founder Ettore Bugatti is engraved into the tank and oil cap and painted in silver.
Finest cordovan leather in the vehicle interior Interior. Bugatti is using two types of leather for the first time in the “Ettore Bugatti” Legend. Traditional calf’s leather – here in a natural brown (Brun Cavalier) – is used throughout the vehicle interior. Those parts that are typically touched by hand including the steering wheel rim, gear lever, door handles, centre console armrest and door handle recesses, the switches in the door trims and in the roof module are all jacketed in an exclusive, natural cordovan leather. Bugatti is using this skilfully created leather – the tanning process alone takes around six months – for the first time. It is typically used for high-quality shoes and is particularly durable and sure to the touch.
The exterior’s blue exposed carbon is present again in the vehicle interior, such as in the door trims and cover of the rear centre box, perfectly complemented by the seats’ dark-blue seams. The eye-catching feature of the interior is the platinum-coated dancing elephant, that is inset in the cover of the rear centre box and reminiscent of the hood ornament of the Type 41 Royale. The figure was originally sculpted by Ettore’s brother, Rembrandt.
Other well-known Legends features have also been included in this vehicle, namely the “Brun Cavalier” leather-clad insert in the centre console extension which bears the “Les Légendes de Bugatti” nameplate and the relief of the dancing elephant as well as the door sills bearing the portrait and signature of Ettore Bugatti.
Ettore Bugatti – automotive pioneer and legend
Ettore Arco Isidoro Bugatti – his full name – was born in Milan on 15 September 1881, the second child of this highly creative family. His parents hoped that he would pursue an artistic career like his father and grandfather before him. But instead he became fascinated with technology, leaving the “Accademia die Belle Arti di Brera” in Milan to begin, at 17, an apprenticeship in a bicycle/tricycle factory. There he built his first motorized tricycle, and soon thereafter his first automobile. The construction was so remarkable that it earned him a prize at an internationally recognised exhibition in Milan. In the following year, he moved to Niederbronn in Alsace, where the manufacturer De Dietrich, impressed with Bugatti’s first construction, trusted him with the management of automobile manufacture. Ettore Bugatti developed new models and took part in several car races until 1904. After leaving De Dietrich & Cie, he took on a number of jobs in automobile construction, including a job at the Deutz gas engine factory in Cologne in September 1907. At this time, Bugatti privately developed a very light vehicle, the Type 10, which he built a little later under his own name.
He left Deutz in 1909 and leased the empty buildings of a former dyeworks factory in Molsheim (Alsace) and founded his own automotive company. Production of the T13 began and grew year by year.
Thereafter came other light sports cars and an entry into motor racing. Bugatti enjoyed racing successes at Le Mans in 1920 and four times at Brescia in 1921. He built the famous Type 35 Grand Prix car in 1925, an automobile that won an incredible 412 races in only its first nine months. It was during these years that production of those automobiles people associate with the Bugatti brand was begun. Racing, sport and touring cars of their quality can hardly be found from any other factory. The prototype for the kingly limousine was produced in 1926: the Type 41 Royale.
Ettore was a versatile inventor. He not only built cars but also dedicated some of his time to the construction of trains, aeroplanes and boats. So it was that Royale engines were produced for the new high-speed train for French railways in Molsheim at the beginning of the 1930s.
Production of the Type 57 began in 1934. This best-selling touring car’s body was designed by Ettore’s son Jean. Ettore handed over day-to-day running of the business to Jean in 1936, by which time his son had made a name for himself as an exceptionally gifted designer. Ettore’s hopes for the future of the company rested on his son’s shoulders. Tragically, Jean died in an automobile accident in 1939, a heavy blow for Ettore that also had consequences for the company. Ettore Bugatti died from complications arising from pneumonia on 21 August 1947 in Paris. His business was closed upon sale of the company at the beginning of the 1960s. It was not until Volkswagen acquired the brand rights in 1998 and began development of the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 that the foundations for a sustainable and successful continuation of the brand were laid.
Ettore Bugatti’s legacy is still present today and lives on in the brand.
