ETTORE BUGATTI
1931 Bugatti 41 La Royale coachworked by Kellner
1987 SOLD 5.5 M£ including premium by Christie's
The image is shared by Wikimedia with attribution : Arnaud 25 [CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)]
1931 Early Expectations for the Bugatti Type 51
2016 SOLD for $ 4M including premium
Introduced in 1924, the Bugatti Type 35 had been the king of the circuits. By cumulating works cars and private teams, it recorded no less than 2,000 wins within a few years.
At all times, an automobile supremacy is necessarily short lived. The technical progress of Alfa Romeo and Mercedes-Benz is forcing Bugatti to look for new solutions. It is too late. Despite some early successes, the new models Types 51, 53 and 54 introduced in 1931 and 1932 will not match the ambitions of the French brand.
On the other side of the Atlantic, the Miller 91 achieves great results in competition with its small supercharged engine reduced in volume to adapt to new rules, even at that time ! Bugatti indirectly obtains the Miller 91 patterns and creates its own Type 51 by plagiarizing the camshaft from its American competitor. The external features of the new car are almost unchanged from Type 35.
One of the first Bugatti Type 51 was sold in 1931 to Lord Howe, an outstanding personality of British motor racing who won in the same year the 24 Hours of Le Mans in a driving partnership with Henry Birkin on an Alfa Romeo 8C-2300.
Lord Howe intensely used his Bugatti Type 51, entering it four times at the Monaco Grand Prix. Tazio Nuvolari was once seen driving this car in the same time range, but only for practices. Lord Howe sold it in 1935. The later story is less glorious : the Bugatti overturned to kill its second owner in 1937.
Despite its rebuilding performed around its original chassis after the accident, Lord Howe's Bugatti remains one of the most desirable Type 51 in existence. It is for sale on August 19 by Bonhams at Quail Lodge, Carmel CA, lot 36.
Please watch the video shared by Bonhams.
At all times, an automobile supremacy is necessarily short lived. The technical progress of Alfa Romeo and Mercedes-Benz is forcing Bugatti to look for new solutions. It is too late. Despite some early successes, the new models Types 51, 53 and 54 introduced in 1931 and 1932 will not match the ambitions of the French brand.
On the other side of the Atlantic, the Miller 91 achieves great results in competition with its small supercharged engine reduced in volume to adapt to new rules, even at that time ! Bugatti indirectly obtains the Miller 91 patterns and creates its own Type 51 by plagiarizing the camshaft from its American competitor. The external features of the new car are almost unchanged from Type 35.
One of the first Bugatti Type 51 was sold in 1931 to Lord Howe, an outstanding personality of British motor racing who won in the same year the 24 Hours of Le Mans in a driving partnership with Henry Birkin on an Alfa Romeo 8C-2300.
Lord Howe intensely used his Bugatti Type 51, entering it four times at the Monaco Grand Prix. Tazio Nuvolari was once seen driving this car in the same time range, but only for practices. Lord Howe sold it in 1935. The later story is less glorious : the Bugatti overturned to kill its second owner in 1937.
Despite its rebuilding performed around its original chassis after the accident, Lord Howe's Bugatti remains one of the most desirable Type 51 in existence. It is for sale on August 19 by Bonhams at Quail Lodge, Carmel CA, lot 36.
Please watch the video shared by Bonhams.
1931 Grand Prix with Wimille
2018 SOLD for $ 3.74M including premium
After a full decade of domination in competitions, the Bugatti 35 became obsolete in 1931. To stay in the running against the growing ambitions of Alfa Romeo, Mercedes-Benz and Bentley, Bugatti created a new model, the Type 51 Grand Prix.
The 51 retains the 2.3 liter volume of the 35 B while increasing its power with an engine layout copied from Miller. Intended for competition, this model is divided between the factory team and private owners.
One of them began its race history in July 1931 as a factory car at the Belgian Grand Prix. At the end of that year, it was sold to the young driver Jean-Pierre Wimille for 80,000 francs, a large sum for the time. In 1932 Wimille ran it in two Grand Prix in North Africa, winning the Algerian Grand Prix in Oran.
Before Wimille sells it a few months later, Bugatti reinstalls its equipment on a new frame without changing the chassis number. I guess this was a simple service after its short African career : satisfied with its condition, Bugatti has assembled another body on the original chassis.
