Cars of the 1920s
Special Report
Two Seaters cars in early Grand Prix
In the formative years of Grand Prix motor racing, starting from the late 19th century (e.g., the 1894 Paris-Rouen trial and subsequent events like the 1895 Paris-Bordeaux race), cars were required to be two-seaters as part of early regulations aimed at ensuring durability, safety, and fairness in long-distance competitions. These events were often grueling town-to-town endurance tests over poor roads, with primitive vehicles prone to frequent breakdowns—issues like tire failures, mechanical faults, and fuel management were common due to large, low-power engines (typically 10–15 liters, under 50 hp) and rudimentary technology. The second seat was mandated to carry a riding mechanic, who performed essential on-the-move tasks such as repairs, tire changes (facilitated by innovations like Michelin's detachable rims), pumping pressurized fuel, monitoring engine conditions, and even signaling or navigating, since external assistance or pit stops were generally prohibited. Regulations from bodies like the Automobile Club de France (ACF) formalized this: for instance, the 1900 Gordon Bennett Cup required at least two seats side by side with passengers totaling 120 kg (using ballast if needed), and the 1906 French Grand Prix specified a minimum combined weight for driver and mechanic while allowing mechanic swaps mid-race. This setup distinguished "heavy cars" (two or more seats) from lighter classes like voiturettes, emphasizing production-based reliability over pure speed.
The practice persisted through the pre-World War I era and into the early 1920s, as seen in events like the 1914 French Grand Prix and post-war races under the 3-liter formula. However, as cars became more reliable with advancing engineering (e.g., better brakes, tires, and engines), the need for onboard mechanics diminished, and safety concerns grew—highlighted by fatalities, including the 1924 death of British riding mechanic Tom Barrett during the French Grand Prix at Lyon, where he was thrown from a Bentley after a crash. This incident prompted the ACF and the International Sporting Commission (CSI) to ban riding mechanics in Europe starting with the 1925 season for major Grandes Épreuves events. Cars still needed to retain an empty mechanic's seat with a minimum body width of 80 cm under the 2-liter formula, but this was a transitional step.
By 1927, under the 1.5-liter formula, single-seater (monoposto) designs were explicitly permitted as long as the seat met minimum dimensions (80 cm wide, 25 cm high), marking the shift away from mandatory two-seaters. The full transition to single-seaters as the norm occurred by the early 1930s, with the 1932 Formula Libre rules allowing pure single-seat bodies (minimum width 100 cm for any remaining two-seaters) and race durations emphasizing speed over endurance. By this point, Grand Prix cars featured advanced supercharged engines (8–16 cylinders, over 600 hp on alcohol fuels), and the riding mechanic era had effectively ended in European GP racing. Note that in American events like the Indianapolis 500 (which adopted GP rules intermittently), riding mechanics lingered until 1937 due to different regulatory bodies and traditions.
The practice persisted through the pre-World War I era and into the early 1920s, as seen in events like the 1914 French Grand Prix and post-war races under the 3-liter formula. However, as cars became more reliable with advancing engineering (e.g., better brakes, tires, and engines), the need for onboard mechanics diminished, and safety concerns grew—highlighted by fatalities, including the 1924 death of British riding mechanic Tom Barrett during the French Grand Prix at Lyon, where he was thrown from a Bentley after a crash. This incident prompted the ACF and the International Sporting Commission (CSI) to ban riding mechanics in Europe starting with the 1925 season for major Grandes Épreuves events. Cars still needed to retain an empty mechanic's seat with a minimum body width of 80 cm under the 2-liter formula, but this was a transitional step.
By 1927, under the 1.5-liter formula, single-seater (monoposto) designs were explicitly permitted as long as the seat met minimum dimensions (80 cm wide, 25 cm high), marking the shift away from mandatory two-seaters. The full transition to single-seaters as the norm occurred by the early 1930s, with the 1932 Formula Libre rules allowing pure single-seat bodies (minimum width 100 cm for any remaining two-seaters) and race durations emphasizing speed over endurance. By this point, Grand Prix cars featured advanced supercharged engines (8–16 cylinders, over 600 hp on alcohol fuels), and the riding mechanic era had effectively ended in European GP racing. Note that in American events like the Indianapolis 500 (which adopted GP rules intermittently), riding mechanics lingered until 1937 due to different regulatory bodies and traditions.
1924 Hispano-Suiza Tulipwood Torpedo
2022 SOLD for $ 9.2M by RM Sotheby's
A grandson of the founder of the highly successful Dubonnet aperitif firm, André Dubonnet was at 21 a flying ace of the First World War, credited with six aerial victories. After the war he developed his passion for innovative mechanics with Hispano-Suiza.
As early as 1921, Dubonnet won the first edition of the Coupe des voiturettes Georges Boillot with a Hispano-Suiza 6 cylinder 7 liter Spéciale prepared by himself.
Dubonnet commissioned in 1924 to Nieuport Aviation his unprecedented masterpiece, a featherweight tapered and lowered torpedo body suitable for both racing and touring assembled on a newly developed Hispano-Suiza H6C sport chassis with a new 6 cylinder 8 liter engine.
The frame of wooden ribs by Nieuport were covered with strips of mahogany of uneven thickness and length riveted to the veneer. The torpedo tail enclosed a 52-gallon gas tank for long distance racing. The car was nicknamed the Tulipwood Torpedo.
The body was then sealed, sanded and varnished. Dubonnet with his Tulipwood Torpedo finished 6th in the 1924 Targa Florio.
This one off car conceived and driven by an aperitif heir soon went into the ownership of the son of a famous perfumer and then to a Scottish marmalade heir. Largely retaining its original woodwork, it was sold for $ 9.2M by RM Sotheby's on August 18, 2022, lot 141.
It is narrated and operated in the video shared by the auction house. The images are shared by Wikimedia with attribution to Bill Abbott, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, (first image below) and to Chris Hunkeler from El Cerrito, California, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0> (second image below), via Wikimedia Commons.
Dubonnet switched in 1925 from Hispano-Suiza to a Bugatti Type 35. This man ahead of his time also competed in bobsleigh in the 1928 Olympics.
As early as 1921, Dubonnet won the first edition of the Coupe des voiturettes Georges Boillot with a Hispano-Suiza 6 cylinder 7 liter Spéciale prepared by himself.
Dubonnet commissioned in 1924 to Nieuport Aviation his unprecedented masterpiece, a featherweight tapered and lowered torpedo body suitable for both racing and touring assembled on a newly developed Hispano-Suiza H6C sport chassis with a new 6 cylinder 8 liter engine.
The frame of wooden ribs by Nieuport were covered with strips of mahogany of uneven thickness and length riveted to the veneer. The torpedo tail enclosed a 52-gallon gas tank for long distance racing. The car was nicknamed the Tulipwood Torpedo.
The body was then sealed, sanded and varnished. Dubonnet with his Tulipwood Torpedo finished 6th in the 1924 Targa Florio.
This one off car conceived and driven by an aperitif heir soon went into the ownership of the son of a famous perfumer and then to a Scottish marmalade heir. Largely retaining its original woodwork, it was sold for $ 9.2M by RM Sotheby's on August 18, 2022, lot 141.