The Type 41 Royale – automotive icon and “vehicle of kings” As a young man, Ettore Bugatti had always dreamt of building the most powerful and luxurious production car the world had ever seen. It was not until 1926 that he was able to turn his dream into a reality. With the acclaimed Type 41 Royale, he created a car that was in a league of its own in terms of performance, size, comfort, quality and elegance. For its prototype, Ettore designed an 8-cylinder in-line engine with an overhead camshaft, a capacity of almost 15 liters and a monolithic head and engine block. The production version had a 12.7-liter engine with the three valves per cylinder that were typical for Bugatti at that time. The engine produced around 300 PS at less than 2,000 rpm. The Royale is also regal in size: measuring approximately 6.5m long and 4.3m across the wheelbase, it weighs around 3 tonnes (approx. 6,600 lbs.) and boasts a 190-liter tank. The car’s crowning glory is its radiator cap which features an elephant sculpture created by Rembrandt Bugatti, Ettore’s brother. This elephant has since become a symbol that is synonymous with the Bugatti brand to this day. The difficult economic conditions in Europe and America at the time meant that Ettore was unable to achieve his goal of producing the 25 vehicles that he had intended to sell to various royal families and heads of state. Only six vehicles were built and all of them still exist today.
Comment from BugattiPage: To be honest, I do not see any Ettore Bugatti in this "Legend". The famous Royale 41111 had a body designed by Jean, and the elephant was by Rembrandt. I wonder who on earth could sell this as an Ettore Bugatti "Legend". And for that, what's most legendary to the car is of course it's price tag. That is where it resembles the Royale.
Probably the only thing about this Legend that Ettore himself might like, is the drawing below, of a race against a horse!
Sunday 1st June marked the 30th anniversary or the popular Classic Meeting at a horse race track North of Copenhagen. As a special feature a small and exclusive Bugatti exhibition was held for the first time showing 4 rarely seen cars from a very limited number of Danish owned Bugattis.
Something new
Untiring initiative taker to Klampenborg Classics, Kim Polte, says: We wanted to maintain the traditional concept of a nice Sunday out yet add something new. The idea erupted as a very special Grand Prix Bugatti returned to Denmark from 6 years of restoration abroad. What better place to present it than at our meeting!
Rarely seen cars
At the same time it is a well known secret that there are about a dozen rarely seen Bugattis in Denmark. Wouldn´t it be nice if we could persuade some of them out of hiding? Teaming up with Henrik Schou-Nielsen for layout and production we succeeded in bringing out 4 Bugattis for this special Sunday. More were hoped for, but some were in stages of restoration, others had not moved for years, and one was away rallying in France.
93 year old owner
The best story was Mrs Hauberg who brought out her well patinated Type 40 Jean Bugatti roadster. No simple task as the car hadn´t run for some 15 years and needed a long overdue MOT. Moreover her son, Lars, had never driven the car. But with help from friends and volunteers it all came to be and a delighted Mrs Hauberg received a 1st prize for getting us into action and son, Lars, behind the steering wheel. Normally one doesn´t ask a lady her age but in this
case it may be permissible to state that the owner is 93 years!
Other Bugattis
The other Bugattis present numbered aforementioned Type 51A Grand Prix Bugatti originally raced by French female racing driver, Anne Itier, in over 30 races prewar. Also a delightful Type 40 with classical Grand Sport body. A car that has been much rallied and made it across the Atlantic - and back. Finally a Type 37A rep. was lent out by the Strojer Collection, the most colourful private collection in Denmark.
Klampenborg Classic
The Classic Meeting has always been popular with Copenhagen centred Danes, but a switch of location from one horse race track to another and the Bugatti feature made for renewed interest and an amazing turnout of 476 classic cars with thousands of visitors.
Here to stay
With 30 years now having been rounded and as popular as ever the Klampenborg Classic is here to stay. The success of the Bugatti feature, the MG club´s 60 year anniversary, and other highlights prove the need to develop ideas and bring on new initiatives. The event relies on hard working volunteers and the enthusiasm of Charlottenlund horse race track, but this year´s success means that we will be back next year, says founder, Kim Polte.