The 51 ex Wimille is used intensively in Grand Prix in 1933 and 1934 before becoming the only Type 51 to enter American competitions, without much success.
Like most racing cars of its time, this Bugatti had several crashes and incidents as well as equipment substitutions. This second chassis is currently equipped with its original body, its original engine returned to operation and reinstalled around 1986 and its original gearbox retrieved in 1989 by its owner of that time in an auction of spare equipment.
It is estimated $ 3.2M for sale by Gooding at Pebble Beach on August 24, lot 48. I had discussed it in this column before it passed at RM Auctions on August 14, 2010. Meanwhile the Bugatti Type 51 ex Lord Howe was sold for $ 4M including premium by Bonhams on August 19, 2016.
The 51 retains the 2.3 liter volume of the 35 B while increasing its power with an engine layout copied from Miller. Intended for competition, this model is divided between the factory team and private owners.
One of them began its race history in July 1931 as a factory car at the Belgian Grand Prix. At the end of that year, it was sold to the young driver Jean-Pierre Wimille for 80,000 francs, a large sum for the time. In 1932 Wimille ran it in two Grand Prix in North Africa, winning the Algerian Grand Prix in Oran.
Before Wimille sells it a few months later, Bugatti reinstalls its equipment on a new frame without changing the chassis number. I guess this was a simple service after its short African career : satisfied with its condition, Bugatti has assembled another body on the original chassis.
The 51 ex Wimille is used intensively in Grand Prix in 1933 and 1934 before becoming the only Type 51 to enter American competitions, without much success.
Like most racing cars of its time, this Bugatti had several crashes and incidents as well as equipment substitutions. This second chassis is currently equipped with its original body, its original engine returned to operation and reinstalled around 1986 and its original gearbox retrieved in 1989 by its owner of that time in an auction of spare equipment.
It is estimated $ 3.2M for sale by Gooding at Pebble Beach on August 24, lot 48. I had discussed it in this column before it passed at RM Auctions on August 14, 2010. Meanwhile the Bugatti Type 51 ex Lord Howe was sold for $ 4M including premium by Bonhams on August 19, 2016.
1932 The Roadsters of Jean Bugatti
2016 SOLD for $ 10.4M including premium
Reputed to be a traditionalist, Ettore Bugatti was perfectly right to trust his son Jean. The skills of the young man both as designer and engineer certainly saved the brand throughout the economic crisis of the 1930s.
The situation is uneasy. In racing, the glorious Type 35 is no more competitive and its successors Types 51, 53 and 54 do not reach the performance of their Alfa Romeo competitors. Too expensive, the Type 41 La Royale limousine appealed only three customers and its target of 25 units in production will never be achieved.
Fortunately the commercial success is maintained by a deluxe coupé designed in 1929 by Ettore and Jean, the Type 46 nicknamed La Petite Royale. Jean is 20 years old.
The Bugatti brand introduces in 1931 the Type 55 sports car with three factory bodywork options : coupé, cabriolet and roadster. Designed by Jean, this roadster introduces an increased elegance within the Bugatti range. In the following year, Jean gets inspired by this avant-garde experience to equip in roadster the La Royale purchased by Armand Esders.
From 1931 to 1936, 14 of the Type 55 chassis are equipped with Jean Bugatti's roadster. One of them made in 1932 is estimated $ 10M for sale by Gooding on August 21 in Pebble Beach, lot 135. It is illustrated along with other cars of its time in the press release.
Despite the differentiation between sports and competition models, the car for sale had entered the Mille Miglia in 1932. Piloted by Achille Varzi who was then an official driver to Bugatti, it had to stop after the piercing of the fuel tank by a rock.
This car retained a high level of authenticity. It was completely dismantled for a careful restoration. The original engine and gearbox, replaced by replicas during the re-assembly, are included in the auction lot.
The situation is uneasy. In racing, the glorious Type 35 is no more competitive and its successors Types 51, 53 and 54 do not reach the performance of their Alfa Romeo competitors. Too expensive, the Type 41 La Royale limousine appealed only three customers and its target of 25 units in production will never be achieved.
