A trio of rare Bugattis will go under the hammer at Gooding & Company’s auction taking place during the 2020 Concours of Elegance, which runs September 4-6 at Hampton Court Palace in the United Kingdom.
The list includes a 1937 Type 57S Atalante, a 1934 Type 59 Sports, and a 1928 Type 35C Grand Prix.
The Type 57S Atalante has an estimate of almost $9.2 million. While not as rare as the earlier Atlantic coupes, the Atalante is just as desirable among Bugatti collectors and can hardly be considered common with only 17 leaving the factory in Type 57S spec.
This one is chassis number 57502 which features a body designed by Jean Bugatti and a supercharger added to the stock 3.3-liter inline-8 to boost output to over 200 horsepower—a crazy figure for the 1930s. The car was commissioned by Francis Curzon, 5th Earl Howe and ended up in the hands of Harold Carr in 1955 who at some point locked it away in a garage where it sat until it was discovered in 2008. It was last sold by Carr's relatives in 2009, where it fetched $4.4 million.
1934 Bugatti Type 59 Sports chassis number 57248
The 1934 Type 59 Sports, bearing chassis no. 57248, is an even rarer beast and is expected to fetch over $13 million. The car is widely regarded as the most significant and original Bugatti racer, having earned its drivers a number of historic wins and pole positions. It was eventually sold to King Leopold III of Belgium in 1938, and remains in the same condition of his ownership.
It also features a 3.3-liter supercharged inline-8, along with a pair of Zenith carburetors. Peak output is a claimed 250 hp.
1928 Bugatti Type 35C Grand Prix chassis number 4871
The 1928 Type 35C Grand Prix, chassis no. 4871, also started out life as a factory racer, and it too is in a very original condition. It was entered by Bugatti in the 1928 Targa Florio and also competed in several of the major European Grands Prix at the time, as well as multiple sports car events and hill climbs.
Peak power is a claimed 125 hp, generated by a 2.0-liter supcharged inline-8. The estimate for this one is $4 million.
