5 Classic Bugattis Sold At Auctions In 2020

Throughout 2020, international auctions held by international auction houses like Bonhams, and Gooding & Company, RM Sotheby’s and more, have witnessed the five most expensive cars sold and were all produced by Bugatti.

This is the first time that the five most expensive masterpieces sold at auctions in a year, have been produced by a single manufacturer.

Gooding & Company’s president and founder David Gooding commented, “We held our first ever UK sale which set many new records that include selling the most expensive Bugatti at public auction and selling the top two most valuable lots of 2020, the 1934 Bugatti Type 59 Sports and the 1937 Bugatti Type 57S Atalante.”

Bonhams Group’s chairman James Knight said, “These exceptional and historic Molsheim masterpieces, both represented superb Type 55S, one a special coach built convertible by Figoni, the other the iconic artistry of the Jean Bugatti Super Sport roadster. The Bugattis won the accolade as the most valuable motorcars sold at their respective auctions.”

The 1934 Bugatti Type 59 Sports (Chassis 57248) was auctioned at USD$ 12.7 million (RM 51.3 million). This makes it the most expensive Bugattis ever to be sold at a public auction. It is powered by a 3.3-litre 8-cylinder in-line engine with a supercharger and the power output was around 247 hp.

As for the 1937 Bugatti Type 57S Atalante (Chassis 57502), it was auctioned for EUR 10.4 million (RM 50.9 million). This model is one of only 17 cars that Jean Bugatti fitted with his sensational Atalante body. The power unit is a turbocharged 3.3-litre 8-cylinder engine that delivers an output of up to 173 hp.

Meanwhile, the 1932 Bugatti Type 55 Super Sport Roadster (Chassis 55220) was auctioned at USD 7.1 million (RM 28.7 million). Bugatti produced a total of just 38 Type 55 Super Sport chassis up until 1935. Eleven of the 14 roadster-bodied vehicles built by Jean Bugatti are still in existence today.

Then, the 1928 Bugatti Type 35C (Chassis 4871), was auctioned for a sum of USD$ 5.2 million (RM 21 million). A record for the Type 35C as this car was originally built for the 1928 Targa Florio. Bugatti produced the Type 35C with a 2-litre 8-cylinder in-line engine with a Roots-type supercharger, the power output is 123 hp, hitting a top speed of over 200 kph.

Lastly, the 1931 Bugatti Type 55 Super Sport (Chassis 55221) was auctioned off at USD 5.1 million (RM 20.6 million). This is an outstanding vehicle because Louis Chiron and Count Guy Bouriat-Quintart co-drove it as a factory racing car in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1932. Its 2.3-litre 8-cylinder turbocharged engine is able to produce an output of 158 hp.

The birthplace for the historic Bugatti cars originated in Molsheim, France. Exclusivity has always been the nature of all Bugatti vehicles. As time passes, their age increases and so does their value. The astonishing Bugattis are to be deemed as the most valuable cars of all time. Thus, the price tags that each one of the exotics got paid for during the 2020 auctions were not surprising to the experts.

Classic Analytics’ managing director Frank Wilke expressed, “Bugattis from the Ettore and Jean Bugatti era, especially in their original condition and with a history of racing, have always been among the most expensive classic cars on the market. Those built between 1920 and the end of the 1930s set standards in both performance and design. But this year’s auctioned vehicles were particularly outstanding in terms of history and originality.”