Tag Archives: bugatti

Re-bodied Bugatti 57C

Posted on by
2

1938 Bugatti Type 57C ‘Cäsar Schaffner Special Roadster’

Offered by Bonhams | Monaco | May 11, 2012

The Bugatti Type 57 was the most popular Bugatti model that the company ever made. It was produced from 1934 until 1940 and there were some very limited editions that are very desirable today – such as the 57SC Atlantic. The 57C, as seen here, featured the 3.3-liter straight-eight – but with a Roots-type supercharged added on, for a total output of 160 horsepower.

This car, chassis 57.577, was originally a Gangloff-bodied Stelvio cabriolet. In the 1960s, it was acquired by Cäsar Schaffner who restored it and, in the process, decided to restore it to the specifications of a different chassis number. So, while 57.577 retains its original chassis (although it was shortened) and engine – it does not retain its original body. The new body was in the style of a Type 57S by Corsica. It looks nice, but you have to question, today, what would be more valuable? A Bugatti with its original body, or a Bugatti with a sort of replica body?

In any case, this car has been freshened over time and is quite nice and it’s eligible for all of the historic events it would have been had the Gangloff cabriolet body remained. It is priced confidently with an estimate between $420,000-$580,000. And if you’re still not quite sold on it, check out the back of this thing:

Pretty nice. For the complete catalog description, click here. And for more on Bonhams in Monaco, click here.

Update: Not sold.

Bugatti EB110

Posted on by
2

1994 Bugatti EB110 GT

Offered by RM Auctions | Monaco | May 12, 2012

If someone offered me the choice between receiving one of the two most recent Bugatti models: an EB110 or a Veyron (and I wasn’t allowed to sell them for cash) – I would take the former. I would then dictate that the car be blue and have a spoiler. And then I would wake up from that dream.

For whatever reason, the Veyron, in all of it’s 1,000+ horsepower, 250+ mph glory, doesn’t seem quite as wild or supercar-ish as does this EB110. Maybe it’s because the Veyron is a Volkswagen and this was produced by a company always on the verge of financial ruin – the true supercar-manufacturing way.

Ettore Bugatti founded his company (in France) in 1909 and when he died in 1947 it was on its last leg, building only one more true Bugatti in the mid-1950s before succumbing to the times. Enter Romano Artioli who bought the Bugatti name in the late 1980s and set up shop in Italian supercar territory near Modena. The EB110 was born shortly thereafter, entering production in 1991, 110 years after Ettore Bugatti’s birth (hence the car’s name).

In GT trim the car makes 561 horsepower from its quad-turbocharged 3.5-liter V-12. A top speed of over 210 mph was possible as were 0-60 times in the sub-four second range. It is seriously quick, even in today’s terms. There was also an SS (SuperSport) model making 603 horsepower and a top speed of 216 mph. Both models feature four-wheel drive and a carbon fiber chassis making them quite advanced for the early 1990s. They also had scissor doors – as in straight up and straight down – no faux gullwing stuff here.

In 1993, Artioli bought Lotus and tried to make headway with both brands in North America – which was experiencing a recession and was in no mood for over-the-top supercars. Artioli’s fortunes waned and Proton got Lotus during liquidation and Bugatti production ceased in 1995. Dauer Sportwagen bought the remnants of the EB110 project and built additional, slightly more refined cars. When Dauer went bust, the leftovers were acquired by B Engineering for their Adonis supercar.

The car offered here is one of 84 EB110 GTs built and one of only 115 EB110s built in total. It has covered only slightly more than 10,000 miles in its life and was recently serviced at a cost roughly four times the retail value of my current daily driver. Yikes. But I still love these cars – the 90s were a great time for ridiculous supercars and this is among the best. The estimate is $290,000-$340,000. For the complete catalog description, click here. And for more on RM in Monaco, click here.

Update: Not sold.

