French Cars
See also : Birth of automobile Old cars Cars of the 1930s Inventions
Chronology : 1914 1931 1937 1938
Chronology : 1914 1931 1937 1938
1884 The Oldest Marquise
2011 SOLD 4.6 M$ including premium
The meeting between the aristocrat de Dion and the mechanical engineers Bouton and Trépardoux was successful. The steam had proved effective with the locomotives. By developing a propulsion system of small volume that could be mounted on a tricycle or quadricycle, the team actually invented the automobile.
La Marquise, made in 1884, with two pairs of different-size wheels, is the first successful prototype and is still the oldest car capable of running. Its general shape is already not like a boiler, but that of a real car.
In 1887, La Marquise won the first event considered as a car race between Paris and Versailles, without difficulty because it was the only competitor.
Yet the experiments of Benz, begun in 1885, would soon show that the petrol engine was a better choice than steam.
La Marquise was a sensation at Pebble Beach on August 19, 2007, when it was sold $ 3.5 million including premium by Gooding on an estimate of $ 1.5 M. Before this sale, it was illustrated in the article shared by LeBlogAuto.
Certainly, La Marquise likes auctions. It is for sale on October 7 in Hershey PA by RM Auctions. It is conservatively estimated $ 2M.
POST SALE COMMENT
This fabulous milestone in the history of motor vehicles was sold for $ 4.2 million before fees, 4.6 million including premium.
Here is a video introduced and shared by RMAuctions on YouTube by courtesy of Great Cars TV :
La Marquise, made in 1884, with two pairs of different-size wheels, is the first successful prototype and is still the oldest car capable of running. Its general shape is already not like a boiler, but that of a real car.
In 1887, La Marquise won the first event considered as a car race between Paris and Versailles, without difficulty because it was the only competitor.
Yet the experiments of Benz, begun in 1885, would soon show that the petrol engine was a better choice than steam.
La Marquise was a sensation at Pebble Beach on August 19, 2007, when it was sold $ 3.5 million including premium by Gooding on an estimate of $ 1.5 M. Before this sale, it was illustrated in the article shared by LeBlogAuto.
Certainly, La Marquise likes auctions. It is for sale on October 7 in Hershey PA by RM Auctions. It is conservatively estimated $ 2M.
POST SALE COMMENT
This fabulous milestone in the history of motor vehicles was sold for $ 4.2 million before fees, 4.6 million including premium.
Here is a video introduced and shared by RMAuctions on YouTube by courtesy of Great Cars TV :
1914 The Engine of the Charlatans
2017 SOLD for $ 7.3M including premium
The quarrel had been lasting in the Peugeot family between supporters and opponents of the automotive industry to the point that the activity had been split into two independent companies. After the death of Eugène, his sons are finally interested in the automobile and create the brand Lion-Peugeot. Even after the merger of the two companies in 1910, some reluctance persists. The Peugeot racing team receives internally the derogatory nickname of Charlatans.
After a first experience in engine design for the navy, the young engineer Ernest Henry was hired by Peugeot in 1911. He joined the Charlatans team where he listened to the innovative ideas of the pilots.
Henry conceived a synthesis of two techniques : the double overhead camshaft and the four valves per cylinder. At that time the organizers of the competitions were managing to limit the volumes. The Peugeot cars equipped with the engine designed by Henry are the L76 (7.6 liters) and the L3 (3 liters) in 1912, the L56 (5.6 liters) in 1913 and the L45 (4.5 liters) in 1914. In a ultimate challenge to the traditionalists of the company this L is for Lion.
Thanks to these innovations, the Peugeots of the Charlatans have a lighter chassis and a better handling. They begin to dominate the ACF competitions in France and then the 500 miles of Indianapolis.
The Peugeot-Henry engine is so far ahead of its competitors that the organizers of Indianapolis, fearing that the war in Europe reduces the appeal of their event, commission an American manufacturer to build replicas. Through that following Peugeot is the precursor of all modern car engines.
Two of these Peugeot cars survive. On November 11 in the house sale of the Bothwell collection near Los Angeles, Bonhams sells an L45 in an authenticity which is wonderful for a car of that time. Its chassis and engine are number 1 and the bodywork is original. Thanks to a progress in the technology of the tires it was timed at 165 km/h in 1949, an unprecedented speed for a car manufactured before the First World War.