Fortunately the commercial success is maintained by a deluxe coupé designed in 1929 by Ettore and Jean, the Type 46 nicknamed La Petite Royale. Jean is 20 years old.
The Bugatti brand introduces in 1931 the Type 55 sports car with three factory bodywork options : coupé, cabriolet and roadster. Designed by Jean, this roadster introduces an increased elegance within the Bugatti range. In the following year, Jean gets inspired by this avant-garde experience to equip in roadster the La Royale purchased by Armand Esders.
From 1931 to 1936, 14 of the Type 55 chassis are equipped with Jean Bugatti's roadster. One of them made in 1932 is estimated $ 10M for sale by Gooding on August 21 in Pebble Beach, lot 135. It is illustrated along with other cars of its time in the press release.
Despite the differentiation between sports and competition models, the car for sale had entered the Mille Miglia in 1932. Piloted by Achille Varzi who was then an official driver to Bugatti, it had to stop after the piercing of the fuel tank by a rock.
This car retained a high level of authenticity. It was completely dismantled for a careful restoration. The original engine and gearbox, replaced by replicas during the re-assembly, are included in the auction lot.
1932 The Choice of a Rothschild
2020 SOLD for $ 7.1M including premium
At the time of the gentlemen drivers, in 1932, the Bugatti Type 55 bodied as a Super Sport roadster without doors by the factory in the design of Jean Bugatti combines the legendary robustness of the brand with an elegance of an unprecedented refinement. Fourteen are made.
Victor Rothschild, heir to the barony of the British bankers, is not mistaken. Aged 21, he is a student at Cambridge where he leads a playboy life. He does not order La Royale or La Petite Royale but a Super Sport Jean Bugatti, which is assembled in August 1932. In 1936 he will be the very first of the three customers of the Bugatti Atlantic.
The 55 Super Sport generates passions up to current day. In 1985 Dr. Edmonds, a physicist at Boston University, learned that the Type 55 ex Rothschild was going to be auctioned at Sotheby's in London. He jumps into a Concorde and becomes the owner of the wonder for £ 440K, at the extreme limit of his financial possibilities, beyond the maximum price he had himself set.
Edmonds puts the car back into working condition with all its original equipment. In 1993 his Bugatti is First in class at Pebble Beach. He will never part with it. From his deceased estate, it is estimated $ 6.5M for sale by Bonhams in Amelia Island on March 5, lot 123.
Another one of the 14 roadsters was sold for $ 10.4M including premium by Gooding on August 21, 2016. It had been entered as a works car in the 1932 Mille Miglia and had been maintained in matching numbers.
Let us also refer to a Type 55 with a SuperSport bodywork with doors by Figoni, sold for € 4.6M including premium by Bonhams on February 6, 2020. It had been for 56 years the favorite car of its recently deceased owner.
Victor Rothschild, heir to the barony of the British bankers, is not mistaken. Aged 21, he is a student at Cambridge where he leads a playboy life. He does not order La Royale or La Petite Royale but a Super Sport Jean Bugatti, which is assembled in August 1932. In 1936 he will be the very first of the three customers of the Bugatti Atlantic.
The 55 Super Sport generates passions up to current day. In 1985 Dr. Edmonds, a physicist at Boston University, learned that the Type 55 ex Rothschild was going to be auctioned at Sotheby's in London. He jumps into a Concorde and becomes the owner of the wonder for £ 440K, at the extreme limit of his financial possibilities, beyond the maximum price he had himself set.
Edmonds puts the car back into working condition with all its original equipment. In 1993 his Bugatti is First in class at Pebble Beach. He will never part with it. From his deceased estate, it is estimated $ 6.5M for sale by Bonhams in Amelia Island on March 5, lot 123.
Another one of the 14 roadsters was sold for $ 10.4M including premium by Gooding on August 21, 2016. It had been entered as a works car in the 1932 Mille Miglia and had been maintained in matching numbers.
Let us also refer to a Type 55 with a SuperSport bodywork with doors by Figoni, sold for € 4.6M including premium by Bonhams on February 6, 2020. It had been for 56 years the favorite car of its recently deceased owner.