It is narrated and operated in the video shared by the auction house. The images are shared by Wikimedia with attribution to Bill Abbott, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, (first image below) and to Chris Hunkeler from El Cerrito, California, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0> (second image below), via Wikimedia Commons.
Dubonnet switched in 1925 from Hispano-Suiza to a Bugatti Type 35. This man ahead of his time also competed in bobsleigh in the 1928 Olympics.
We can't wait to see the world famous Hispano-Suiza at our Monterey auction. The "Tulipwood" Torpedo is one of the crown jewels of the Masterworks of Design Collection: https://t.co/Qf7DUI4fu2 pic.twitter.com/V62ppN3UYM
— RM Sotheby's (@rmsothebys) June 23, 2022
Mercedes-Benz 680S
In the history of industry, the merger in 1926 of DMG (Daimler) and Benz is an exemplary case. Their product lines took benefit from the quality of their manufacturing but the German crisis could lead both of them to bankruptcy. Their combination, including the creation of a single Mercedes-Benz brand for the group, provided the new company with the critical size needed for a restart.
The high-end was offered since 1924 by the models 24/100/140 and 15/70/100. A sports variant 24/110/160 was introduced in 1926. This denomination which may now seem odd indicates successively the fiscal power and the real power in hp without and with compression.
Pushed by the prestige of the competitions, the power is gradually increased. The new Mercedes-Benz company introduces the Typ S (Sportwagen) in 1927 as the successor to the Mercedes Model K. A specialty of Daimler had been to equip their Mercedes cars with a Roots supercharger.
For the new brand, the chief engineer Ferdinand Porsche designed in 1927 the most powerful sports car of that time, the Mercedes-Benz 680S with a huge supercharged 6.8 liter engine. The supercharger was only engaged when the pedal was depressed.
In terms of bodywork the Sindelfingen factory offers the high-end but the customer may also buy the chassis and have the body realized by a craftsman.
Mercedes-Benz is now mastering the technology that will allow it to win the races. In 1928 the SSK, internal code W06, is fitted with a 7.1 liter engine. Its top speed is 190 km/h, an exceptional performance at that time.
The W06 is also available for the road, under the reference 710 SS 27/140/200. SS, meaning Super Sport, is a new designation to identify this model. The three numbers which follow indicate in hp the fiscal power and the real power without and with the compressor.
The Mercedes-Benz 680S (Type S / Typ S) was a high-performance luxury sports car produced in the late 1920s following the 1926 merger of Daimler and Benz. It emerged from post-World War I recovery efforts that consolidated engineering talent (including contributions associated with Ferdinand Porsche, Hans Nibel, and others) behind the Mercedes name. Developed as a successor to the Model K, it targeted the prosperous Jazz Age market with a blend of power, exclusivity, and sporting character. Only about 124 Type S examples were built (alongside 114 of the related Type SS), making them rare.
Key features centered on a 6,789 cc single-overhead-cam inline-six engine with larger valves, dual carburetors, modestly higher compression, and a Roots-type supercharger delivering roughly 7 psi of boost. It was rated 26/120/180 hp (taxable / naturally aspirated / supercharged). The engine and transmission formed a rigidly mounted “unit” that stiffened the revised chassis (with frame rails kicked up over the axles, semi-elliptic leaf springs, and a jointed torque-tube drive). The design lowered the radiator and hood, improved weight distribution by shifting the engine rearward, and reduced weight compared with the predecessor K. Typical open coachwork (two- or four-seat) came from the factory (Sindelfingen) or leading European coachbuilders; wheelbase was around 134 inches, with four-wheel mechanical drum brakes and a four-speed manual gearbox.
Intention and breakthrough: The 680S was conceived as an exclusive sports/touring car for discerning, successful owners who valued performance, quality, and style over mass-market practicality. It established Mercedes-Benz at the pinnacle of high-performance luxury automobiles after the merger ended inter-marque racing competition and focused resources. Breakthrough elements included the chassis-stiffening engine/transmission unit (addressing the flexible frames common in the era), the potent supercharged six, and the lower, more purposeful profile that paired superbly with lightweight, streamlined open bodies. It succeeded as both a road car and a platform for sporting use.
History and legacy: Production was limited and short-lived in the late 1920s; the Type S and related SS/SSK models became icons of the period. Many received bespoke coachwork from firms such as Saoutchik of Paris. Surviving examples are highly prized concours and collector cars, celebrated for engineering significance, rarity, and the artistry of their bodies. They helped cement Mercedes-Benz’s reputation for powerful, refined grand touring machinery and remain benchmarks of pre-war design and performance.
The high-end was offered since 1924 by the models 24/100/140 and 15/70/100. A sports variant 24/110/160 was introduced in 1926. This denomination which may now seem odd indicates successively the fiscal power and the real power in hp without and with compression.
Pushed by the prestige of the competitions, the power is gradually increased. The new Mercedes-Benz company introduces the Typ S (Sportwagen) in 1927 as the successor to the Mercedes Model K. A specialty of Daimler had been to equip their Mercedes cars with a Roots supercharger.
For the new brand, the chief engineer Ferdinand Porsche designed in 1927 the most powerful sports car of that time, the Mercedes-Benz 680S with a huge supercharged 6.8 liter engine. The supercharger was only engaged when the pedal was depressed.
In terms of bodywork the Sindelfingen factory offers the high-end but the customer may also buy the chassis and have the body realized by a craftsman.
Mercedes-Benz is now mastering the technology that will allow it to win the races. In 1928 the SSK, internal code W06, is fitted with a 7.1 liter engine. Its top speed is 190 km/h, an exceptional performance at that time.
The W06 is also available for the road, under the reference 710 SS 27/140/200. SS, meaning Super Sport, is a new designation to identify this model. The three numbers which follow indicate in hp the fiscal power and the real power without and with the compressor.
The Mercedes-Benz 680S (Type S / Typ S) was a high-performance luxury sports car produced in the late 1920s following the 1926 merger of Daimler and Benz. It emerged from post-World War I recovery efforts that consolidated engineering talent (including contributions associated with Ferdinand Porsche, Hans Nibel, and others) behind the Mercedes name. Developed as a successor to the Model K, it targeted the prosperous Jazz Age market with a blend of power, exclusivity, and sporting character. Only about 124 Type S examples were built (alongside 114 of the related Type SS), making them rare.
Key features centered on a 6,789 cc single-overhead-cam inline-six engine with larger valves, dual carburetors, modestly higher compression, and a Roots-type supercharger delivering roughly 7 psi of boost. It was rated 26/120/180 hp (taxable / naturally aspirated / supercharged). The engine and transmission formed a rigidly mounted “unit” that stiffened the revised chassis (with frame rails kicked up over the axles, semi-elliptic leaf springs, and a jointed torque-tube drive). The design lowered the radiator and hood, improved weight distribution by shifting the engine rearward, and reduced weight compared with the predecessor K. Typical open coachwork (two- or four-seat) came from the factory (Sindelfingen) or leading European coachbuilders; wheelbase was around 134 inches, with four-wheel mechanical drum brakes and a four-speed manual gearbox.
