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Globetrotting 1937 Bugatti sports car expected to sell for $12 million

Wed, 15 Feb 2023 13:44:48 -0500

Bugatti recently claimed the auction record for new cars when one of its Chiron supercars was sold for $10.8 million, but one of its old models could soon surpass that.

A 1937 Bugatti Type 57S Sports Tourer is set to cross the block at the Bonhams event in Amelia Island, Florida, March 2, and it took a very roundabout way to get there.

Just 48 Type 57s were built before World War II, and it has since become one of the most sought-after classic cars.

All are unique to some extent, and the one coming up for auction was equipped with a body designed by famed coachbuilder Vanden Plas.

AMERICA'S MOST BEAUTIFUL CUSTOM CAR WINNERS REVEALED

It was originally shipped to New York and reportedly featured in the September 1937 event at the now-defunct Roosevelt Raceway in Westbury on Long Island.

The importers were unable to find a buyer for it, however, and it was shipped to the U.K., displayed at the 1938 British Motor Show and sold to an English owner whose identity has been lost to time, according to Bonhams.

After that, it disappeared during the war, possibly having been transferred to Paris and put into hiding. But it reemerged for sale at a car dealer in Surrey, U.K., and was registered for road use in 1947.

It was then sold to a man named Jack Robinson, who shipped it to Trinidad and had it updated with a supercharger for its 3.3-liter V-8 and other racing equipment for use in competition on the Caribbean island.

"After its restoration, Robinson made the XK120 Jaguars pay dearly at the Trinidad Aerodrome, where he reached speeds of more than 180 km/h," Robinson told the magazine Bugantics in 1952.

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Robinson sold it in 1985, and its new owner returned to England and had it restored to its factory condition, including the return of several original parts, such as the crankcase.

Bonhams has put a pre-auction estimate of $10 million to $12 million on the classic. The high end of that range would surpass the $10,345,000 paid for a 1937 Bugatti Type 57 Atalante Coupe at the Pebble Beach auctions in August.

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Both pale in comparison to the reported price paid in 2010 for an even more rare 1936 Bugatti Type 57 Atlantic coupe that was allegedly sold, not auctioned, for between $30 million and $40 million.

One-of-a-kind Bugatti sets new car record with $10.8 million auction

Thu, 02 Feb 2023 12:19:37 -0500

The last 16-cylinder Bugatti to ever be sold has set a new car auction price record, and it almost didn't exist.

The Profilée was designed as the prototype for a planned series of 30 special edition versions of the Chiron supercar.

It's a more luxurious take on the Chiron Pur Sport, which was one of the most hardcore performance versions of the 1,479 horsepower coupe.

That's not to say it isn't quick.

CRISTIANO RONALDO BOUGHT A $1.5 MILLION WATCH TO MATCH HIS $3 MILLION BUGATTI

While its top speed has been restricted to 232 mph – unlike other Chirons that can reach 261 mph and as much as 304 mph with their governors turned off – the Profilée is the quickest. It can accelerate to 60 mph in 2.3 seconds and reach 186 mph in 12.4 seconds.

However, while it was in development, Bugatti filled the order books for the limited run of 500 Chirons it said it would make, so it canceled the program before it began.

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Bugatti decided to go ahead and bring the pre-series car to completion as a street legal vehicle under European regulations, anyway.

Instead of selling it, the blue and black car was offered at the RM Sotheby's Paris auction, where it sold for 9,792,500 Euros, which is roughly $10.8 million. More run-of-the-mill Chiron models list in the $3.5 million range.

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That breaks the record for a new car sold at auction, which was set in 2017 when a Ferrari LaFerrari Aperta went for 8.3 million Euros. That was equivalent to $10 million at the time, but it was charity auction, which could've skewed the result.

But the Profile still isn't the most expensive new car ever sold, just the most expensive auctioned. Bugatti doesn't mind, as that title also belongs to one of its cars.

The one of a kind Chiron-based La Voiture Noire was sold privately to a "Bugatti enthusiast" for 11 million Euros and a total of $18.9 million after all taxes and fees were added. The buyer's identity is still undisclosed, but Cristiano Ronaldo or former Volkswagen Group Chairman Ferdinand Piëch are among the people it has been rumored to be.