1932 The Road of Elegance
2020 SOLD for € 4.6M including premium
To remain competitive in Grand Prix racing, Bugatti replaces the Type 35 with the Type 51 in 1931. The Type 55 is the road version of the 51 with the same 2.3-liter 8-cylinder straight engine, but slightly detuned.
The production of the 55 begins in 1932. One of the very first customers is Guy Bouriat, who targets Le Mans. His car, ready just in time for this competition, is viewed as the best representative of French industry against the Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 which has the same engine displacement and is also supercharged.
A stone from the road pierces the tank, ending this first outing. Bouriat sells the car immediately to Jacques Dupuy. The new owner is the son of the late Paul Dupuy, a press boss who organized motor sport events in the 1910s for Le Petit Parisien and created in 1920 the weekly Miroir des Sports.
Jacques does not want to keep the original bodywork that had been specially built to meet the demanding regulations of Le Mans. He also does not want the doorless roadster designed by Jean Bugatti. His car is bodied according to his drawings as a two-seater Supersport by Figoni.
Jacques Dupuy leads his 55 until 1936 in picturesque events typical of that time : stage road races, hill races, kilometer start, braking. He wins the Paris-Nice composite competition in 1933.
The contests of feminine elegance are not waived. With this Bugatti driven by a mechanic in livery and accompanied by two dogs, the comtesse de Rivals-Mazères is awarded a gramophone at the Concours d'Elégance du Bois de Boulogne sponsored by the newspapers Fémina and L'Intransigeant.
This one-off 55 Figoni has kept a very good authenticity despite a serious accident in 1994. It is fitted with the original engine of another 55. After 56 years devoted to the happiness of an enthusiastic owner, it is estimated € 4M for sale by Bonhams in Paris on February 6, lot 268. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
The production of the 55 begins in 1932. One of the very first customers is Guy Bouriat, who targets Le Mans. His car, ready just in time for this competition, is viewed as the best representative of French industry against the Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 which has the same engine displacement and is also supercharged.
A stone from the road pierces the tank, ending this first outing. Bouriat sells the car immediately to Jacques Dupuy. The new owner is the son of the late Paul Dupuy, a press boss who organized motor sport events in the 1910s for Le Petit Parisien and created in 1920 the weekly Miroir des Sports.
Jacques does not want to keep the original bodywork that had been specially built to meet the demanding regulations of Le Mans. He also does not want the doorless roadster designed by Jean Bugatti. His car is bodied according to his drawings as a two-seater Supersport by Figoni.
Jacques Dupuy leads his 55 until 1936 in picturesque events typical of that time : stage road races, hill races, kilometer start, braking. He wins the Paris-Nice composite competition in 1933.
The contests of feminine elegance are not waived. With this Bugatti driven by a mechanic in livery and accompanied by two dogs, the comtesse de Rivals-Mazères is awarded a gramophone at the Concours d'Elégance du Bois de Boulogne sponsored by the newspapers Fémina and L'Intransigeant.
This one-off 55 Figoni has kept a very good authenticity despite a serious accident in 1994. It is fitted with the original engine of another 55. After 56 years devoted to the happiness of an enthusiastic owner, it is estimated € 4M for sale by Bonhams in Paris on February 6, lot 268. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
1937 British Elegance for a Bugatti
2016 SOLD for $ 9.7M including premium
The Type 57 introduced by Bugatti in 1934 invites for any elegance. With a lowered chassis designed in 1937 under the reference 57S, this luxury model belongs firmly to the category of sports cars.
Various bodies are proposed by Bugatti for the 57 or 57S: Galibier berline, Ventoux coach, Stelvio and Aravis cabriolets, Atalante and Atlantic coupés. They are manufactured in Colmar by Gangloff, a subcontractor of Bugatti.
In the practice of that time, the outsourcing of the body is also accepted by the brand. In 1937, the new Bugatti agent in New York commissions a four-seater touring roadster which is made by Vanden Plas in the minimalist style of the British taste.
No American customer is interested and the Bugatti - Vanden Plas car returns to London. It is appreciated by Bugatti who pictures it in the 1937-1938 catalog and exhibits it at the 1938 London Motor Show, but it will nevertheless remain unique.
The car resurfaced slightly modified in 1947 as a Type 57SC sports tourer. It is supercharged, a very attractive option for the users because the car can now reach 190 km/h. Its compressor will be replaced later by a similar equipment more in accordance with the original design of a Type 57SC.