Provided by: Henrik Schou-Nielsen
June 22, 2014 The ex 1930 Salon de Paris Bugatti 49, chassis number 49132 Gangloff Limousine: sold for 235,000 Euro's plus Premium and VAT
June 15, 2014
On April 13, 2014 (Yes, I know, I'm a bit late...) a Bugatti T46 won Best of show at "La Jolla"
Best in Show Pre-War is the 1930 Bugatti Type 46 Petit Royale Faux Cabriolet of Richard Adams
It is in fact chassis 46405, body by Gaston Grummer
May 17, 2014
Bugatti is sending two of its most successful historic racing cars to this year’s Mille Miglia: a Type 35 and a Type 51. Additionally, a current model of the long-established French brand will be represented on the legendary 1,000-mile race from Brescia to Rome and back with the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Vitesse. This year, German actor Erol Sander will participate as part of the Bugatti driving team. The Mille Miglia runs from 15-18 May 2014.
Bugatti, a supercar manufacturer with a successful history in motor racing, is participating in the most famous classic car rally in the world, the Mille Miglia, with one of the purest cars built for Grand Prix: a 1926 Type 35. With over 2,000 victories and podium finishes, the Type 35 is the most successful racing car in automobile history. Beginning in the 1920s, this vehicle won all of the most important races for more than ten years, including five consecutive victories at the Targa Florio at the time it was considered the world’s most challenging open road race.
Following the motto “Race on Sunday, sell on Monday”, the Bugatti Type 35 played a key role in the Molsheim manufacturer’s golden era, with founder Ettore Bugatti selling numerous Type 35 vehicles to wealthy customers immediately after successful race weekends. In its time, the Type 35 was the only car that could be driven both on the race track and on the streets.
The Type 35 is powered by a 120 PS 2.3l in-line eight-cylinder engine. Its 750 kilogrammes are distributed perfectly across the axles (50 to 50 per cent), making the car incredibly dynamic.
The second racing car of the Bugatti factory team is a Type 51, which was manufactured between 1931 and 1934. The Type 51 represents the high point of Bugatti racing car construction. Designed as a successor to the supercharged Type 35B, it has a 2.3 litre double overhead cam engine, which produces between 180 and 190 PS. This was the first Bugatti race car to use a double overhead cam.
Bugatti achieved important victories with the Type 51, such as in 1931 at the Monaco Grand Prix with driver Louis Chiron and at the Tunis Grand Prix with driver Achille Varzi. In the same year, both won the 10-hour French Grand Prix in Montlhéry with a Type 51. Bugatti achieved another victory at the Monaco Grand Prix in 1933, when Achille Varzi won. The Type 51 won further victories in the same year in Monza, at the Grand Prix in Dieppe, and on the AVUS with Pierre Veyron as the driver.
This classic car with an incredible past will be accompanied by a modern day icon: the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Vitesse. This representative of the current model range is handmade at the company’s historic headquarters in the Alsatian town of Molsheim, like all previous models, and has an 8-litre W16 engine. The Grand Sport Vitesse exhibits performance characteristics which are one-of-a-kind: 1,200 PS, 1,500 Nm of torque and exhilarating acceleration of 0 to 100 km/h in 2.6 seconds. With a top speed of 408 km/h with the top down, the Grand Sport Vitesse is the world’s fastest production roadster.
The most prominent driver in this year’s Bugatti factory team is the German actor Erol Sander. He will pilot the Type 35 and is excited to be part of this special challenge. “I am a huge car fan and have already taken part in various classic car rallies,” said the TV personality. “Taking part in the legendary Mille Miglia is amazing, but doing so at the wheel of a Bugatti means that I get to realise two dreams at the same time.”
Since 1977, the Mille Miglia has been run in homage to the legendary races of the past; between the début race in 1927 and its provisional end in 1957, it was known as one of the world’s longest and hardest motorsports events. Even though the race is now conducted as a regularity and reliability rally, it has lost none of its aspirations or fascination. The 1,000 miles (approximately 1,600 kilometres) will be driven over the course of four days of racing. The rules stipulate that only cars that took part in the original Italian classic races and are still in their original condition may participate in the competition.
The Mille Miglia runs from 15-18 May 2014. The Bugatti Type 35 will drive with the start number 22, and the Type 51 will have number 35.
Lot 123: 1993 Bugatti EB110 #GTZA9AB01E0PCD39031, Sold for €280,000
Lot 163: 1926 Bugatti Type 35B Grand Prix #4761, Sold for €728,000
Thanks to Christophe Chanterault
April 28, 2014 Lidia Bugatti horse sculpture: sold for $13,000.
So what could this be? Well, it is impossible to say definitively what it is, but when recently quizzed about whether the Veyron’s replacement would utilise a hybrid engine like the LaFerrari, P1 and 918 Spyder, company boss Dr. Wolfgang Schreiber said “Maybe” with a smile.