The Chiron will be succeeded by an all-new Bugattti model that is yet to be revealed, but will trade its quad-turbocharged 8.0-liter engine for a smaller displacement motor with electric assist.

The Bugatti W16 Mistral is a $5 million supercar that's sold out

Fri, 19 Aug 2022 14:54:18 -0400

Bugatti is ready to ride like the wind.

The French hypercar builder has unveiled the last car it will ever build with the brand's legendary 8.0-liter quad-turbocharged 16-cylinder engine before it launches its first electrified model.

The W16 Mistral is a roadster named after a wind that blows through southern France and is based on the Chiron Super Sport, which is capable of reaching a top speed above 300 mph.

The engine is rated at 1,600 horsepower, and the car has an expected top speed of over 260 mph with the top off.

MYSTERY BUYER'S $19 MILLION BUGATTI REVEALED

Bugatti plans to attempt to break a 254.04 mph record for open-top cars previously set by its predecessor, the Veyron Super Sport Vitesse.

Technically, the W16 Mistral is always open as there is no formal hardtop for it, but Bugatti said it will come with an emergency cover. The Vitesse had one that was supported by a collapsible umbrella-like structure.

Much more than a chop-top, the Mistral's body differs from the Chiron's, and its structure has been reengineered to accommodate the large opening that has been created.

Air intakes for the engine are behind the passengers' heads to enhance the aural effect of the 70,000 liters of air that enter them every minute at full throttle.

CRISTIANO RONALDO BOUGHT A $1.5 MILLION WATCH TO GO WITH HIS $3 MILLION BUGATTI

The price for the car has been set at $5.1 million, but don't go breaking open your piggy bank. Bugatti said it will build only 99 of them, and the entire run has already been sold out.

That's $500 million worth of very fast cars gone very quickly.

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Bugatti last year merged with electric sports car company Rimac and has a new powertrain in development for its next car.

Cristiano Ronaldo bought a $1.5 million watch to match his $3 million Bugatti

Thu, 28 Apr 2022 11:56:23 -0400

He can finally drive in style!

Soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo has purchased a unique watch inspired by the $3 million Bugatti Chiron that he owns.

The Jacob & Co. timepiece features a reciprocating miniature version of the 16-cylinder engine that powers the 300 mph supercar and wears the same black and silver color scheme and CR7 brand logo as Ronaldo's car.

The Swiss watchmaker revealed a blue version of the watch in January that it listed at $1.5 million and said Ronaldo's is fitted with 232 white baguette diamonds and 109 black sapphires, totaling 21 ct. of gemstones.

Ronaldo is an avid collector of high-end cars and his Instagram feed is full of photos of him with models from a variety of brands, but the Chiron is top of the heap … maybe.

In 2019, Bugatti announced that it had sold a one-off version of the Chiron called the La Voiture Noire (French for The Black Car) to a mystery buyer for $19 million.

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The customer took delivery of the car last year, but still hasn't revealed their identity. However, Ronaldo has long been the number one suspect, and he has yet to confirm or deny that it's his.

Tycoon who drove Bugatti 259 mph on German Autobahn could face 2 years in jail

Tue, 01 Feb 2022 10:34:09 -0500

It was a quick trip that could lead to a long stay behind bars.

Prosecutors in Germany are considering filing charges against a Czech real estate tycoon who posted a YouTube video showing him driving a Bugatti Chiron sports car at speeds reaching 259 mph on the Autobahn.

The German Transport Ministry issued a statement admonishing Radim Passer for the stunt after the video went viral in January. Police have now confirmed to The Sun that they have investigated the incident and sent the results to the prosecutor's office. A spokeswoman said it is being looked at as a possible "banned car race," which could carry a penalty of up to two years in jail.

While the stretch of road Passer was on was one of the unrestricted sections of the Autobahn that doesn't have a permanent posted speed limit, the ministry cited German law that states, "anyone participating in traffic must behave in such a way that no other person is harmed, endangered or obstructed or inconvenienced more than is unavoidable under the circumstances."

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The $3 million Chiron is powered by a 1,500 hp 16-cylinder engine and has an electronically governed top speed of 261 mph, but is capable of breaking the 300 mph barrier. Passer wore a racing fire suit, but not a helmet, during his drive while a passenger in just a shirt and open leather jacket sat next to him.

