Gooding & Company announced the consignment of Ettore Bugatti’s personal car – the 1938 Bugatti Type 57C Coupe – which will also be sold without reserve at its annual Pebble Beach Auctions on August 15 and 16, 2009.
“This year’s Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance will be honoring the Bugatti marque and Gooding & Company is delighted to offer, without reserve, one of the most spectacular Bugattis ever built,” said David Gooding, founder and president of Gooding & Company. “Ettore Bugatti’s personal car will undoubtedly capture a great deal of attention during the week and will draw connoisseurs worldwide to our auction.”
Bugatti factory employees originally assembled this 1938 Bugatti Type 57C Coupe as a birthday present for Le Patron, Ettore Bugatti. Deemed as one of its most cherished automobiles, the Bugatti factory went to great lengths to protect this precious vehicle during World War II. After Ettore Bugatti’s death in 1947, the car continued to be maintained and stored at the Bugatti workshop in Molsheim, France, where it received factory upgrades as developments progressed. Those upgrades included tailored interior accessories, a unique engine and transmission combination and other subtle technical improvements that distinguished it from any other Type 57. Additionally, the car’s one-off coachwork is believed to be one of the last designs penned by Ettore Bugatti’s son, Jean Bugatti before his death.
Since leaving the Bugatti factory in the late 1950s, Chassis 57335 has had only a few protective caretakers, and remains one of the most correct and original Bugattis in existence. The more recent owners of the car have preserved Ettore Bugatti’s intrinsic connection with this automobile. Used only sparingly, the car has never been restored and the breathtaking interior evokes the presence of the legendary Ettore Bugatti himself. Every detail on the spectacular automobile reflects the artistry of the Bugatti marque and it possesses a tangible link to some of the most important innovators in automotive history.
Gooding also announced the additional consignment of The Don Lyons Collection, consisting of seven historic American race cars and spans nearly 80 years of motorsport history.
“This significant group of cars is one of the most comprehensive collections of Indy race cars ever to come to auction,” said David Gooding, founder and president of Gooding & Company. “The legacy of each of these cars is extraordinary and their sale is sure to be a thrilling complement to any racing enthusiast’s collection.”
For more than two decades, Don Lyons has worked to assemble one of the finest collections of American race cars in private hands. Demonstrating the rapid pace of innovation and social change that has defined motor racing in America, each car in the collection represents a specific milestone in racing history. From the earliest car, a 1909 Stoddard-Dayton Model K re-creation to the most modern, Mario Andretti’s famous 1985 Lola T900, The Don Lyons Collection traces the history of Indy 500 race cars. Highlights from the collection include pioneering cars that circled the track in the teens and the 200 mph ground-effects race cars which led the way for the current crop of open wheel race cars. Each automobile has been exquisitely restored to its original specifications and is fully operational – a rarity for such advanced racing machinery.
The collection features a 1967 Gurney Eagle that was piloted to fourth place in the 1967 Indianapolis 500, The Dean Van Lines Roadster in which Mario Andretti competed during his rookie season and the Blue Crown Spark Plug Special – one of the most successful race cars in the history of Indy racing. The only automobile in the collection that is not associated with Indy racing is the Ford Super Mustang – an experimental, factory-backed dragster that was one of the most radical racing cars of the 1960s. Every car in the collection is one of the finest examples of its kind and Don Lyons has thoroughly researched the history of each. In a few cases, he was even able to track down the original builders of the cars to help restore them as accurately as possible.
The Gooding & Company Pebble Beach Auction preview days will be from Wednesday, August 12 through Sunday, August 16, 2009. The Saturday and Sunday evening auctions will commence at 6:00PM and are located at the Pebble Beach Equestrian Center. Gooding & Company Pebble Beach Auction catalogs are available for $100 and admit two to the viewing and the auction. General admission to the viewing and the auction can be purchased at the tent for $40 per person. Bidder registration forms, press credentials and additional auction information are available on www.goodingco.com.
[Source: Gooding & Co.]
