Bring a Trailer Auction Online, April 13, 2024

• 1936 Bugatti Type 57 Ventoux Project, Chassis: 57364. High Bid $176,600 (Reserve Not Met)

Top Gear was the first to be invited by Bugatti to experience some track-miles in the Bolide, which is currently being developed into a "series"-production (40 examples only) track-only hypercar. With former Le Mans winner and Bugatti testdriver Andy Wallace at the wheel, Top Gear's Jack Rix was very much impressed!

Just watch the video and enjoy!

The Louwman museum in the Hague, the Netherlands, recently rose to an all-time high score of 4.8 at Google Reviews out of almost 10,000 submissions.

With this they have achieved a higher rating than the 25 most visited museums in the Netherlands. Do you know a museum in the Netherlands with a higher rating than 4.7?

I have been to quite a few automobile museums worldwide, and I don't think there is any better museum. Or maybe you can convince me of the opposite?

And of course, the Louwman museum is not a car-museum focussing on one single marque only, though they do have a collection of almost all surviving Spyker automobiles, there is a very interesting selection of Bugatti cars!

Christie's Modern Collector Auction, March 12, 2024

• CARLO BUGATTI (1856-1940) Low Table, circa 1904-1905
  Estimate: $10,000 - $15,000: Sold for $11,340

RM Sotheby's Dubai Auction, March 9, 2024

• 1935 Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic Recreation by Erik Koux
  Chassis "57302", Estimate: $700,000 - $900,000: Sold After Auction

Not one, but two painted portraits by Carlo Bugatti were announced to be auctioned recently.

The complete history of Carlo Bugatti, and especially what exactly he did after changing to France, remains clouded in mystery. There's silverware (with two silver platters also being announced to be auctioned recently), some furniture, a few paintings and some other items. Nobody seems to have a complete overview.

More surprising this set of paintings, both are of the same size (92 x 67 cm) were painted in oil on canvas, and were signed "Bugatti" in the lower right corner. No date. Being of identical size, it is probable that the man and woman are indeed a couple, and somehow they seem familiar. Does anybody know who they are?

If you want to bid on either of the paintings (or both), you can go to the Drouot site for the one or the other portrait.

Gooding & Company Amelia Island Auctions, February 29 - March 1, 2024

• 1925 Bugatti Type 35C Grand Prix, Chassis 4634 (From the Peter Mullin collection),
  Estimate: $600,000 - $800,000: Sold for $525,000
• 1931 Bugatti Type 49 Coachwork by Gangloff, Chassis 49377, Engine 305 (From the Peter Mullin collection),
  Estimate: $150,000 - $225,000: Sold for $350,000
• 1938 Bugatti Type 57C Stelvio, Coachwork by Gangloff Chassis 57606/57699, Engine 499,
  Estimate: $350,000 - $450,000: Sold for $425,000
• 1938 Bugatti Type 57C Atalante Chassis no. 57767 Engine no. 62C,
  Estimate: $2,400,000 - $2,800,000, Sold for $2,050,000

Broad Arrow Auctions The Amelia Auction, March 1, 2024

• 1929 Bugatti Type 46 Cabriolet, Chassis No. 46524, Estimate: $850,000 - $1,200,000, Sold for: $461,500

And let's us hear it's roar.
This is what Bugatti itself has to say about it.

“IF COMPARABLE, IT IS NO LONGER BUGATTI” – THE NEXT CHAPTER

With each generation of its hyper sports car, Bugatti has shifted the benchmark of design, engineering, performance and craftsmanship to new heights. And this year, eight years to the day since the Chiron was revealed, Bugatti shows the world the first page of the newest chapter in its rich history.

In June, the modern-day lineage of Bugatti – first established with the Veyron 16.4 – will welcome its latest evolution; a new automotive pinnacle with a V16 hybrid powertrain at its heart. Incomparable in every detail, it is a pure embodiment of Bugatti’s DNA, created not just for the present, or even the future – but “Pour l’éternité”.

Thus, not just a new engine, in fact an engine for all eternity! That must be something really special then...