This L45 is estimated $ 3M, lot 408. It was filmed in operation by a spectator at the 2011 Goodwood Festival of Speed. This video is shared on YouTube.
After a first experience in engine design for the navy, the young engineer Ernest Henry was hired by Peugeot in 1911. He joined the Charlatans team where he listened to the innovative ideas of the pilots.
Henry conceived a synthesis of two techniques : the double overhead camshaft and the four valves per cylinder. At that time the organizers of the competitions were managing to limit the volumes. The Peugeot cars equipped with the engine designed by Henry are the L76 (7.6 liters) and the L3 (3 liters) in 1912, the L56 (5.6 liters) in 1913 and the L45 (4.5 liters) in 1914. In a ultimate challenge to the traditionalists of the company this L is for Lion.
Thanks to these innovations, the Peugeots of the Charlatans have a lighter chassis and a better handling. They begin to dominate the ACF competitions in France and then the 500 miles of Indianapolis.
The Peugeot-Henry engine is so far ahead of its competitors that the organizers of Indianapolis, fearing that the war in Europe reduces the appeal of their event, commission an American manufacturer to build replicas. Through that following Peugeot is the precursor of all modern car engines.
Two of these Peugeot cars survive. On November 11 in the house sale of the Bothwell collection near Los Angeles, Bonhams sells an L45 in an authenticity which is wonderful for a car of that time. Its chassis and engine are number 1 and the bodywork is original. Thanks to a progress in the technology of the tires it was timed at 165 km/h in 1949, an unprecedented speed for a car manufactured before the First World War.
This L45 is estimated $ 3M, lot 408. It was filmed in operation by a spectator at the 2011 Goodwood Festival of Speed. This video is shared on YouTube.
1914 #Peugeot L45 Grand Prix 2 Seater, Chassis no. 1, Engine no. 1 - #Bothwell Collection now online- Nov. 11 in #LA https://t.co/OY1MaNkVhz pic.twitter.com/tJhZDARuQ3
— BONHAMS (@bonhams1793) October 11, 2017
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.
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.
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 Short Chassis by Delahaye
2014 SOLD 6.6 M$ including premium
The Delahaye type 135, released in 1935, is the great rival of the Bugatti 57. Its wide range of chassis includes the 135 Compétition Court, specially designed for racing as its name suggests.
Approximately 30 cars were built in Compétition Court and many of them were equipped with various bodies due to the rival talents of two contractors of Delahaye, the illustrator Géo Ham and the coachbuilder Figoni et Falaschi.
One of Figoni's specialties is the Goutte d'Eau coupe, a closed body also used for Talbot-Lago. Made in 1936, a Delahaye 135 Compétition Court Goutte d'Eau was sold for $ 2.4 million including premium by RM Auctions on November 21, 2013.
The Torpedo Roadster open body is a symbol of the top automotive luxury of its time and caused a sensation at the Salon de l'Auto in Paris in 1936. On March 8 in Amelia Island, RM Auctions sells a Delahaye 135 Compétition Court Torpedo Roadster, even rarer than the coupe from the same frame, lot 167 in the catalog.
This car also was bodied by Figoni et Falaschi who delivered it back to Delahaye in 1937. It is one of few examples where the coachbuilder has formally recognized the participation of Géo Ham.
This superb and rare Delahaye was for half a century the favorite of an American collector who nicknamed it his French Mistress.
POST SALE COMMENT
This exceptional roadster of the 1930s was sold for $ 6.6M including premium.
Approximately 30 cars were built in Compétition Court and many of them were equipped with various bodies due to the rival talents of two contractors of Delahaye, the illustrator Géo Ham and the coachbuilder Figoni et Falaschi.
One of Figoni's specialties is the Goutte d'Eau coupe, a closed body also used for Talbot-Lago. Made in 1936, a Delahaye 135 Compétition Court Goutte d'Eau was sold for $ 2.4 million including premium by RM Auctions on November 21, 2013.