Intention and breakthrough: The 680S was conceived as an exclusive sports/touring car for discerning, successful owners who valued performance, quality, and style over mass-market practicality. It established Mercedes-Benz at the pinnacle of high-performance luxury automobiles after the merger ended inter-marque racing competition and focused resources. Breakthrough elements included the chassis-stiffening engine/transmission unit (addressing the flexible frames common in the era), the potent supercharged six, and the lower, more purposeful profile that paired superbly with lightweight, streamlined open bodies. It succeeded as both a road car and a platform for sporting use.
History and legacy: Production was limited and short-lived in the late 1920s; the Type S and related SS/SSK models became icons of the period. Many received bespoke coachwork from firms such as Saoutchik of Paris. Surviving examples are highly prized concours and collector cars, celebrated for engineering significance, rarity, and the artistry of their bodies. They helped cement Mercedes-Benz’s reputation for powerful, refined grand touring machinery and remain benchmarks of pre-war design and performance.
1927 by Sindelfingen
2011 SOLD for $ 5M by Gooding
A 1927 680S 26/120/180 was sold for $ 5M by Gooding in August 2011, lot 119.
This highly authentic Sportwagen is in matching number configuration and retains its original Sindelfingen body.
This highly authentic Sportwagen is in matching number configuration and retains its original Sindelfingen body.
1928 Torpedo Roadster by Saoutchik
2013 SOLD for $ 8.3M by RM Auctions
Saoutchik (founded by Jacques/Iakov Saoutchik) produced striking, avant-garde bodies on the 680S chassis, including roughly a dozen Torpedo Roadster variants that differed in details such as windshield height, materials, and styling flourishes (often featuring disappearing tops, exotic upholstery such as lizard skin sourced via Alpina, distinctive brightwork, and dramatic proportions that emphasized the long hood and low chassis).
Made in 1928 and sole survivor from three built with a low windshield, a Mercedes-Benz 680S 26/120/180 hp coachworked by Saoutchik as a Torpedo roadster is a great example of the perfection and modernism that could be achieved at that time.
Its mechanics are German but the elegance is French. It is an early masterpiece by Jacques Saoutchik, a former cabinetmaker inspired by the Parisian Art Déco who knew to combine style and innovation. Made on order for an American businessman who failed to take it after a reversal of fortunes, it was exhibited at the New York Auto Salon in 1929.
After a stunning restoration, this car was awarded the highest honors : perfect with 100 points and Best of Show at the 2012 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, Restoration of the Year at the 2012 International Historic Motoring Awards and First in Class at the 2013 Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este. This car was sold for $ 8.3M by RM Auctions on August 17, 2013, lot 216, and passed at RM on May 27, 2017, lot 144.
Made in 1928 and sole survivor from three built with a low windshield, a Mercedes-Benz 680S 26/120/180 hp coachworked by Saoutchik as a Torpedo roadster is a great example of the perfection and modernism that could be achieved at that time.
Its mechanics are German but the elegance is French. It is an early masterpiece by Jacques Saoutchik, a former cabinetmaker inspired by the Parisian Art Déco who knew to combine style and innovation. Made on order for an American businessman who failed to take it after a reversal of fortunes, it was exhibited at the New York Auto Salon in 1929.
After a stunning restoration, this car was awarded the highest honors : perfect with 100 points and Best of Show at the 2012 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, Restoration of the Year at the 2012 International Historic Motoring Awards and First in Class at the 2013 Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este. This car was sold for $ 8.3M by RM Auctions on August 17, 2013, lot 216, and passed at RM on May 27, 2017, lot 144.
Jacques Saoutchik (born Iakov Savtchuk/Saoutchick, 1880–1957), a Ukrainian/Belarusian-born cabinetmaker who emigrated to Paris and founded Carrosserie Saoutchik in Neuilly-sur-Seine in 1906, brought woodworking precision and an inventive design sensibility to custom automobile bodies.
Unlike many coachbuilders rooted in traditional carriage making, his furniture-making background shaped tight tolerances, refined panel fits, complex joinery, and meticulous interior detailing. His firm specialized in bespoke bodies on separate chassis from makers such as Mercedes-Benz, Hispano-Suiza, Delahaye, Talbot-Lago, Bucciali, and others, emphasizing dramatic proportions, low silhouettes, and luxurious finishes until the decline of coachbuilding in the mid-1950s.
Design and Planning ProcessWork typically began with client consultation and sketches or color renderings. Approved designs led to full-scale (life-size) drawings of top and side views. These guided construction of a maquette (body form or mock-up), often starting as a wire frame for visualization, then refined into a wooden buck. The buck served as a three-dimensional template for shaping metal panels by hand. Saoutchik emphasized “visual magic”—strong, flowing lines accentuated by brightwork (nickel- or chrome-plated appliqués, or sometimes wood), teardrop or helmet-style fenders, stretched tails, low windshields (sometimes folding or retractable), and absence of running boards on sporting designs. He frequently innovated with transformable (convertible) bodies that offered multiple open/closed configurations with full weather protection.
Structural Construction: Wooden Skeleton and Chassis MountingBodies were built on a separate chassis (Saoutchik’s methods were rooted in this traditional approach and struggled with later monocoque/unibody designs). An internal wooden skeleton or frame was constructed over the chassis. Ash was a preferred traditional wood for its strength-to-weight ratio, resilience, resistance to splitting along the grain, and relative durability against moisture and insects. This ash (or similar hardwood) framing provided structural support, absorbed and distributed vibrations/road stresses, and allowed the body to flex appropriately without cracking. The skeleton was then skinned with metal panels; the wood remained largely invisible in the finished car but was critical for rigidity, especially in open or complex transformable designs that lacked fixed roof pillars. Panel fits were exceptionally tight, reflecting cabinetmaking precision—stampings or job numbers often appeared on wood framing and metal fittings for identification.
Metalwork and Body Shaping
Sheet metal (typically steel or aluminum alloys suited to deep curves) was hand-formed over the wooden bucks using traditional panel-beating techniques. Tools included hammers, dollies, and the English wheel to create graceful, flowing compound curves characteristic of Saoutchik’s style. Panels were carefully fitted, joined (via welding—gas or arc methods appropriate to the era and materials—or other period fastening), and finished to high standards. Brightwork appliqués highlighted main lines and contours. Exotic or decorative elements (German silver/nickel-silver trim, chrome accents) were integrated with precision. Fenders, hoods, and tails were often exaggerated for drama while maintaining balanced proportions tailored to the specific chassis (e.g., the long-hood, low-slung 680S Mercedes).
Convertible and Transformable Mechanisms
Saoutchik was an early innovator in complex open bodies. He developed and patented convertible roof systems, including fully disappearing tops that folded neatly into a well or under the rear deck for a clean silhouette (a hallmark of many of his Torpedo Roadsters and transformables). These required careful engineering for stability, rigidity, and smooth operation, especially on four-door transformables that combined full weather protection (retractable side windows without fixed frames) with open-air versatility. Other patented or signature features included adjustable or split V-windshields (sometimes sinking into the body), window-lowering mechanisms, and later pantograph (parallel-opening) doors that slid outward and parallel to the body for easier access in tight spaces. These mechanisms demanded precise wood and metal integration to maintain structural integrity when the top was down.