This masterpiece of the Franco-British pre-war automobile is estimated $ 11M for sale by Bonhams in Amelia Island on March 10, lot 139. The estimate, not indicated in the catalog, is revealed by the press release of February 17. Its perfect working condition is shown in the video shared by the auction house.
Various bodies are proposed by Bugatti for the 57 or 57S: Galibier berline, Ventoux coach, Stelvio and Aravis cabriolets, Atalante and Atlantic coupés. They are manufactured in Colmar by Gangloff, a subcontractor of Bugatti.
In the practice of that time, the outsourcing of the body is also accepted by the brand. In 1937, the new Bugatti agent in New York commissions a four-seater touring roadster which is made by Vanden Plas in the minimalist style of the British taste.
No American customer is interested and the Bugatti - Vanden Plas car returns to London. It is appreciated by Bugatti who pictures it in the 1937-1938 catalog and exhibits it at the 1938 London Motor Show, but it will nevertheless remain unique.
The car resurfaced slightly modified in 1947 as a Type 57SC sports tourer. It is supercharged, a very attractive option for the users because the car can now reach 190 km/h. Its compressor will be replaced later by a similar equipment more in accordance with the original design of a Type 57SC.
This masterpiece of the Franco-British pre-war automobile is estimated $ 11M for sale by Bonhams in Amelia Island on March 10, lot 139. The estimate, not indicated in the catalog, is revealed by the press release of February 17. Its perfect working condition is shown in the video shared by the auction house.
1937 The Lowered Chassis by Jean Bugatti
2013 SOLD 8.7 M$ including premium
Jean Bugatti was one of the great innovators of automobile design. The lowered variant 57S of the chassis type 57 paves the way for unprecedented solutions for sport and luxury, like the 57S Atalante and Atlantic. From the beginning their rarity makes them true works of art.
The ultimate improvement of the Bugatti 57 is the supercharged SC model. Dr. Williamson had one of the two surviving Bugatti 57SC Atlantic and one 57SC Atalante. His Atlantic was sold for more than $ 30M in a private sale facilitated by Gooding in 2010. His Atalante was sold for $ 7.9 million including premium at auction in August 2008, also by Gooding.
The supercharger was an appealing enhancement for the richest clients of Bugatti, and a high proportion of 57S were transformed into 57SC.
On August 18 at Pebble Beach Gooding sells an Atalante that has retained its original engine and body and is presented in an elegant original-like black finish. It was made in 1937, the same year as Williamson's Atalante, and was one of the first units to return to the factory for being equipped as an SC.
Here is the link to the catalog.
POST SALE COMMENT
Very good result, $ 8.7 million including premium, just above Williamson's Atalante sold in 2008.
The ultimate improvement of the Bugatti 57 is the supercharged SC model. Dr. Williamson had one of the two surviving Bugatti 57SC Atlantic and one 57SC Atalante. His Atlantic was sold for more than $ 30M in a private sale facilitated by Gooding in 2010. His Atalante was sold for $ 7.9 million including premium at auction in August 2008, also by Gooding.
The supercharger was an appealing enhancement for the richest clients of Bugatti, and a high proportion of 57S were transformed into 57SC.
On August 18 at Pebble Beach Gooding sells an Atalante that has retained its original engine and body and is presented in an elegant original-like black finish. It was made in 1937, the same year as Williamson's Atalante, and was one of the first units to return to the factory for being equipped as an SC.
Here is the link to the catalog.
POST SALE COMMENT
Very good result, $ 8.7 million including premium, just above Williamson's Atalante sold in 2008.
1937 Twelve Bugattis including an Atalante coupé
2008 SOLD 7.9 M$ including premium
The sale will take place on 16 and 17 August, but fans of Bugatti are already watching toward Pebble Beach, California. At these dates Gooding will disperse a collection of twelve Bugattis, including a 57SC Atalante coupe of 1937, and a 35B of 1928 whose first owner was Louis Chiron, one of the most successful racing drivers of these ancient times.
This collection from an estate is unique in the range of models and the personality of their former owner, a professor of medicine whose passion for automobiles were raised exclusively for that mark and who was president of the American Bugatti Club. The proceeds from the sale will go to medical organizations.