German government scolds millionaire influencer who drove 259mph on the Autobahn

Thu, 20 Jan 2022 13:57:15 -0500

He just couldn't drive 55. Not even 255.

Czech real estate tycoon Radim Passer has been officially scolded by the German Transport Ministry for a video he posted to his popular YouTube channel of him driving a Bugatti Chiron at an indicated 259 mph (417 km/h) on the Autobahn.

The point-of-view video that's racked up over 4 million views was shot last July, but posted on January 9th and has an overlay displaying the speed of the vehicle as it speeds along the A2 Autobahn connecting Berlin and Hannover, passing cars on his way.

Passer wore a racing firesuit, but no helmet, during the stunt, while his passenger had on just an open leather jacket and T-shirt.

The $3 million Chiron has an official restricted top speed of 261 mph, but certain versions of the 1,500 hp supercar have been unlocked to reach over 300 mph on closed test tracks.

The section of the road Passer was on has no fixed speed limit, so he didn't technically break any laws, but the Ministry said in a statement Wednesday that it "rejects any behavior in road traffic that leads or can lead to endangering road users."

"All road users must abide by the rules of the road traffic regulations," it added, citing the first clause of Germany's road traffic law, which states that "anyone participating in traffic must behave in such a way that no other person is harmed, endangered or obstructed or inconvenienced more than is unavoidable under the circumstances."

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"We thank God for the safety and good circumstances, as we were able to reach the speed of 414 km/h !" Passer wrote in the video's caption.

Passer has an estimated worth of $308 million and is the Czech Republic's 33rd-riches person, according to Forbes.

The Associated Press contributed to this report

Singer's burned $3 million Bugatti listed at a discount price on auction site

Wed, 13 Oct 2021 13:13:30 -0400

This actually looks like a good deal in today's used car market.

A $3 million Bugatti Chiron supercar has been listed in Key West, Florida, on the Copart car auction site at an estimated value of $345,000 — but there's a catch.

The black-and-red coupe shows severe burn damage to the left front fender and is covered in soot, but is otherwise intact.

According to Copart, the Bugatti's massive quad-turbocharged 16 cylinder engine was able to run at idle when it was delivered, but the salvage specialist makes no other claims about its condition and is selling it as-is.

The car appears to be the same one that was reported in July as the target of arson in a Miami parking garage by Dominican music star El Alfa, who posted video of it on his social media accounts and said he felt he was in danger, but later took them down on the advice of his lawyers, EFE reported.

According to a police report on the incident obtained by ӣ��Ƶ Autos, El Alfa, whose real name is Enmanuel Herrera, said he and a friend returned to the car to discover it on fire and tried to put it out with a extinguisher, but that the building's sprinkler system ultimately doused the flames.

Security camera footage recovered by the police showed a grey car "piggyback" another through the security gate around the time of the incident and leave before Herrera arrived.

An investigation into the incident is ongoing and Herrera's representative told EFE that he will no longer comment until it is complete.

A gray Ferrari 488 GTB parked next to the Bugatti also suffered minor burn damage, the police report said.

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El Alfa's car was also featured in his video for the song "Caso Bugatti."

One note if you're interested in taking on this restoration project — Chiron maintenance is expensive.

If you follow the manufacturer's recommendations, the car requires a $25,000 oil change service every 14 months or 10,000 miles and a new set of $50,000 wheels at the same time, according to CarBuzz. And that's just for the wheels. The specially designed tires run from $8,000 for all seasons to $42,000 for a set of high performance summer rubber.

Mystery buyer's $19 million Bugatti supercar revealed

Fri, 04 Jun 2021 08:27:12 -0400

The waiting must've been the hardest part.

A unique Bugatti that was sold for $19 million two years ago has been completed and is ready for delivery to its mystery buyer.

The La Voiture Noire (French for The Black Car) is a customized version of the $3 million Bugatti Chiron supercar that is capable of reaching 300 mph.

The one-off coupe's style was designed to celebrate the brand's 110th anniversary and inspired by its most iconic historical model, the Type 57 SC Atlantic.

Bugatti displayed a design prototype of the vehicle at the 2019 Geneva Motor Show, but has now revealed the completed production version, which has been track-tested.

The car features a quad-turbocharged W16-cylinder engine with at least 1,479 hp and all-wheel-drive and headlights comprised of 24 individual elements each.