Interiors, Materials, and Finishing
Interiors showcased cabinetmaking skill: exotic hardwoods (such as amaranth, purpleheart, or other colonial-sourced woods), finely stitched leathers or exotic hides (e.g., lizard/reptile skin supplied via firms like Alpina from French colonial sources in Southeast Asia), quilted or custom upholstery, and elaborate trim. Materials were chosen for both luxury and visual effect. Paint finishes were high-quality, sometimes metallic or multi-tone; Saoutchik was among early adopters of such techniques in French coachwork. Hardware, brightwork, and details received jewel-like attention. The overall build prioritized originality, client-specific customization, and a level of finish that set his work apart at Concours d’Elegance events.
Innovations, Style Evolution, and Limitations
Signature techniques and features included low-slung bodies, disappearing tops, pantograph doors (mid-1930s patent), and heavy use of ornamental brightwork. Styles evolved from elegant early transformables and torpedoes (1920s, including Mercedes 680S examples) through Art Deco extravagance and streamlining influences to more sculptural post-war forms under his son Pierre. Production remained highly artisanal and low-volume—each body was essentially unique or varied in details. The firm’s reliance on separate-chassis methods and handcraft limited adaptation to postwar mass-production unibody designs, contributing to its eventual decline and 1955 closure.
In summary, Saoutchik’s techniques combined traditional coachbuilding (wooden skeletal framing on a rolling chassis, hand-formed metal skins) with cabinetmaker precision, mechanical ingenuity in convertibles and hardware, and a bold aesthetic that prioritized dramatic lines and luxurious materials. Surviving examples, such as the Saoutchik-bodied Mercedes-Benz 680S cars, demonstrate the enduring quality of these methods through their originality, tight construction, and complex features like disappearing tops and exotic interiors. Modern restorations often require specialized woodworking and metal skills to recreate or preserve these elements accurately.
Unlike many coachbuilders rooted in traditional carriage making, his furniture-making background shaped tight tolerances, refined panel fits, complex joinery, and meticulous interior detailing. His firm specialized in bespoke bodies on separate chassis from makers such as Mercedes-Benz, Hispano-Suiza, Delahaye, Talbot-Lago, Bucciali, and others, emphasizing dramatic proportions, low silhouettes, and luxurious finishes until the decline of coachbuilding in the mid-1950s.
Design and Planning ProcessWork typically began with client consultation and sketches or color renderings. Approved designs led to full-scale (life-size) drawings of top and side views. These guided construction of a maquette (body form or mock-up), often starting as a wire frame for visualization, then refined into a wooden buck. The buck served as a three-dimensional template for shaping metal panels by hand. Saoutchik emphasized “visual magic”—strong, flowing lines accentuated by brightwork (nickel- or chrome-plated appliqués, or sometimes wood), teardrop or helmet-style fenders, stretched tails, low windshields (sometimes folding or retractable), and absence of running boards on sporting designs. He frequently innovated with transformable (convertible) bodies that offered multiple open/closed configurations with full weather protection.
Structural Construction: Wooden Skeleton and Chassis MountingBodies were built on a separate chassis (Saoutchik’s methods were rooted in this traditional approach and struggled with later monocoque/unibody designs). An internal wooden skeleton or frame was constructed over the chassis. Ash was a preferred traditional wood for its strength-to-weight ratio, resilience, resistance to splitting along the grain, and relative durability against moisture and insects. This ash (or similar hardwood) framing provided structural support, absorbed and distributed vibrations/road stresses, and allowed the body to flex appropriately without cracking. The skeleton was then skinned with metal panels; the wood remained largely invisible in the finished car but was critical for rigidity, especially in open or complex transformable designs that lacked fixed roof pillars. Panel fits were exceptionally tight, reflecting cabinetmaking precision—stampings or job numbers often appeared on wood framing and metal fittings for identification.
Metalwork and Body Shaping
Sheet metal (typically steel or aluminum alloys suited to deep curves) was hand-formed over the wooden bucks using traditional panel-beating techniques. Tools included hammers, dollies, and the English wheel to create graceful, flowing compound curves characteristic of Saoutchik’s style. Panels were carefully fitted, joined (via welding—gas or arc methods appropriate to the era and materials—or other period fastening), and finished to high standards. Brightwork appliqués highlighted main lines and contours. Exotic or decorative elements (German silver/nickel-silver trim, chrome accents) were integrated with precision. Fenders, hoods, and tails were often exaggerated for drama while maintaining balanced proportions tailored to the specific chassis (e.g., the long-hood, low-slung 680S Mercedes).
Convertible and Transformable Mechanisms
Saoutchik was an early innovator in complex open bodies. He developed and patented convertible roof systems, including fully disappearing tops that folded neatly into a well or under the rear deck for a clean silhouette (a hallmark of many of his Torpedo Roadsters and transformables). These required careful engineering for stability, rigidity, and smooth operation, especially on four-door transformables that combined full weather protection (retractable side windows without fixed frames) with open-air versatility. Other patented or signature features included adjustable or split V-windshields (sometimes sinking into the body), window-lowering mechanisms, and later pantograph (parallel-opening) doors that slid outward and parallel to the body for easier access in tight spaces. These mechanisms demanded precise wood and metal integration to maintain structural integrity when the top was down.
Interiors, Materials, and Finishing
Interiors showcased cabinetmaking skill: exotic hardwoods (such as amaranth, purpleheart, or other colonial-sourced woods), finely stitched leathers or exotic hides (e.g., lizard/reptile skin supplied via firms like Alpina from French colonial sources in Southeast Asia), quilted or custom upholstery, and elaborate trim. Materials were chosen for both luxury and visual effect. Paint finishes were high-quality, sometimes metallic or multi-tone; Saoutchik was among early adopters of such techniques in French coachwork. Hardware, brightwork, and details received jewel-like attention. The overall build prioritized originality, client-specific customization, and a level of finish that set his work apart at Concours d’Elegance events.
Innovations, Style Evolution, and Limitations
Signature techniques and features included low-slung bodies, disappearing tops, pantograph doors (mid-1930s patent), and heavy use of ornamental brightwork. Styles evolved from elegant early transformables and torpedoes (1920s, including Mercedes 680S examples) through Art Deco extravagance and streamlining influences to more sculptural post-war forms under his son Pierre. Production remained highly artisanal and low-volume—each body was essentially unique or varied in details. The firm’s reliance on separate-chassis methods and handcraft limited adaptation to postwar mass-production unibody designs, contributing to its eventual decline and 1955 closure.
In summary, Saoutchik’s techniques combined traditional coachbuilding (wooden skeletal framing on a rolling chassis, hand-formed metal skins) with cabinetmaker precision, mechanical ingenuity in convertibles and hardware, and a bold aesthetic that prioritized dramatic lines and luxurious materials. Surviving examples, such as the Saoutchik-bodied Mercedes-Benz 680S cars, demonstrate the enduring quality of these methods through their originality, tight construction, and complex features like disappearing tops and exotic interiors. Modern restorations often require specialized woodworking and metal skills to recreate or preserve these elements accurately.