Indeed there is no Bugatti Royale in this group, but Bugatti was renowned to produce at the same time models of luxury and race, and the two top lots of the sale, mentioned here above, are not bad either.
All these vehicles are announced as being in exceptional condition, and the auction house announced to expect more than $ 15 million. The individual estimates are not given, but we easily appreciate from these figures that the coupé and the race car prices will be multimillionaire. The same can be said of a third car, a roadster type 55, 1931, which enters the short list of the lots highlighted in the press release.
POST SALE COMMENT
Excellent results.
The Atalante coupe, which is one of the masterpieces of Bugatti, was sold $ 7.9 million.
The other two cars mentioned in my article also well behaved: Chiron's 35 B has been sold $ 1.45 million and the 55 roadster was sold $ 1.75 million.
These prices are including fees.
This collection from an estate is unique in the range of models and the personality of their former owner, a professor of medicine whose passion for automobiles were raised exclusively for that mark and who was president of the American Bugatti Club. The proceeds from the sale will go to medical organizations.
Indeed there is no Bugatti Royale in this group, but Bugatti was renowned to produce at the same time models of luxury and race, and the two top lots of the sale, mentioned here above, are not bad either.
All these vehicles are announced as being in exceptional condition, and the auction house announced to expect more than $ 15 million. The individual estimates are not given, but we easily appreciate from these figures that the coupé and the race car prices will be multimillionaire. The same can be said of a third car, a roadster type 55, 1931, which enters the short list of the lots highlighted in the press release.
POST SALE COMMENT
Excellent results.
The Atalante coupe, which is one of the masterpieces of Bugatti, was sold $ 7.9 million.
The other two cars mentioned in my article also well behaved: Chiron's 35 B has been sold $ 1.45 million and the 55 roadster was sold $ 1.75 million.
These prices are including fees.
1937 A 57S Cabriolet by Vanvooren
2017 SOLD for $ 7.7M including premium
Introduced in 1934, the Bugatti Type 57 had a spectacular broadening of its range in October 1936 when the 57C supercharged and the 57S are simultaneously unveiled at the Salon de l'Automobile in Paris. The 57S standing for "surbaissé" (lowered) has a chassis different from the other 57. The similar reference designating all these models is certainly to claim that the Type 57 offers a complete choice to the most demanding customers for luxury and sport.
In its time the 57S was only exciting the true connoisseurs. Its production was stopped in May 1938 for focusing onto the other variants whose commercial success was flourishing. Only 42 57S chassis have been produced. Some owners have transformed their 57S into the supercharged 57SC configuration and the genuine 57S are now very rare.
The 57S is offered in the catalog of the brand with a wide range of bodyworks that are made in Colmar by Gangloff, a subsidiary of Bugatti. The supply of chassis to independent workshops on specific request from a customer or a retailer is also encouraged. A unique 57S/SC bodyworked for the British taste by Vanden Plas was sold for $ 9.7M including premium by Bonhams on March 10, 2016.
As for the cabriolets Bugatti proposes the Aravis model which originally fitted 19 of the 42 57S chassis. The Carrosserie Vanvooren in Courbevoie realizes for its part four cabriolets 57S of which three are surviving today.
A 57S cabriolet assembled in 1937 by Vanvooren has been carefully preserved by its successive owners and is offered today with its original chassis, body, engine and gearbox. It was repainted in the early 1960s with elegant primrose yellow sides that reinforce its resemblance to an Atalante coupe.
An exceptional witness to the mechanical construction of the 57S and to the art of Vanvooren, this cabriolet is estimated $ 8.5M for sale by RM Sotheby's on March 11 at Amelia Island, lot 232.
In its time the 57S was only exciting the true connoisseurs. Its production was stopped in May 1938 for focusing onto the other variants whose commercial success was flourishing. Only 42 57S chassis have been produced. Some owners have transformed their 57S into the supercharged 57SC configuration and the genuine 57S are now very rare.
The 57S is offered in the catalog of the brand with a wide range of bodyworks that are made in Colmar by Gangloff, a subsidiary of Bugatti. The supply of chassis to independent workshops on specific request from a customer or a retailer is also encouraged. A unique 57S/SC bodyworked for the British taste by Vanden Plas was sold for $ 9.7M including premium by Bonhams on March 10, 2016.
