A Hidden Bugatti

[Pierre Tavlitzki]

The car market is one where unexpected treasures are still emerging. The surprise of last year came at Gooding in Peeble Beach on 16 and 17 August. The 1938 Alfa Romeo was hidden in a castle for thirty years. When it came out, it was named the Sleeping Beauty. It was sold $ 2.6 million including expenses.

The car coming at Bonhams in Paris on February 7 is even more outstanding. This two-seat Bugatti Atalante 57S coupé, delivered in 1937 to a Lord, had not been seen since half a century. It reads 26 000 miles only on the odometer. It will create excitement among collectors, because such cars keep their original equipment. This is the case for this one, for the chassis, the engine, the drivetrain, and the body that remained black.

This model is one of the most prestigious. In its name, the S means Lowered, and this makes it particularly aerodynamic. The glory of the Williamson collection, sold by Gooding at the Pebble Beach auction already mentioned at the beginning of this article, was a 57SC Atalante coupé. It sold $ 7.9 million including expenses. It had a nice color in two shades of green that made it particularly photogenic. The characteristic C indicates a supercharged engine. It had been the subject of an article in this Group.

Bonhams hopes that its Atalante exceeds € 3 million.

[Pierre Tavlitzki]

The fans always love the old cars in their original condition. Regarding prices, the estimate given by Bonhams was referred. The Atalante was sold € 3.5 million including expenses.

This sale was held during the salon Rétromobile. It is an achievement for Paris, and one of the highest results recorded in France for a vintage car.