1928 Torpedo Sport by Saoutchik
2026 for sale on August 14 by RM Sotheby's
Comparison of two Saoutchik-bodied cars
Chassis 35903 (commission no. 39215, engine 68656, body 1764) is the 1928 Mercedes-Benz 680 S Torpedo-Sport “Cannes” by Saoutchik, to be offered by RM Sotheby’s at the Monterey Auction on 14 August 2026 as lot 267 (estimate $5–6.5 million). It was ordered in July 1928 by French aristocrat, banker-family member, racehorse breeder, and art collector Oliver de Rivaud (Comte de la Raffinière), a known client of both Mercedes-Benz and Saoutchik. Delivered initially as a four-passenger open tourer and registered in August 1928, it was soon rebodied by Saoutchik in the Torpedo-Sport “Cannes” style: a low four-passenger open car with disappearing top, svelte lines, and notably the only known “Cannes” delivered without roll-up windows. It was shown by its owner at the 1929 Salon Animé de la Carrosserie in Paris (cream with red moldings, matching leather, amaranth wood trim in period descriptions). Ownership passed through several European hands (including Maurice d’Okhuysen, René Eliassabide, and Albert Emile Storm de Grave) before reaching the United States in the late 1950s. It spent about 55 years with importer and collector H. Dieter Holterbosch, then moved to Howard Fafard and later the present owners. A meticulous recent concours restoration returned it to original colors and materials (including verified Asian Water Monitor lizard-skin interior elements), preserving high originality of chassis, engine, body structure, and trim. It earned a class award (2nd) at the 2025 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance and is described as a CCCA Full Classic.
Chassis 35949 (commission no. 40156, engine 72151, body 1713) is the 1928 Mercedes-Benz 680S Torpedo Roadster by Saoutchik that sold at RM Auctions (now RM Sotheby’s) Monterey on 17 August 2013 as lot 216 for $8.25 million. Delivered to Saoutchik in August 1928 and ordered (papers list Charles Levine; accounts often credit his wife) in Dove Grey with dark red lizard-skin interior, disappearing top, and German silver fender trim. The Levines did not take delivery amid business issues; Mercedes-Benz New York displayed it at the 1929 New York Auto Salon (and in period advertising). It was sold to Frederick Henry Bedford Jr. (Standard Oil director), in whose family it remained for decades; the car played a role in his courtship of Margaret Stewart. After Bedford’s death it was stored, later partially restored (lizard skin replaced with leather at one stage), exhibited, and loaned for many years to the Owls Head Transportation Museum. Sold in 2006 and again around 2008, it received a full frame-off restoration by Paul Russell and Company (returning to Dove Grey with dark red accents and authentic lizard-skin interior, with high originality confirmed via matching numbers and Saoutchik stampings). It is noted as one of only three short-windshield examples built and the only known survivor among them. It won Best of Show at the 2012 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance (and other major awards).
Both are highly original, matching-numbers 1928 680S chassis with authentic Saoutchik open coachwork featuring disappearing tops and exotic lizard-skin interiors, and both have strong provenance, period show history, long-term careful ownership, and recent high-level restorations that earned Pebble Beach recognition. They share the same fundamental mechanical specification and the coachbuilder’s dramatic low-slung, long-hood aesthetic tailored to the Type S chassis.
Key differences lie in body style and details, original ownership and early history, and later paths. 35903 is the unique four-passenger Torpedo-Sport “Cannes” (the only known example without roll-up windows), commissioned for a French aristocrat and shown in Paris in 1929; 35949 is a two-seat Torpedo Roadster distinguished by its short windshield (one of three built, sole known survivor), with German silver fender trim, ordered for the Levine family, shown in New York in 1929, and long associated with the Bedford family story. 35903’s recent restoration is described as fresh (2025 Pebble Beach class award) after decades of relative privacy with Holterbosch; 35949’s Paul Russell restoration produced a 2012 Best of Show winner and higher auction result in 2013. Exterior colors and exact trim details also differ according to their original commissions and restorations (cream/red scheme elements for the Cannes versus Dove Grey with dark red for the short-windshield roadster). Both rank among the most significant surviving Saoutchik 680S examples, illustrating the coachbuilder’s range of variations on the same powerful chassis.
Chassis 35903 (commission no. 39215, engine 68656, body 1764) is the 1928 Mercedes-Benz 680 S Torpedo-Sport “Cannes” by Saoutchik, to be offered by RM Sotheby’s at the Monterey Auction on 14 August 2026 as lot 267 (estimate $5–6.5 million). It was ordered in July 1928 by French aristocrat, banker-family member, racehorse breeder, and art collector Oliver de Rivaud (Comte de la Raffinière), a known client of both Mercedes-Benz and Saoutchik. Delivered initially as a four-passenger open tourer and registered in August 1928, it was soon rebodied by Saoutchik in the Torpedo-Sport “Cannes” style: a low four-passenger open car with disappearing top, svelte lines, and notably the only known “Cannes” delivered without roll-up windows. It was shown by its owner at the 1929 Salon Animé de la Carrosserie in Paris (cream with red moldings, matching leather, amaranth wood trim in period descriptions). Ownership passed through several European hands (including Maurice d’Okhuysen, René Eliassabide, and Albert Emile Storm de Grave) before reaching the United States in the late 1950s. It spent about 55 years with importer and collector H. Dieter Holterbosch, then moved to Howard Fafard and later the present owners. A meticulous recent concours restoration returned it to original colors and materials (including verified Asian Water Monitor lizard-skin interior elements), preserving high originality of chassis, engine, body structure, and trim. It earned a class award (2nd) at the 2025 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance and is described as a CCCA Full Classic.
Chassis 35949 (commission no. 40156, engine 72151, body 1713) is the 1928 Mercedes-Benz 680S Torpedo Roadster by Saoutchik that sold at RM Auctions (now RM Sotheby’s) Monterey on 17 August 2013 as lot 216 for $8.25 million. Delivered to Saoutchik in August 1928 and ordered (papers list Charles Levine; accounts often credit his wife) in Dove Grey with dark red lizard-skin interior, disappearing top, and German silver fender trim. The Levines did not take delivery amid business issues; Mercedes-Benz New York displayed it at the 1929 New York Auto Salon (and in period advertising). It was sold to Frederick Henry Bedford Jr. (Standard Oil director), in whose family it remained for decades; the car played a role in his courtship of Margaret Stewart. After Bedford’s death it was stored, later partially restored (lizard skin replaced with leather at one stage), exhibited, and loaned for many years to the Owls Head Transportation Museum. Sold in 2006 and again around 2008, it received a full frame-off restoration by Paul Russell and Company (returning to Dove Grey with dark red accents and authentic lizard-skin interior, with high originality confirmed via matching numbers and Saoutchik stampings). It is noted as one of only three short-windshield examples built and the only known survivor among them. It won Best of Show at the 2012 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance (and other major awards).
Both are highly original, matching-numbers 1928 680S chassis with authentic Saoutchik open coachwork featuring disappearing tops and exotic lizard-skin interiors, and both have strong provenance, period show history, long-term careful ownership, and recent high-level restorations that earned Pebble Beach recognition. They share the same fundamental mechanical specification and the coachbuilder’s dramatic low-slung, long-hood aesthetic tailored to the Type S chassis.