At this point, Bugatti does not give any further information, however, as the new car will be a hybrid, the V16 will be probably of smaller capacity than it's "W16" big brother. W16 was of course never correct, it has always been a VVR16, but that aside. But, being of smaller capacity, it will probably be faster revving. Probably even as much of 900 HP from maybe 5 litres or so. Don't count on a cheaper automobile, though. We'll see what the car looks like, all technical details and what the price is in June, or probably before, as we known Bugatti, they will come with some teasers and snips of information.

You can enjoy the sound of the new engine (lots of carbon, by the way) in the very short video below.

Arturo Keller, who has passed away aged 91, was one of the greatest but least well known of all the leading car collectors worldwide. He was more to himself than other collectors like Peter Mullin (who passed away last year), and his collection was not publicly accessible. However, Arturo’s passion for cars was immense, and his collection at The Pyramids was seen only by a chosen few and documented in a book gifted only to his closest friends.

He was best known for his love of pre-WWII Mercedes-Benz, although Ferraris, pre-war Alfa Romeos and many other marques also featured prominently. The list of Bugatti's he owned is rather long also, I looked them up and these are shown below.

• Type 23 Torpedo, chassis 1864
• Type 35B Grand Prix, chassis 4950
• Type 37, chassis 37227
• Type 37A Roadster Alfred Hänni, chassis 37379
• Type 43 Grand Sport, chassis 43163
• Type 49 Grand Sport by A.P. Compton & Co, chassis 49119
• Type 55 Jean Bugatti Roadster Super Sport, chassis 55201
• Type 57SC Atalante, chassis 57373
• Type 57SC Corsica Roadster, chassis 57531
• Type 57S Cabriolet by Gangloff, chassis 57533
• Type 57 Berline by Figoni & Falaschi, chassis 57739
• Type 57C Stelvio by Gangloff, chassis 57830

I'm not sure if the above list is complete, but it does give a good impression! It must be the second largest collection of Type 57S Bugatti's, after the Schlumpf's.

With wife Deborah, Arturo was a popular and prolific entrant to the Pebble Beach Concours of Elegance, winning Best of Show on three occasions. The most recent accolade was for their 1938 Mercedes-Benz 540K Autobahn-Kurier, at the 70th running of the concours, in August 2021. Their first win was in 1986, on the centenary of Mercedes, with a 1936 500K Special Roadster. In fact, they took six Mercedes to the event that year, and went home with six awards – in addition to the concours’ top prize, the cars earned a special award for Best Mercedes, two Firsts in Class, and two Second in Class awards.

Although of Swiss origin, Arturo Keller was born in Mexico City, and later became a resident of the US. His success came with the production of automotive upholstery, which led him to San Francisco, supplying all of the main five automotive companies operating in North America: General Motors, Ford, Chrysler, Volkswagen and Nissan. From the proceeds of the company, he was able to start building a car collection, with early acquisitions including a Talbot-Lago T150 SS Teardrop Coupé and a 1936 Hispano-Suiza – which was his first restoration and the first car he took to Pebble Beach.

Arturo and Deborah came across their 650-acre estate in the 1980s, while driving one of their cars on a tour of the Sonoma region of northern California, and fell in love with it. It was here where they built up the collection, which is now housed in five huge buildings, each one dedicated to a different nation: the US, Great Britain, Germany, France and Italy. To keep the cars exercised, they built a road that winds around the property.

Later, they moved into wine production, planting vines on the estate. Being on the edge of the Sonoma region, the land had never previously been used for wine production, but they succeeded: Keller Estate wines are now world renowned. The company is run by Arturo’s youngest daughter Ana, producing about 5000 cases a year of chardonnay, pinot noir, syrah and pinot gris.

The use and conservation of collector cars was always Arturo’s true passion, though, and Pebble Beach was particularly special to him.

The car world will miss Arturo Keller’s quiet contributions to the scene. We send our sincere condolences to his wife Deborah, daughter Ana and the rest of the Keller family.