The spine that runs down the center of the vehicle is a direct callback to the Type 57 and its bodywork is comprised of carbon fiber coated in a glossy black transparent finish.

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The car was reportedly sold for 11 million euros, which at the time converted to roughly $19 million after taxes and fees were added in. As for who wrote the check, you'll have to keep an eye on Instagram. Bugatti has only said it was sold to a fan of the brand and won't reveal the name.

Rumor has it that soccer superstar Cristiano Ronaldo is the mystery customer and he is a fan of posing on social media with cars from his collection, which already includes a Chiron that features his CR7 logo.

At the time it was sold the Bugatti was considered the most expensive new car ever, but that title may have been claimed this year by the Rolls-Royce Boat Tail, which reportedly cost as much as $28 million to another anonymous customer.

At least we assume it was someone else.

Tracy Morgan still cruising around in expensive cars: report

Mon, 16 Sep 2019 09:23:12 -0400

Tracy Morgan’s $2 million Bugatti crash hasn’t stopped him from cruising around in wildly expensive cars.

A Page Six spy spotted the “Last O.G.” star driving alone on 14th Street in a convertible Rolls-Royce while blasting Michael Jackson’s “Liberian Girl.”

As far as we can tell, the car was a Phantom Drophead Coupe convertible with limited-edition yacht-inspired wooden “deck.” And compared to the Bugatti Veyron — which Morgan crashed in Midtown in June, minutes after driving it out of the dealership — it’s worth a trifling $500,000.

TRACY MORGAN CRASHES $2 MILLION SUPERCAR HALF-MILE FROM DEALERSHIP

We’re told Morgan was heading through Union Square and stopped to chat with pedestrians.

Said our spy, “I was mostly surprised to hear somebody blasting an MJ deep cut in this day and age.”

A rep didn’t get back to us.

This article originally appeared in the New York Post.

Bugatti to sell its 300 mph cars for millions

Mon, 09 Sep 2019 09:21:36 -0400

Speed sells.

Bugatti has announced plans to build 30 replicas of the car it used to break the 300 mph barrier.

The Chiron 300+ will feature the same streamlined, long-tail body as the prototype used to hit 304.77 on Volkswagen’s private high speed test track in Germany in August, along with its 1,578 hp, 8.0-liter, quad-turbocharged 16-cylinder motor.

Bugatti claimed a production car record with the feat, but it remains unofficial because the car only made the run one way. Most recognized records require the average speed of two runs in opposite directions to account for wind and surface variations.

In any event, the production cars won’t be perfectly identical to the record car. They’ll be delivered with a slightly higher, road-friendly ride height and a limiter set below the 300 mph mark. But Top Gear reports that Bugatti is considering a program that would allow owners to bring their cars to the track, have them modified to the top speed specification and let them go for it.

The standard model is black with orange stripes like the record car, but buyers can have them outfitted pretty much any way they want, because you get what you pay for and they’re paying a lot.

The starting price is $3.85 million, and several have already been sold. In fact, Bugatti CEO Stephan Winkelmann told Autoblog he expects all of them “will be gone in the blink of an eye.”

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Bugatti Chiron breaks 300 mph, claims production car record

Tue, 03 Sep 2019 10:58:41 -0400

Don’t try this at home. That is, unless your home is Volkswagen’s high speed test track in Ehra-Lessien, Germany.

That’s where a Bugatti Chiron secretly claimed the record for world’s fastest, street-legal production car last month with a 304.77 mph run, making the VW-owned brand the first to break the 300 mph barrier.

SLIDESHOW: THE FASTEST PLACES ON EARTH

The car was a pre-production prototype for a future variant of the $3 million, 1,500 horsepower supercar, which is currently delivered with a limiter that restricts its top speed to a mere 261 mph.

A large reason for that is due to tires. It’s incredibly difficult to make ones that can handle the rotational velocities seen at speeds higher than that, and the Chirons already cost over $30,000 per set and need to be replaced every 2,500 miles.

BUGATTI SOLD THE WORLD'S MOST EXPENSIVE NEW CAR FOR $18.9 MILLION

So Bugatti asked Michelin to create a special tire that could hold up to the kind of G-force generated above 300 mph. The construction required for the task was so precise that each was X-rayed before it was installed.