RM Auctions – Amelia Island Highlights

Posted on by
Reply

RM Auctions’ recent sale in Amelia Island, Florida sold some outstanding cars, among them the 1929 Cord L-29 Special Coupe that we featured on this site. Far and away the most attractive Cord I’ve ever seen, it was the top sale at $2,420,000. Other million dollar sales included a 1956 Ferrari 250 GT Coupe Speciale by Pinin Farina that sold for $1,430,000.

This 1965 Aston Martin DB5 Vantage convertible sold for $1,210,000. Bringing the same price was a 1972 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona Spyder (below the picture of the DB5).

Another million dollar Ferrari was this 1967 275 GTB/4 Berlinetta that sold for $1,100,000.

A little more exotic was the 1930 Bugatti Type 46 Superprofile Coupe which has “recreation” coachwork. It was originally a sedan but the body was replaced with a “faithful recreation” of a famous Bugatti design. The real one would have brought more, but this car was no slouch at $1,017,500.

The first car under $1 million was the 1937 Squire Drophead Coupe that we featured. It brought $990,000. The hauntingly beautiful Hispano-Suiza Double Berline did not sell. There was, however, another Hispano-Suiza – this a 1918 Type 32 Collapsible Brougham by Baltasar Fioly-CIA that sold for $335,500.

The early Model J Duesenberg from this sale that we featured sold for $803,000. Other interesting sales include this 1956 Porsche 356A Carrera GS Coupe that sold for $288,750.

RM is still in the process of parting out the John O’Quinn collection and from that collection came this 1908 Columbia Electric Mark LXX Victoria Phaeton that sold for $66,000.

Another early car was the 1921 Napier T75 Speedster with room for four people – and not much else:

It sold for $79,750. Our final feature car was one of the more affordable cars sold (the second lowest selling price for an automobile at the auction), the Rovin D4 sold for $27,500 – a little price for a little car.

And finally, one car that really stood out was the 1958 DKW Universal Kombi Wagon, which is a type of car that you usually don’t see at American auctions. There are a multitude of interesting cars from all over the world and they tend to not pop up at auctions stateside – or even auctions held in Europe by North American auction houses. There are so many Packards and Porsches that sell at auctions like this, and not nearly enough cars from companies like DKW, or (name just about any European or Asian manufacturer). Now, I understand that they aren’t quite as collectible (money talks, after all) and that not many were imported. But they definitely stand out (in a very good way) when they do show up. This one brought $60,500.

For complete results, click here.

Bugatti Type 38A

Posted on by
1

1927 Bugatti Type 38A Tourer by J. Figoni

Offered by Gooding & Company | Scottsdale, Arizona | January 20-21, 2012

Photo – Gooding & Company

The Type 38 Bugatti was the second iteration of the eight-cylinder Bugatti. The first, the Type 30, was introduced in 1922. It wasn’t until 1926 that the Type 38 came about (the Type 40 was introduced that same year). There were 385 Type 38 Bugatti’s built with only 54 being the supercharged Type 38A, which featured the supercharger from the Type 37A race car.

The rather anemic supercharged 2.0 liter straight-8 engine made 60 horsepower. Only a few years later supercharged Duesenbergs would be putting out 320 horsepower – then again that was almost 7.0 liters. There’s no replacement for displacement.

This Bugatti features rather exceptional bodywork by Joseph (Giuseppe) Figoni of Figoni & Falaschi fame, although that partnership would not come to fruition for another eight years.  One thing I like about this car is that, even though it’s a 4-6 passenger (depending on size) touring car, it still has that awesome “Bugatti camber” that shows that this car means business:

Photo – Gooding & Company

These cars are rare but they aren’t quite as desirable as any Bugatti with, say, racing provenance or more sporting intentions (read: “more than 60 HP”). Gooding estimates this car at $500,000-$650,000. For more info, check out the car’s page on the auction website and more on the auction here.

Update: Sold $495,000.