Artcurial Retromobile Auction, Paris, February 2 - 3, 2024

• "1925" Bugatti T35 Grand Prix by Gilles Fournier, Chassis n° 4467
  Estimate € 300,000 - 500,000, Sold at €405,280 (incl. premium)
• 1929 Bugatti T40 Roadster Gangloff, Chassis n° 40488, Engine n° 387
  Estimate € 350,000 - 450,000, Sold at €405,280 (incl. premium)
• 1930 Bugatti T40 Grand Sport, Chassis n° 681 / 40655
  Estimate € 160,000 - 240,000, Sold at €238,400 (incl. premium)
• 1934 Bugatti T57 Galibier, Chassis n° 57140, Engine n° 35, Carrosserie Galibier n°18
  Estimate €250,000 - 350,000, Sold at €262,240 (incl. premium)
• 1936 Bugatti T57 Stelvio Gangloff, Chassis n° 57395, Engine n° 275
  Estimate € 600,000 - 800,000: Not sold

RM Sotheby's Paris Auction, January 31, 2024

• 1926 Bugatti Type 40, Chassis 40377, Engine 280, Estimate €200,000 - €250,000: Sold for €161,000
• 2017 Bugatti Chiron 'La Mer Argentée', Chassis No. VF9SP3V30HM795026, Estimate: €2,750,000 - €3,500,000: Not sold. €2,950,000 Asking

RM Sotheby's Arizona auction USA, January 25, 2024

• 1939 Bugatti Type 57 Cabriolet by Letourneur et Marchand
  Chassis No. 57587, Engine No. 458, Gearbox No. 46H, Estimate: US$900,000 - US$1,200,000: Not sold. US$975,000 Asking

Bonhams' the Scottsdale auction, January 25, 2024

• 1936 Bugatti Type 57 Atalante Sunroof Coupe
  Chassis no. 57432, Engine no. 547, Estimate: US$1,500,000 - US$1,800,000: Sold for US$1,250,000 ($1,380,000 inc. premium)
• 2022 Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 300+ Coupe, VIN VF9SW3V32NM795009
  Estimate $5,000,000 - $5,500,000: Sold for US$5,175,000 inc. premium

One might remember the Bugatti replica's, or tribute cars one might call them, which have now long been out of production. Starting with a Type 55, powered by an in-line 6 from BMW back in the late 1970's. There came more versions of this car, also with more racy fenders, then calles the Type 55 Grand Prix.

How nicely built these cars were, and useable with their modern mechanics, they were still recognizable as replica's, compared with the original Type 55 by Bugatti, the dimensions were just not correct, not good enough. That changed in 1992 with the introduction of the Type 57S Atalante (or serie 5, on the right), dimensions and shape of this car are so good, that one might even mistake it for the real deal. With one exception: The cast aluminium wheels, which suit the car rather well.

After several years of relative silence from de la Chapelle, they now present the next model (serie 6), the Atalante V8, with a 6.7 litre Corvette engine, delivering 461 HP, and lots of torque. The car was also made 20 cm longer, and 10 cm wider. From the front and side the car looks as good as it used to, however from the rear it looks just too wide...

Read this article on the car: in the French magazine L'Argus.

I asked Xavier de la Chapelle for some comment on this car, and the current plans, and he tells us the following:
The V8 is at the moment a one-off done on special order for a customer who had the Atalante L6 before.

Both are very interesting to drive. The V8 is really impressive with almost 450 bhp! In comparison, the more powerful L6 versions were “only” 250 bhp

. Some prefer the L6, some prefer the V8 which has been completely developed from a white sheet and is a bit bigger in size compare to the L6 and with more room inside.

May be we will relaunch the L6 for some customers in the future.

See for more info: delachapelle.com/.
The price indication for this car is €500,000.

After the passing away of it's founder, Peter Mullin, on September 18 last year, it may not come as a total surprise that his museum will close it's doors. The last chance to visit will be on Saturday, February 10.

Peter and Merle Mullin founded the Oxnard-based museum in 2010 to educate guests about 20th-century French automotive styling and design by showcasing the finest vehicles, sculptures and artifacts from the most-esteemed French master coachbuilders. The museum boasts nearly 47,000 square feet of exhibit space in an elegantly designed structure, which was previously owned by legendary newspaper publisher Otis Chandler. In addition to its sweeping gallery spaces, the museum includes a roof garden, theater, gift shop and archival storage.