Key differences lie in body style and details, original ownership and early history, and later paths. 35903 is the unique four-passenger Torpedo-Sport “Cannes” (the only known example without roll-up windows), commissioned for a French aristocrat and shown in Paris in 1929; 35949 is a two-seat Torpedo Roadster distinguished by its short windshield (one of three built, sole known survivor), with German silver fender trim, ordered for the Levine family, shown in New York in 1929, and long associated with the Bedford family story. 35903’s recent restoration is described as fresh (2025 Pebble Beach class award) after decades of relative privacy with Holterbosch; 35949’s Paul Russell restoration produced a 2012 Best of Show winner and higher auction result in 2013. Exterior colors and exact trim details also differ according to their original commissions and restorations (cream/red scheme elements for the Cannes versus Dove Grey with dark red for the short-windshield roadster). Both rank among the most significant surviving Saoutchik 680S examples, illustrating the coachbuilder’s range of variations on the same powerful chassis.
Commissioned in 1928 by Oliver de Rivaud, the Comte de la Raffinière, this Mercedes-Benz 680 S features unique Saoutchik Torpedo-Sport “Cannes” coachwork and is the only known example built without roll-up windows.
— RM Sotheby's (@rmsothebys) July 25, 2026
Its meticulous restoration recreated the original color scheme,… pic.twitter.com/2yuEMvlBoP
1928 by Gläser
2021 SOLD for $ 5.4M by Bonhams
A 26/120/180 S from 1928 was sold for $ 5.4M from a lower estimate of $ 3M by Bonhams on August 13, 2021, lot 34. The car was owned in the family of the consignor since 1964.
It is believed that its body has never been changed. The records of the brand state that the chassis has been shipped to Gläser. This coachbuilder was based in Dresden.
On January 19, 2017, Bonhams sold at lot 54 for $ 4.8M a Mercedes-Benz 680S 26/120/180 made in 1928 still fitted with its original engine. It was coachworked as a sports tourer in Berlin by Erdmann und Rossi.
It is believed that its body has never been changed. The records of the brand state that the chassis has been shipped to Gläser. This coachbuilder was based in Dresden.
On January 19, 2017, Bonhams sold at lot 54 for $ 4.8M a Mercedes-Benz 680S 26/120/180 made in 1928 still fitted with its original engine. It was coachworked as a sports tourer in Berlin by Erdmann und Rossi.
1929 Mercedes-Benz SSK
2004 SOLD for £ 4.2M by Bonhams
Mercedes-Benz introduces the Typ S (Sportwagen) in 1927 and the short wheelbase Typ SSK (Super Sport Kurz) for competition in 1928. They were claimed by their manufacturer as the fastest sport cars in the world. The long wheelbase model was referred as Typ SS.
On September 3, 2004, Bonhams sold for £ 4.2M a Mercedes-Benz SSK 38/250 made in 1929, lot 144. It is fitted with a 7.1 liter engine and bodied as a two seat tourer by Carlton. It is not supercharged.
This car had been the lifelong cherished property of the British enthusiast who had acquired it in 1941. Due to the impossibility to find German spare parts in England during the war, he had joined to it in his garage a Mercedes-Benz Typ SS 38/250 from 1930.
On September 3, 2004, Bonhams sold for £ 4.2M a Mercedes-Benz SSK 38/250 made in 1929, lot 144. It is fitted with a 7.1 liter engine and bodied as a two seat tourer by Carlton. It is not supercharged.
This car had been the lifelong cherished property of the British enthusiast who had acquired it in 1941. Due to the impossibility to find German spare parts in England during the war, he had joined to it in his garage a Mercedes-Benz Typ SS 38/250 from 1930.
Bentley
Woolf Barnato was the chairman of Bentley and the sponsor of the Bentley Boys led by Tim Birkin. In 1929 they managed supercharging the engine of the 4 1/2 liter racing model.
This new model is known as the Bentley Blower. In addition to five works prototypes, fifty supercharged units are commissioned for complying with Le Mans homologation requirement.
The Bentley brand had a special relationship with Vanden Plas, an English coach maker of Belgian origin whose creation dates back to horse-drawn time. Between 1924 and 1931, Vanden Plas equipped about 700 Bentley chassis. That co-operation between a maker and a coachbuilder provides some homogeneity, rare at that time, between the different models of the brand.
This new model is known as the Bentley Blower. In addition to five works prototypes, fifty supercharged units are commissioned for complying with Le Mans homologation requirement.
The Bentley brand had a special relationship with Vanden Plas, an English coach maker of Belgian origin whose creation dates back to horse-drawn time. Between 1924 and 1931, Vanden Plas equipped about 700 Bentley chassis. That co-operation between a maker and a coachbuilder provides some homogeneity, rare at that time, between the different models of the brand.
1928 4 1/2 Bobtail
2012 SOLD for $ 6M by Gooding
At the first edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1923, Bentley achieved a satisfactory result with the 4th place of a 3-liter model. A car of that model wins this competition in 1927. The British brand develops the 6 1/2 liters in 1926. Problems of reliability of the 6 1/2 lead to finding a satisfactory compromise in 1927 with the 4 1/2 liters.
In 1928 Bentley prepares three 4 1/2 coachworked by Vanden Plas in Le Mans configuration for its factory team. The shortened shape of its engine cowling is one of the modifications necessary to meet the rules of the competition and brings to this rare variant the nickname of Bobtail. Impressive in its speed, the Bobtail # 2 leads the race for several hours before being forced to abandon by overheating.
The development continues with the Speed Six, direct successor to the 6 1/2 liter, and with the supercharged version of the 4 1/2 designated as the Bentley Blower which becomes a formidable competitor to the Mercedes-Benz which were using a similar improvement of the engine.
The 1929 edition of Le Mans is a triumph for Bentley. The competition is won by a Speed Six followed by three 4 1/2. The Bobtail # 2 of the previous year, renumbered # 10, is in the third place.
This car which is still being presented with its # 10 was sold for $ 6M by Gooding in August 2012. It passed at RM Sotheby's on March 11, 2017, lot 266.
Its image is shared By Sémhur (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0-3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0-3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0)], via Wikimedia Commons :
In 1928 Bentley prepares three 4 1/2 coachworked by Vanden Plas in Le Mans configuration for its factory team. The shortened shape of its engine cowling is one of the modifications necessary to meet the rules of the competition and brings to this rare variant the nickname of Bobtail. Impressive in its speed, the Bobtail # 2 leads the race for several hours before being forced to abandon by overheating.
The development continues with the Speed Six, direct successor to the 6 1/2 liter, and with the supercharged version of the 4 1/2 designated as the Bentley Blower which becomes a formidable competitor to the Mercedes-Benz which were using a similar improvement of the engine.
The 1929 edition of Le Mans is a triumph for Bentley. The competition is won by a Speed Six followed by three 4 1/2. The Bobtail # 2 of the previous year, renumbered # 10, is in the third place.