As for the cabriolets Bugatti proposes the Aravis model which originally fitted 19 of the 42 57S chassis. The Carrosserie Vanvooren in Courbevoie realizes for its part four cabriolets 57S of which three are surviving today.
A 57S cabriolet assembled in 1937 by Vanvooren has been carefully preserved by its successive owners and is offered today with its original chassis, body, engine and gearbox. It was repainted in the early 1960s with elegant primrose yellow sides that reinforce its resemblance to an Atalante coupe.
An exceptional witness to the mechanical construction of the 57S and to the art of Vanvooren, this cabriolet is estimated $ 8.5M for sale by RM Sotheby's on March 11 at Amelia Island, lot 232.
1937 Restart of an Atalante
2009 SOLD for € 3.4M including premium
PRE 2020 SALE DISCUSSION
Close to the Bentley Boys, the 5th Earl Howe is a gentleman driver, president from 1929 to 1964 of the British Racing Drivers' Club. He enters his first race at 44 years old, in 1928, with a Bugatti Type 43. Associated with Tim Birkin, he wins the 24 hours of Le Mans in 1931 with an Alfa Romeo.
Also president of the Bugatti Owners' Club, Earl Howe closely follows all the developments of the brand. For the Grands Prix he uses a Type 51 in 1931, a Type 54 in 1932 and a Type 59 in 1935 and 1936. A 57 T specially built for him by Bugatti in 1935 was sold for € 710K including premium by Bonhams on February 8, 2018 .
For his personal use, this aristocrat wants the best. In November 1936, he orders to Bugatti a Type 57 with the new 57 S lowered chassis and the new Atalante coupe bodywork developed on behalf of Jean Bugatti. His car is ready in May 1937.
In 1960 a further owner of this Atalante, sick and reclusive, stops taking care of it. After his death in 2007, his heirs found it untouched for 47 years, covered in dust, with only 42,000 km on the odometer.
The car surfaced in the Bonhams sale at Retromobile on February 7, 2009, lot 142. Its cleaning confirmed that it was still in its original configuration, apart from a few secondary elements such as mirrors and bumpers and a supercharger added in 1948.
Bonhams experts estimated that its engine, which had not been running for half a century, could be operated again after disassembly and reconstruction. The car was sold for € 3.4M including premium. I discussed it in this column before that sale.
The original engine restarted as predicted. The Atalante is estimated £ 7M to be sold by Gooding in London on April 1, lot 5. Here is the link to the press release. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
Close to the Bentley Boys, the 5th Earl Howe is a gentleman driver, president from 1929 to 1964 of the British Racing Drivers' Club. He enters his first race at 44 years old, in 1928, with a Bugatti Type 43. Associated with Tim Birkin, he wins the 24 hours of Le Mans in 1931 with an Alfa Romeo.
Also president of the Bugatti Owners' Club, Earl Howe closely follows all the developments of the brand. For the Grands Prix he uses a Type 51 in 1931, a Type 54 in 1932 and a Type 59 in 1935 and 1936. A 57 T specially built for him by Bugatti in 1935 was sold for € 710K including premium by Bonhams on February 8, 2018 .
For his personal use, this aristocrat wants the best. In November 1936, he orders to Bugatti a Type 57 with the new 57 S lowered chassis and the new Atalante coupe bodywork developed on behalf of Jean Bugatti. His car is ready in May 1937.
In 1960 a further owner of this Atalante, sick and reclusive, stops taking care of it. After his death in 2007, his heirs found it untouched for 47 years, covered in dust, with only 42,000 km on the odometer.
The car surfaced in the Bonhams sale at Retromobile on February 7, 2009, lot 142. Its cleaning confirmed that it was still in its original configuration, apart from a few secondary elements such as mirrors and bumpers and a supercharger added in 1948.
Bonhams experts estimated that its engine, which had not been running for half a century, could be operated again after disassembly and reconstruction. The car was sold for € 3.4M including premium. I discussed it in this column before that sale.
The original engine restarted as predicted. The Atalante is estimated £ 7M to be sold by Gooding in London on April 1, lot 5. Here is the link to the press release. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