What’s more, there is absolutely no engine noise being produced by this prototype and all you can hear are the tyres and wind passing over the French supercar!
March 20 until March 2015? The art of Bugatti exposition Oxnard, California, USA
A Comprehensive Retrospective of the Bugatti Family of Artists
The Mullin Automotive Museum houses over 50 pieces of furniture by Carlo Bugatti, numerous sculptures by Rembrandt Bugatti, paintings by Carlo, and the largest private collection of Ettore and Jean Bugatti automobiles in the world.
This exhibition brings together dozens of Bugatti models including carriages; the early Brescia race car; the race winning Types 35, 37 and 51; Jean Bugatti’s Type 64 Papillon and Atlantic Coupé; Types 57 Aravis and Atalante, and the incomparable Type 41 Bugatti Royale. The collection will also display the unrestored Schlumpf Reserve Collection and the new generation of Bugatti automobiles culminating with the breathtaking, record-breaking Veyron.
The design and engineering breakthroughs incorporated over the course of the Bugatti marque’s existence will be exposed and explored through drawings and factory artifacts, many unseen by the public prior to this time. The retrospective will also include an extensive overview of the Bugatti family’s influence on the automobile as art.
More info and public opening days: www.mullinautomotivemuseum.com
March 29, 2014- March 29, 2015Around 1914: Design in a New Age Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, Canada Opening March 29th at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto is a centennial exhibit looking back at the ROM’s decorative arts collections from the time of the museum’s opening. Works by artists Jensen, Tiffany, Lloyd Wright, Bugatti, Knox, Dresser, Emile Gallé, Hoffman and more will be on display.
Over 100 objects of European origin will be available for the public to view until the end of the centennial celebrations in March of 2015.
“The exhibition’s timing is no coincidence. With all areas of the ROM wishing to acknowledge the ROM’s Centennial, the European arts section is among the best positioned to make a statement! This exhibition establishes that the year of the ROM’s opening saw the era’s leading designers working in new ways. Given that the exhibition includes many of their innovative creations, we anticipate great interest in this timely display.”, says Robert Little, the Mona Campbell Curator for European Decorative Arts in the ROM’s World Cultures department and curator of the Around 1914 exhibit.
More info: www.rom.on.ca
Including the presentation of a recently restored Bugatti Type 46 by Arie-Jean, Belgian Vintage Car restoration.
1937 Bugatti Type 57C Ventoux Chassis no. 57664, Engine no. 507
Estimate: $800,000 - $1,000,000
This particular Type 57C Ventoux is in fact a tale of two Bugattis, chassis 57584 and chassis 57664. Although it is equipped with the engine and firewall tag from 57664, the car itself has been confirmed to be 57584, a car with its own fascinating story to tell. Inspection of the numbers stamped on the body panels and chassis, along with research undertaken by Bugatti historians David Sewell and Pierre Yves-Laugier, have helped to confirm this car’s identity, and both of their invaluable reports are included on file.Laugier confirmed that chassis number 57584 was built in early October 1937, and at that time, it was fitted with Ventoux coachwork and engine number 421 and finished in Metallic Blue. The car was driven from Bugatti’s facilities in Molsheim to Paris on October 15, which was in the same week as the Paris Auto Show. As the car was not seen on Bugatti’s stand at the Grand Palais, it is believed that it was instead used as a factory demonstrator for potential customers, similar to the “test drives” held by luxury manufacturers at modern concours.
Afterwards, the car was retained by the factory and saw further use by Pierre Veyron on January 21, 1938, when the car was driven to Belgium for a demonstration, one that was given to perhaps an interested customer. The following month, the car was driven by Adrien Paul, another factory employee, to Geneva on February 11, 1938, and it was subsequently delivered to Mr. Bierlein. After the war, in 1949, the car was registered in Paris to an unknown owner, possibly still Bierlein, as he never formally imported the car from France to Switzerland.
On June 27, 1950, this Bugatti was registered in Paris under Albert Hervey, a garage owner in Paris who was the owner of two other Type 57 Bugattis at the time. He sold the car one year later to an American student living in Paris, artist Kenneth Hassrick, who also happened to own multiple Type 57s. Upon his return to the United States a few months later, he decided to bring chassis number 57584 with him.