Peter was inspired by Art Deco design and was equally passionate about sharing it with the public. To continue that legacy, four of the collection’s most iconic vehicles have been donated to the Petersen Automotive Museum. The 1937 Talbot-Lago T150 CS “Teardrop,” the 1938 Hispano Suiza H6B Dubonnet Xenia, the 1939 Delahaye 165 and the 1938 Delahaye 145 will now become part of the Petersen Automotive Museum, which Peter helped transform into the globally respected automotive institution it is today as part of a major overhaul a decade ago.

“Sharing these ‘rolling sculptures’ and beautiful art with others was Peter’s truest passion, and the museum helped bring that vision to life,” said Merle Mullin, director of the Mullin Automotive Museum. “We are deeply indebted to our staff, docents, volunteers, visitors and supporters who have dedicated their time and passion over the past 13 years. I hope past and first-time visitors will have a chance to say goodbye before we close.”

The museum will be open on a limited basis through Saturday, Feb. 10. Please visit mullinautomotivemuseum.com for opening dates and hours.

So far the official announcement. At the time there was no information about what will happen to the rather extensive Bugatti collection, with not just cars, but also parts, a You-you boat, Carlo Bugatti furniture and Rembrandt Bugatti sculpture.
Now, a few days later, the first cars have been announced for auction.

Please follow the Events section for more news about auctions.

Bonhams Auction, UK, December 15, 2023

• 1927 Bugatti Type 40 Grand Sport style Tourer, Chassis 40444, Estimate £250,000 - £300,000: Sold (price not communicated)

walnut, vellum, copper and pewter inlay
57.5 x 75.5 x 75.8 cm

Very unusual Carlo Bugatti Table, though fully in line with his other work.

More info

• 1936 Bugatti Type 57 Ventoux Project, Chassis: 57364
  No estimate, high bid on April 1: $100,057

This 1936 Bugatti Type 57 is one of approximately 700 examples built between 1934 and 1940 and was ordered new by Circus Pinder director and animal tamer Roger Spiessert with Jean Bugatti-designed Ventoux four-light coupe coachwork. Chassis 57364 was completed on February 10, 1936, for delivery to Spiessert, who reportedly drove the car with an elephant calf while promoting the circus under his stage name Roger Spessardy. The car changed hands twice over the next two years and was subsequently abandoned in Paris, where it was discovered in the 1950s before being purchased in 1959 by a California owner who had it shipped to Los Angeles. It passed through a series of owners as a deferred project before remaining in storage with a single steward for 40 years, at the end of which it was sold to its current owner in 2018. The rolling chassis carries steel bodywork that is finished in worn black paint and retains design touches including three-row bonnet louvers, the absence of bumpers, a recessed license plate holder with provisions for backlighting, a flush-mounted rear spare, a small trunk compartment with luggage handles, a small oval rear window, and a polished prancing elephant radiator mascot. The chassis is also equipped with 18” wire wheels, mechanically actuated finned aluminum drum brakes, a rear axle and differential unit, a hollow front axle, semi- and quarter-elliptical leaf springs, a horseshoe-shaped radiator shell with thermostatically controlled shutters, door panels trimmed in red leather, and a four-spoke steering wheel. The car is accompanied by its partially disassembled 3,257cc DOHC straight-eight as well as a Stromberg updraft carburetor, a four-speed manual transmission, the remnants of rear window privacy curtains, a pair of seat frames, dash panels, and various other components and trim pieces. This Bugatti Type 57 Ventoux project is now offered on dealer consignment in Sunnyside, North Carolina, with a Montana title.

Introduced in 1934, the Type 57 was designed by Jean Bugatti, son of Ettore, and was offered in a range of body configurations, most of which were styled by the younger Bugatti himself and built either in-house or by Swiss/French coachbuilder Gangloff. One of three body styles named after Alpine peaks, the Ventoux featured four-seat coupe coachwork that was designed and constructed in-house with two rear-hinged doors, a steeply raked windshield, and either two or four side windows.