The Torpedo Roadster open body is a symbol of the top automotive luxury of its time and caused a sensation at the Salon de l'Auto in Paris in 1936. On March 8 in Amelia Island, RM Auctions sells a Delahaye 135 Compétition Court Torpedo Roadster, even rarer than the coupe from the same frame, lot 167 in the catalog.
This car also was bodied by Figoni et Falaschi who delivered it back to Delahaye in 1937. It is one of few examples where the coachbuilder has formally recognized the participation of Géo Ham.
This superb and rare Delahaye was for half a century the favorite of an American collector who nicknamed it his French Mistress.
POST SALE COMMENT
This exceptional roadster of the 1930s was sold for $ 6.6M including premium.
1938 The Art of Giuseppe Figoni
2013 SOLD 7.1 M$ including premium
Italian-born coachbuilder working in Boulogne-sur-Seine, Giuseppe Figoni associates in 1935 with the businessman Ovidio Falaschi. This co-operation allows Figoni to devote entirely to his art, perhaps with the support of the automotive artist Géo Ham.
At the same time, two new high-end chassis appear on the French market : the Type 135 by Delahaye and the T150 by Talbot-Lago. Each of them is also available in a short wheel base version specifically designed for competition.
The new company Figoni et Falaschi developed for these two brands a range of bodies unique in their kind known as Goutte d'eau for the teardrop shape of the interior. The Goutte d'eau is contemporary with the Bugatti Atlantic and, more generally, with the best Art Déco style of Paris.
While a production line is established for long chassis, a very small number of Goutte d'eau were assembled over the short chassis, mainly as prototypes or demonstrators. Two of these wonders are included in the sale on the theme of Art of the Automobile, by RM Auctions and Sotheby's in New York on November 21.
The earliest is a Delahaye Type 135 Compétition Court coupe made in 1936, estimated $ 3 million. Here is the link to the catalog.
The Talbot-Lago T150-CSS cabriolet is the rarest and most spectacular among the bodies made by Figoni et Falaschi. Made in 1938 on chassis number 90111 and painted in cream color, it is estimated $ 8 million. Here is the link to the catalog of RM Auctions and to the blog post by Sotheby's.
Note that the next number, 90112, was discussed earlier in this column. This T150-CSS bodied in goutte d'eau coupe by Figoni et Falaschi with a rare sunroof variant was sold for € 3.1 million including premium by RM Auctions on May 21, 2011.
POST SALE COMMENT
The estimates of these two cars had been ambitious and they were not met, but both were sold.
$ 7.1 million including premium is indeed a great result for the Talbot-Lago cabriolet. The Delahaye coupe was sold for $ 2.4 million including premium.
At the same time, two new high-end chassis appear on the French market : the Type 135 by Delahaye and the T150 by Talbot-Lago. Each of them is also available in a short wheel base version specifically designed for competition.
The new company Figoni et Falaschi developed for these two brands a range of bodies unique in their kind known as Goutte d'eau for the teardrop shape of the interior. The Goutte d'eau is contemporary with the Bugatti Atlantic and, more generally, with the best Art Déco style of Paris.
While a production line is established for long chassis, a very small number of Goutte d'eau were assembled over the short chassis, mainly as prototypes or demonstrators. Two of these wonders are included in the sale on the theme of Art of the Automobile, by RM Auctions and Sotheby's in New York on November 21.
The earliest is a Delahaye Type 135 Compétition Court coupe made in 1936, estimated $ 3 million. Here is the link to the catalog.
The Talbot-Lago T150-CSS cabriolet is the rarest and most spectacular among the bodies made by Figoni et Falaschi. Made in 1938 on chassis number 90111 and painted in cream color, it is estimated $ 8 million. Here is the link to the catalog of RM Auctions and to the blog post by Sotheby's.
Note that the next number, 90112, was discussed earlier in this column. This T150-CSS bodied in goutte d'eau coupe by Figoni et Falaschi with a rare sunroof variant was sold for € 3.1 million including premium by RM Auctions on May 21, 2011.
POST SALE COMMENT
The estimates of these two cars had been ambitious and they were not met, but both were sold.
$ 7.1 million including premium is indeed a great result for the Talbot-Lago cabriolet. The Delahaye coupe was sold for $ 2.4 million including premium.