The car was then bought from Hassrick by W. Hudson Mills. Mills was a well-known enthusiast of the era and had owned a Duesenberg and several other Bugattis, one being chassis number 57664, a Gangloff-bodied four-door saloon.
Under his ownership, chassis number 57584 was fully restored. The engine was completely rebuilt, and a new Honduras mahogany dashboard was fitted with Jaeger instruments. It is believed that during this restoration, Mr. Mills exchanged both the engine and data plate of 57584 with those of 57664, leaving this car with engine number 507, which had been fitted with a supercharger. Because the data tag of 57664 was also installed on this car, it was incorrectly known by that number for many years; in fact, it was known by that number until quite recently, when RM Auctions’ Research Department was able to learn its true identity from Laugier and Sewell.
In H.G. Conway’s 1962 Bugatti Register, 57584 (cited as 57664) was listed as being owned by Mills, but by 1973, it had passed to W. and John Gelles in nearby Scarsdale, New York, as stated in that year’s Bugatti Register. It was also further documented by the 1979 and 1988 American Bugatti Register by A.E. Rheault, which stated that it was owned by Allan Stone, an art dealer known for his expertise in abstract expressionism, who also owned nearly 30 Bugattis. Yet another artist, Armand Pierre Arman, a noted painter and sculptor, purchased the car in 1988.
Chassis number 57584 returned to Europe after being sold to Peter R. Bruppacher, of Zurich, Switzerland. According to Laugier, Bruppacher found a license plate in the car, number 755 AH 78, but he was unable to connect it with 57664. In fact, this plate, which was titled in Paris, was originally titled to chassis 57584, under Hassrick’s name, back in 1951, further attesting to the car’s true identity!
In the mid-1990s, this Bugatti was restored to concours standards by UK-based Bugatti specialists at Ivan Dutton Ltd., of Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, England. Approximately $450,000 was spent on the restoration, truly catapulting this Type 57C Ventoux into one of the finest examples in the world. Of course, the restoration was not just skin deep, and the owner at the time demanded that the car be not only perfect cosmetically but also perfect mechanically.
Following the completion of the car’s restoration, which arguably brought it to better-than-new condition, this car and then-owner, renowned collector Bruce Meyer, received an invitation to the 1998 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. Pebble Beach veterans will know that this was the first year of the Tour d’Elegance, where cars invited to the concours were encouraged to take to the roads surrounding Pebble Beach so spectators could admire both their mechanical and cosmetic beauty at speed. This Bugatti was perhaps the perfect candidate for the tour, as it was graced with the first-ever Elegance in Motion Trophy, which was awarded to the car “deemed to be most elegant in motion” while seen on the tour, testifying that this car truly embodies both automotive elegance and engineering working together to achieve breathtaking results. While speaking with Bruce Meyer about his ownership of the car, he commented, “I enjoyed the car immensely and drove it frequently with confidence,” echoing the judges’ opinions of its elegance in motion. Following its departure from Bruce Meyer’s collection, the car was purchased by Judge Joseph Cassini III in 2007, and it remained in his world-class collection for the next four years.
This Bugatti still resides in North America and has been incredibly well maintained and used sparingly since the completion of its restoration. Its beautiful restoration and incredible lines have always earned it acclaim, and the research undertaken by RM Auctions, Pierre Laugier, and David Sewell has confirmed that it also has an amazing story to tell, which includes a history of use by the Bugatti factory and by one of the most legendary racers of his age.
More info: www.rmauctions.com
1993 Bugatti EB110 GT Chassis no. ZA9AB01E0PCD39023, Engine no. 0035
More info: www.rmauctions.com
1938 Bugatti Type 57 Roadster Coachwork by Auto Classique Touraine, Chassis no. 57661, Engine no. 25C
Exceptional restoration by Jim Stranberg with coachwork in the style of Jean Bugatti
Estimate: US$ 550,000 - 700,000, €440,000 - 560,000
According to renowned Dutch Bugatti historian Kees Jansen, chassis no. 57661 started its life at the Molsheim Bugatti works in March of 1938. The Type 57 was completed over the summer that year as a Gangloff Stelvio Cabriolet, priced at 86,000 French Francs, and delivered to a client named Lecroix via Bugatti agent Crequy. From here on, the car's history becomes hazy for decades. At some stage, the Bugatti was involved in an accident, and subsequently burnt beyond repair. Its remains, understood to have consisted of the front of the chassis and the engine, were purchased in Paris in the 1980s by Helmut Feierabend, a collector from Wurzburg, Germany. Mr. Feierabend's intention was to restore chassis 57661 with the Voll & Ruhrbeck coachwork of 57819, but due to time constrains, this work was never completed.