This car which is still being presented with its # 10 was sold for $ 6M by Gooding in August 2012. It passed at RM Sotheby's on March 11, 2017, lot 266.
Its image is shared By Sémhur (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0-3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0-3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0)], via Wikimedia Commons :
1929 Blower
2012 SOLD for £ 5M by Bonhams
A new era began in 1926 for Bentley Motors when Barnato acquires the financial control of that British brand of luxury cars created in 1919.
For sport and specially to win at Le Mans, two concepts were clashing. The founder W.O. Bentley is in favor of huge engines like his 6 1/2 liter model to get more power by an extension of the mechanical movements.
Pushed by the flamboyant team of the Bentley Boys, Barnato prefers supercharging the engine of the 4 1/2 liter model. This new model is known as the Blower Bentley. It had to overcome the reliability problems rightly predicted by W.O. The single seater version nevertheless met some racing success.
In addition to five works prototypes, fifty supercharged cars had been commissioned for complying with Le Mans homologation requirement.
Barnato had also founded a scuderia of champions symbolizing the daring of British sportsmen, the Bentley Boys. Prepared for racing, the heavy single-seater with a very long chassis is fast, strong and spectacular. Its main competitors, the Bugattis, were frail and light compared to this new monster of the circuits.
Made in 1929, a prestigious example was sold for £ 5M by Bonhams on June 29, 2012.
In 1931, this car had broken the lap speed record of Brooklands at 215 km/h (134 mph), driven by the most charismatic of the Bentley Boys, proudly wearing a military mustache, "Tiger Tim" Birkin.
Please watch the video shared by Bonhams, which includes extracts from silent films to remind the extraordinary speed, at that time, of this successful car.
Its image is shared by Wikimedia with attribution | El Caganer / Craig Howell [CC BY 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)]
For sport and specially to win at Le Mans, two concepts were clashing. The founder W.O. Bentley is in favor of huge engines like his 6 1/2 liter model to get more power by an extension of the mechanical movements.
Pushed by the flamboyant team of the Bentley Boys, Barnato prefers supercharging the engine of the 4 1/2 liter model. This new model is known as the Blower Bentley. It had to overcome the reliability problems rightly predicted by W.O. The single seater version nevertheless met some racing success.
In addition to five works prototypes, fifty supercharged cars had been commissioned for complying with Le Mans homologation requirement.
Barnato had also founded a scuderia of champions symbolizing the daring of British sportsmen, the Bentley Boys. Prepared for racing, the heavy single-seater with a very long chassis is fast, strong and spectacular. Its main competitors, the Bugattis, were frail and light compared to this new monster of the circuits.
Made in 1929, a prestigious example was sold for £ 5M by Bonhams on June 29, 2012.
In 1931, this car had broken the lap speed record of Brooklands at 215 km/h (134 mph), driven by the most charismatic of the Bentley Boys, proudly wearing a military mustache, "Tiger Tim" Birkin.
Please watch the video shared by Bonhams, which includes extracts from silent films to remind the extraordinary speed, at that time, of this successful car.
Its image is shared by Wikimedia with attribution | El Caganer / Craig Howell [CC BY 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)]
1928 Bugatti 35C
2020 SOLD for £ 3.9M by Gooding
Released in 1927 the 35B is a culmination of the highly successful Bugatti 8 cylinder Type-35, associating the biggest engine volume of the range, 2.3 liters, with a Roots type supercharger.
Its day of fame of the 35B went on June 30, 1929 at Le Mans when a newly built works car won the Grand Prix Automobile de France after leading from start the 37 lap 4:30 hour race. This car was sold for $ 5.6M by Gooding on August 14, 2021, lot 133.
Nevertheless the 35C remains the most successful in racing with its top speed of 202 km/h quite comparable with the 210 km/h of the 35B.
Ladies no longer want to be excluded from motorsport. In 1926 the dowager duchesse d'Uzès founds the French Women's Automobile Club, offsetting the ban on women to be members of the Automobile Club de France.
Automobile meetings, often organized by newspapers, are very popular. They consist of a wide variety of events, including feminine elegance contests that appeal the starlets. In 1929, commissioned by a fashion magazine, Tamara de Lempicka paints her imaginary self-portrait driving a green Bugatti.
Eliska Junkova, racing under the pseudonym Elisabeth Junek, is the first woman capable of competing with men in major races. With a Bugatti 35 B, she finishes 5th in the 1928 Targa Florio after having led the race during the second lap.
Janine Jennky was a performer in Pigalle vaudevilles. In 1927, she bought a Bugatti 35 C with which she won the hill climb race at Gaillon.
In 1928 she sold her first Bugatti and bought another 35 C which had been entered in the works team in the Targa Florio. With this second car, she wins the Coupe de Bourgogne. She thus becomes the first lady to win a Grand Prix, and will remain the only one to ever achieve this feat. Wikimedia shares an image published by Le Sport Universel Illustré featuring Mme Jennky in action during this competition, ahead of the Bugatti 37 A of Mme Schell..
She failed to return to competition in 1929, probably for health reasons. She disappears from history after having sold her second 35 C to Jean de Maleplane who will win in 1930 the Grand Prix d'Oran.
This 35 C is a typical example of the legendary robustness of the Bugattis. Despite significant use in competition by its first three private owners, it is still in perfect working condition with its original engine, chassis, bodywork and pieces of equipment.
It was sold for £ 3.9M by Gooding on September 5, 2020, lot 10. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
Its day of fame of the 35B went on June 30, 1929 at Le Mans when a newly built works car won the Grand Prix Automobile de France after leading from start the 37 lap 4:30 hour race. This car was sold for $ 5.6M by Gooding on August 14, 2021, lot 133.
Nevertheless the 35C remains the most successful in racing with its top speed of 202 km/h quite comparable with the 210 km/h of the 35B.
Ladies no longer want to be excluded from motorsport. In 1926 the dowager duchesse d'Uzès founds the French Women's Automobile Club, offsetting the ban on women to be members of the Automobile Club de France.
Automobile meetings, often organized by newspapers, are very popular. They consist of a wide variety of events, including feminine elegance contests that appeal the starlets. In 1929, commissioned by a fashion magazine, Tamara de Lempicka paints her imaginary self-portrait driving a green Bugatti.
Eliska Junkova, racing under the pseudonym Elisabeth Junek, is the first woman capable of competing with men in major races. With a Bugatti 35 B, she finishes 5th in the 1928 Targa Florio after having led the race during the second lap.
Janine Jennky was a performer in Pigalle vaudevilles. In 1927, she bought a Bugatti 35 C with which she won the hill climb race at Gaillon.
In 1928 she sold her first Bugatti and bought another 35 C which had been entered in the works team in the Targa Florio. With this second car, she wins the Coupe de Bourgogne. She thus becomes the first lady to win a Grand Prix, and will remain the only one to ever achieve this feat. Wikimedia shares an image published by Le Sport Universel Illustré featuring Mme Jennky in action during this competition, ahead of the Bugatti 37 A of Mme Schell..
She failed to return to competition in 1929, probably for health reasons. She disappears from history after having sold her second 35 C to Jean de Maleplane who will win in 1930 the Grand Prix d'Oran.