This example’s body is said to have been originally finished in black paint, which has worn off several areas of the exterior surfaces. Corrosion is exhibited on the steel panels, while the windshield is broken and partially missing, the right-side door window glass is damaged, and the fabric roof is missing. Features include a horseshoe-shaped grille with thermostatic shutters, a headlight bar, aluminum hood panels with three rows of louvers on each side, a recessed rear license-plate mounting point, and a rear luggage rack affixed to a small trunk lid. The prancing elephant radiator mascot was reportedly commissioned by original owner Roger Spiessert and was polished in preparation for the sale. Various uninstalled exterior parts including side windows, Scintilla headlights, and trim pieces accompany the car. The parts collection does not include the rear window glass, fuel-filler cap, or left-front or rear fender braces.

Wire wheels are secured by two-eared knock-offs and wear older and cracked mismatched tires at the rear and 5.50-18 Excelsior Comp H tires up front. A spare is housed in a recessed compartment at the rear of the car and is wrapped in damaged Michelin rubber. Five additional wire wheels are included in the sale. The car is equipped with finned aluminum drum brakes designed for actuation via a series of cables and pulleys, although the cable system is not currently connected.

The cabin is stripped of much of its interior trim and flooring, although door panels trimmed in red leather and a steering column hosting a four-spoke wood-rimmed wheel wearing a St. Christopher’s badge are present. Two seat frames with remnants of upholstery are included among the project’s uninstalled parts along with various other pieces of flooring and trim. Also included are the remnants of privacy curtains for the three rear windows. The selling dealer notes that the right sun-visor mounting hardware and right upper door check are missing.

A refurbished Jaeger 170-km/h speedometer with inset gauges monitoring fuel level, amperage, oil pressure, and coolant temperature is included in the sale along with a Jaeger clock. Chassis mileage is unknown. A wood dash and an instrument bezel are also included along with a Dufaux & Repusseau shock absorber adjustment knob. A plaque affixed to the dash is engraved with the name of the car’s last known registered French owner.

The 3.3-liter inline-eight is uninstalled and partially disassembled, there is a hole in the bottom of the finned oil sump. Engine characteristics include a block and cylinder heads cast en bloc, gear-driven dual overhead camshafts, polished aluminum cam covers, a two-piece aluminum crankcase, and a Stromberg UUR-2 updraft carburetor. Pistons, connecting rods, valve springs, a Bosch distributor, dual coils, and various ancillaries are among included uninstalled parts. A radiator is mounted in the engine bay, as is a steering gearbox.

A four-speed manual transmission is also included and is designed to be mounted directly to the engine. A rear differential stamped with a 4.2:1 gear ratio is mounted in the car as part of a solid rear axle featuring quarter-elliptical leaf springs and adjustable lever-arm shock absorbers. A forged hollow front axle through which semi-elliptical leaf springs pass is also mounted on the car. An uninstalled right-front shock absorber is included, while the left front shock is missing.

A chassis tag stamped with number 57364 is riveted to the firewall. Engine number 267 is shown stamped on the block and matches the engine number listed in a previous Bugatti Register entry for the car. Additional markings include gearbox number 267, rear axle number H05 and ratio 12×50, body number derivative 11. Components, trim, hardware, wiring, and other parts are included in the sale.

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Full description of all items in this auction