Mr. Feierabend later sold the project to Mr. Uwe Hucke, who in turn sold it to renowned collector Jim Patterson of Louisville, Kentucky. Mr. Patterson did not complete the project either, but sold it to the consignor, an Australian based Bugatti collector and enthusiast, along with spare engine 25C (ex-chassis 57646). This gentleman had a clear vision of how he wanted to bring the project to life. In 2006, as he visited the Retromobile show in Paris, he had noticed the incredible coachbuilding skills of Tours, France based Auto Classique Touraine; they had on display a newly built body in the style of the famous Jean Bugatti/Gangloff design no. 3449, the sporting Type 57 Roadster that was never completed due to the outbreak of the war. So the message was clear once the project really got under way in 2007; it was going to be a Roadster in the style of Jean Bugatti/Gangloff design no. 3449, built by Auto Classique Touraine.
Renowned Bugatti specialist Jim Stranberg and his shop, High Mountain Classics, was selected to carry out the extensive work of restoring the chassis and drive line, to later mate to the new coachwork. Photos and receipts of the comprehensive build are available, all told adding up to several hundred thousands of dollars.
Upon completion in 2010, the supercharged Bugatti debuted at the The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering, where 57661 was awarded Best Prewar Sports Car. The following spring, the stunning Roadster was on the field at the Amelia Island Concours, where it was awarded the Best New Coachwork award.
This beautiful automobile has since been used on numerous International Bugatti Rallies in the US and abroad, and was displayed at the Prescott Bugatti Trust meet in the UK. With its light bodywork and powerful, supercharged eight-cylinder engine, this stunning Type 57 is a delight to drive. A known car to the American Bugatti Club Registry, the Roadster is offered with the original engine block no. 483 (although in damaged condition), a history file and restoration receipts. This expertly built, extremely beautiful Type 57 is ready for the next caretaker.
More info: www.bonhams.com
The past still has a future!
On show will be one of very few Bugatti Royale and to add some contrast, one of the smallest but also one of the sixth oldest Bugattis still in existence: the 1912 eight valve T15 #446. In Denmark since 1919, it will be at PreWarCar's stand in Paris.
1928 Bugatti 43 Grand Sport #43171 ex Malcom Campbell
Estimation : 2 000 000 – 3 000 000 € / 2 650 000 – 4 000 000 $
Also on auction the Bugatti T57 "Ventoux" from the Baillon collection (above right) PDF file with information.
For info and reservations please contact Peter D. Borstel
E-mail: bug.aerolithe@gmx.de .
Entries invited, trip could be combined with Le Vie en Bleu the following weekend at Prescott.
Dear Bugatti Friends,
We are pleased to announce the “On the Route of Ettore” rally.
This event will take place in Alsace between May 27th – 31st, 2015.
We are planning an exclusive rally with 3 days of driving based at the charming hotel & Spa: Château d'Isenbourg in Rouffach on the Alsatian wine trail, a few Kilometres south of Molsheim and Colmar.
We would like to invite you to join us along the beautiful roads that will bring you to drive your favourite cars with your favourite Bugatti friends. Driving on small roads in one of the most beautiful parts of Alsace, Vosges and Balck Forest, surrounded by amazing landscape, good food and lots of interesting venues to visit. We thought to an itinerary in order to emphasis pleasant drive and visit. The first day will be dedicated to Art, culture and Bugatti history including the visit of the famous Lalique Museum. The second day will bring us in Germany where we’ll drive in the middle of the picturesque Black Forest with some Baroque visits. The third day we’ll discover the traditional Alsace, food cheese and wine and romantic streets in the Vosges.
Our aim is a group of 20 classic cars, good friends and excellent driving in the place where Ettore spent his professional life. “On the Route of Ettore” promises to be fantastic opportunities for you to exercise your favourite car as Ettore Bugatti intended. It is not to be missed!
I can be reached by email at J.J.Horst@BugattiPage.com.