This 35 C is a typical example of the legendary robustness of the Bugattis. Despite significant use in competition by its first three private owners, it is still in perfect working condition with its original engine, chassis, bodywork and pieces of equipment.
It was sold for £ 3.9M by Gooding on September 5, 2020, lot 10. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
1929 Bugatti 35B
2021 SOLD for $ 5.6M by Gooding
Released in 1927 the 35B is a culmination of the highly successful Bugatti 8 cylinder Type-35, associating the biggest engine volume of the range, 2.3 liters, with a Roots type supercharger.
Nevertheless the 35C remains the most successful in racing with its top speed of 202 km/h quite comparable with the 210 km/h of the 35B.
The day of fame of the 35B went on June 30, 1929 at Le Mans when a newly built works car driven by William Grover-Williams won the Grand Prix Automobile de France after leading from start the 37 lap 4:30 hour race. Its image with its driver is shared by Wikimedia from a press agency photo.
That competition was managed by the Automobile Club de France which had some specific rules concerning the fuel consumption. Back from Le Mans, the winning car was fitted with the usual pointed tailed body of the Type-35 Grand Prix. It was sold to Louis Chiron who drove it to victory in the Spanish Grand Prix at San Sebastian a few days later, on July 25, 1929.
Returned in 2006 to a period appropriate appearance using much of its Molsheim Grand Prix bodywork, this twice Grand Prix winner is still fitted with its original engine, chassis frame, supercharger, gearbox, rear and front axles. It is painted in French blue.
It was sold for $ 5.6M from a lower estimate of $ 3.5M by Gooding on August 14, 2021, lot 133. It is illustrated in second position in the press release shared by the auction house.
Nevertheless the 35C remains the most successful in racing with its top speed of 202 km/h quite comparable with the 210 km/h of the 35B.
The day of fame of the 35B went on June 30, 1929 at Le Mans when a newly built works car driven by William Grover-Williams won the Grand Prix Automobile de France after leading from start the 37 lap 4:30 hour race. Its image with its driver is shared by Wikimedia from a press agency photo.
That competition was managed by the Automobile Club de France which had some specific rules concerning the fuel consumption. Back from Le Mans, the winning car was fitted with the usual pointed tailed body of the Type-35 Grand Prix. It was sold to Louis Chiron who drove it to victory in the Spanish Grand Prix at San Sebastian a few days later, on July 25, 1929.
Returned in 2006 to a period appropriate appearance using much of its Molsheim Grand Prix bodywork, this twice Grand Prix winner is still fitted with its original engine, chassis frame, supercharger, gearbox, rear and front axles. It is painted in French blue.
It was sold for $ 5.6M from a lower estimate of $ 3.5M by Gooding on August 14, 2021, lot 133. It is illustrated in second position in the press release shared by the auction house.
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Sporting a powerful 2.3-liter, eight-cylinder engine fitted with a Roots-type supercharger, this 1929 #Bugatti Type 35B was the winner of the 1929 French and Spanish Grand Prix with Williams and Chiron. #PebbleBeachAuctions
— Gooding & Company (@goodingandco) July 8, 2021
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Learn More: https://t.co/9KpoRDWITw pic.twitter.com/UIke7oE95p
1929 Duesenberg Model J Lightweight
2021 SOLD for $ 5.7M by RM Sotheby's
In 1926 Duesenberg became a subsidiary of Auburn, owned by Cord. During the next ten years, the three brands manage a concerted effort to master the full range of American luxury cars. In this association, Duesenberg targets the rich and famous.
1929 is a breakthrough year for many reasons. The creation of Cord Corporation streamlines the legal structure of the group. Released in December 1928, the Duesenberg Model J chassis emerges as the best in its class. The Lycoming 420 cubic inch straight-eight engine is producing 265 hp at 4,200 rpm. The dual cowl phaeton bodywork is a spectacular novelty.
The Model J rolling chassis was based on a sturdy ladder frame in alloy steel designed for top performance. Conceived as a competitor to Rolls Royce and Isotta Fraschini, it targeted the wealthy US customers from Hollywood and elsewhere.
Various leading coach builders including Murphy in California, LeBaron in New York and Derham in Philadelphia prepared open bodied cars suitable for enjoying the roads under the American sun and for being better visible by the public.
Various body types were offered by the Walter M. Murphy Company, located in Pasadena in the vicinity of Hollywood. The bodies were handcrafted and no two were exactly alike.
A 1929 Convertible coupe was sold for $ 2.53M by Morphy on October 11, 2015, lot 37. From the same year and maker, a Disappearing top convertible coupe was sold for $ 1.9M by RM Auctions on August 18, 2012, lot 229, a Dual cowl phaeton for $ 1.65M on Octoner 12, 2007, also by RM, lot 259, and a Cabriolet for € 1.04M by Artcurial on February 8, 2013, lot 381.
The pinnacle of the 1929 Model J by Murphy is the Disappearing top torpedo convertible coupe, different from the basic coupe by its tapered speedster boattail. Only two were fitted with a lightweight coachwork in polished bare aluminum.
One of them is in beautiful condition, featuring much of the original aluminum carefully restored for a maximum saving. Its chassis is original but the engine has been replaced by a period correct Duesenberg engine. It was sold for $ 5.7M from a lower estimate of $ 3.5M by RM Sotheby's on May 22, 2021, lot 156. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
1929 is a breakthrough year for many reasons. The creation of Cord Corporation streamlines the legal structure of the group. Released in December 1928, the Duesenberg Model J chassis emerges as the best in its class. The Lycoming 420 cubic inch straight-eight engine is producing 265 hp at 4,200 rpm. The dual cowl phaeton bodywork is a spectacular novelty.
The Model J rolling chassis was based on a sturdy ladder frame in alloy steel designed for top performance. Conceived as a competitor to Rolls Royce and Isotta Fraschini, it targeted the wealthy US customers from Hollywood and elsewhere.
Various leading coach builders including Murphy in California, LeBaron in New York and Derham in Philadelphia prepared open bodied cars suitable for enjoying the roads under the American sun and for being better visible by the public.
Various body types were offered by the Walter M. Murphy Company, located in Pasadena in the vicinity of Hollywood. The bodies were handcrafted and no two were exactly alike.
A 1929 Convertible coupe was sold for $ 2.53M by Morphy on October 11, 2015, lot 37. From the same year and maker, a Disappearing top convertible coupe was sold for $ 1.9M by RM Auctions on August 18, 2012, lot 229, a Dual cowl phaeton for $ 1.65M on Octoner 12, 2007, also by RM, lot 259, and a Cabriolet for € 1.04M by Artcurial on February 8, 2013, lot 381.
The pinnacle of the 1929 Model J by Murphy is the Disappearing top torpedo convertible coupe, different from the basic coupe by its tapered speedster boattail. Only two were fitted with a lightweight coachwork in polished bare aluminum.
One of them is in beautiful condition, featuring much of the original aluminum carefully restored for a maximum saving. Its chassis is original but the engine has been replaced by a period correct Duesenberg engine. It was sold for $ 5.7M from a lower estimate of $ 3.5M by RM Sotheby's on May 22, 2021, lot 156. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