• 1900 Horse-drawn wagon from the Château d'Ermenonville, ex Ettore Bugatti, Estimate $10,000 - $15,000
• 1913 Peugeot Bébé BP1 Two-seat tourer, Bugatti designed, Chassis 10252, Estimate $25,000 - $35,000
• 1927 Bugatti Type 40 Faux Cabriolet by Gallé, Chassis 40436, Engine 304, Estimate $50,000 - $75,000
• 1929 Bugatti Type 40 ‘Break de Chasse’, Chassis 40485, Engine 714, Estimate $100,000 - $150,000
• 1929 Bugatti Type 40A Roadster, Chassis 40902, Engine 4, Estimate $90,000 - $120,000 ENGINE, NO. 273
• 1930s Bugatti Type 41 AutoRail engine, no. 273, Estimate $60,000 - $80,000
• 1970s reproduction Bugatti Type 41 "Royale" Chassis frame, Estimate $5,000 - $10,000
• 1930 Bugatti Type 46 Semi-Pofilée Coupé, Chassis 46136, Estimate $700,000 - $900,000
• 1930s Bugatti Horse-Drawn Cart, Estimate $5,000 - $10,000
• 1930s Bugatti Horse-Drawn Cart, Featuring brakes and wire wheels, Estimate $10,000 - $15,000
• 1930 Bugatti Gig Carriage, Estimate $5,000 - $10,000
• 1930s Bugatti Carriage, Estimate $10,000 - $15,000
• 1934 Bugatti Type 57 Ventoux, Chassis 57297, Engine 151, Estimate $125,000 - $175,000
• 1935 Bugatti Type 57 Galibier, Chassis 57338, Engine 237, Estimate $80,000 - $120,000
• 1936 Bugatti Type 57 Ventoux, Chassis 57377, Engine 278, Estimate $200,000 - $250,000
• 1937 Bugatti Type 57 Galibier, Chassis 57535, Engine 375, Estimate $80,000 - $120,000
• 1938 Bugatti Type 57C Aravis 'Special Cabriolet', Chassis 57768, Engine 75C, Estimate $2,500,000 - $3,500,000
• 1946 Bugatti Type 75 You-You boat, serial no. 121, Estimate $25,000 - $35,000
• 1970s Bugatti Bicycle by Art Stump, frame no. 19, Estimate $4,000 - $8,000

Full description of all items in this auction

More info on the Gooding & Co website

• Relic of the fourth Bugatti Type 57 SC Atlantic #57453,1936, « La Voiture Noire »
• Also other Bugatti items, eg. Pierre Marco's Business Card

For several decades, the “black car” as it is nicknamed has caused a lot of ink to flow. It is thanks to the brand historian Pierre-Yves Laugier that its existence will be highlighted (we invite you to obtain his work on the Bugatti 57 Sport). From then on, every collector car enthusiast has fantasized about discovering one, at the bottom of a barn, under thick blankets. She has made, still makes and will make many fans dream and her quest, like that of the Santa Maria, has become legendary. Some say that if it appeared, it would become the most desired car in the world.

The chassis plate that we are presenting to you is therefore the one that was affixed to the car when it left the factory on October 3, 1936. The black car will then be photographed with different registrations (very common at Bugatti) and the last written trace, in February 1941 in Bordeaux, mentions it as #57454, the original plate #57453 was therefore already separated from the car just before it disappeared.

But when and why were the plate and the car separated?

One theory caught our attention:
In June 1937, chassis number #57453 was assigned to a Gangloff Sedan. We can therefore assume that the chassis plate was taken from the Atlantic and installed on the Sedan. This theory is all the more plausible because in June 1939, the Atlantic was loaned to the King of Belgium under the identity #57454. The black car will be photographed one last time in Molsheim in 1939, before leaving for Bordeaux. The Sedan with the original plate #57453 will continue its journey and pass into the hands of Jean De Dobbeleer around 1958, surely unaware that he has the factory Atlantic plate in his hands. Decades later, the plate would be found on another car, which we know had passed to De Dobbeleer.

In any case, it is a significant piece of the puzzle that has kept the collector car world in suspense for decades. To our knowledge, it is also the only piece of the factory's black car whose authenticity and ownership are beyond doubt.

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Below some photographs of the event, as it was held in the Baie du Somme in 2014

And we have only just begun.

So, on our next trip we will be visiting Southern Jutland, the beautiful borderland that is almost an inseparable part of Denmark’s history and self-understanding; and a part of the country at the same time so very distinctive.

With some 450 km routes during the meeting, reaching from Jutland’s east coast to the west coast, we will experi ence and enjoy all that which characterizes South Jutland: the landscape, the architecture, the culture, the crafts manship, the language, the food - and the people.

The deadline for inscription has been extended to mid April.

Invitation - more details

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