Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance is celebrating its 70th anniversary and almost since the beginning, they have been showcasing the engineering excellence of Bugatti, even as early as 1956 when the renowned 1930 Bugatti Type 37 Grand Prix claimed the ‘Best of Show’ award.
2021 was no different as Bugatti added two more prestigious awards given by leading experts in their fields. As if that was not enough, two individual Bugatti models also set auction records at the Gooding & Company and RM Sotheby’s Pebble Beach 2021 classic car auction.
By Jensen Sutta
The esteemed ‘Chairman’s Trophy’ award is an award granted by long-standing chairwoman, Sandra Button, to a Concours d’Elegance entrant. Every year, they pick a deserving winner after meticulous selection, and this year, it was given to the iconic 1929 Bugatti Type 35 B Grand Prix.
The Bugatti Type 35 B Grand Prix is known as one of the most successful racing cars of all time. The Type 35 was an engineering masterpiece at its time as it dominated the racing scene throughout the 1920s and 1930s. The winner, Chassis 4938, won the 1929 French and Spanish Grand Prix with racing legends Louis Chiron and William Grover-Williams behind the wheel.
The example’s history and status as an icon of early Grand Prix racing helped it set a new record sale price during the Gooding & Company Pebble Beach 2021 classic car auction as it was sold for $5,615,000, which is significantly higher than its estimated auction value.
By Nick Zabrecky
At the RM Sotheby’s 2021 Monterey Auction, an exquisite example of a 1994 Bugatti EB 110 Super Sport also set a new record. Only 39 units of this super sports car were ever produced so the 610PS, 351 kph behemoth is an extremely rare offer. It was the first super sports car that was given a carbon fiber bodywork, quad-turbochargers, and all-wheel drive. The example set a new model record of $2,755,000.
The impeccable 1937 Bugatti Type 57S Corsica Drophead Coupe joins the Type 35 B Grand Prix as a 2021 Concours d’Elegance award winner. It claimed the ‘European Classic Sports’ J-1 class award. In 1934, the design of Jean Bugatti’s Type 57 was further improved with the introduction of the Type 57S, which features a re-engineered and a sportier chassis, matched with a re-tuned 3.3-liter inline eight-cylinder engine giving it a 175 hp output, a full 40 hp increase from the previous model.
The model played a pivotal role in cementing Bugatti’s role as the definitive luxury and performance automotive manufacturer at the time. The Type 57S was able to record a top speed of 120 mph making it the fastest French production car at the time. The Type 57S proved itself on track as the model was able to claim three Grand Prix victories and the coveted overall victory at the grueling 24 Hours of le Mans in 1937 and 1939.