The car was also modified from the standard Chiron with a body stretched 10 inches for improved aerodynamics, a lowered ride height, vents drilled into the fenders and other tweaks to help reduce lift to zero. Its quad-turbocharged 16-cylinder engine was also tuned to produce an extra 78 hp for good measure.

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Racing and test driver Andy Wallace – who set a then-record of 243 mph in a McLaren F1 in 1993 – spent several days at the 12-mile circuit as the team built up to the 300 mph mark on its 5.4-mile-long straight, knowing that if anything went wrong at that speed it would’ve gone very wrong.

It didn’t, and Wallace hit the magic number on August 2. He likely won’t be doing it again. Bugatti President Stephan Winklemann said Bugatti is officially done chasing top speed records, even as companies like Koenigsegg, Hennessey and SSC are aiming to break 300 mph.

However, the feat didn’t meet the Guinness standards for a record, which require a true production car available for sale and the average of two runs in opposite directions. It’s currently held by Koenigsegg at 278 mph. According to Top Gear, the broken-in track is only smooth enough one way for a car to hit 300 mph with any modicum of safety, but Winklemann isn’t sweating it.

“We have shown several times that we build the fastest cars in the world. In future we will focus on other areas,” he said, essentially dropping the mic.

One of those areas may be another unofficial record the company holds. Earlier this year it sold a one-off version of the Chiron for a reported $18.9 million, which would make it the most expensive new car ever.

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Tracy Morgan crashes $2 million supercar half-mile from dealership: report

Wed, 05 Jun 2019 05:01:32 -0400

Tracy Morgan crashed his $2 million supercar in New York City Tuesday, just minutes after buying the car, according to a report.

The former “30 Rock” actor was less than a mile away from the dealership when his Bugatti Veyron was sideswiped by another car, The New York Daily News reported.

Morgan collided with a Honda CR-V near 10th Avenue and 42nd street in Manhattan, not far from the Lincoln Tunnel. It is not yet known who was at fault.

Morgan’s publicist told The Patch that he was not harmed in the incident, and images from the scene suggest neither car suffered too much damage.

The Bugatti sales manager at Manhattan Motorcars told the Daily News Morgan had bought the car about 30 minutes before the collision.

“This was his dream car. He was talking about it all weekend,” he said. “He couldn’t wait to get it.” The sales manager added that the repair would be “easy.”

Tracy Morgan crashed his $2 million Bugatti in New York City

Tue, 04 Jun 2019 16:21:31 -0400

Comedian Tracy Morgan got into a fender bender in Manhattan on Tuesday afternoon, but it was no minor accident.

The “Saturday Night Live” legend was behind the wheel of a $2 million Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport.

The New Jersey resident collided with a Honda CR-V near 10th Avenue and 42nd street, not far from the Lincoln Tunnel. It is not yet known who was at fault.

Morgan’s publicist told The Patch that he was not harmed in the incident, and images from the scene suggest neither car suffered too much damage.

However, just one tire and wheel for a Veyron can cost as much as $25,000 and its bodywork is made from pricey carbon fiber.

The Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport has a top speed of 253 mph, but just 215 mph with the roof removed.

Morgan suffered serious injuries in 2014 when his tour van was hit by a Walmart semi. He reportedly settled with the retail giant for $90 million.

Did Cristiano Ronaldo buy the most expensive new car ever?

Thu, 02 May 2019 09:18:03 -0400

European media are reporting that soccer superstar Cristiano Ronaldo has purchased the most expensive new car ever.

But it’s not yet clear if that’s actually the case.

Spanish sports news outlet AS said this week that the Juventus player was the mystery buyer of the one-of-a-kind Bugatti La Voiture Noir, which was unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show in March with an 11 million euro price tag that translates to $18.9 million after taxes and fees. At the time, the company said the two-seat coupe had already been sold to one of its best customers.

Ronaldo is an avid exotic car collector who has owned Bugattis in the past, including the $3 million Chiron, which is what the 1,500 hp La Voiture Noir is based on, but AS didn’t offer any details regarding how it came by the information about the sale. According to Forbes, Ronaldo earned nearly $130 million in 2018 alone.

CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS ON THE BUGATTI LA VOITURE NOIR

Bugatti spokesperson Tim Bravo told ӣ��Ƶ Autos that the automaker could not reveal the identity of the buyer and would leave it to him or her to do so, while Ronaldo’s agent, Jorge Mendes, has not yet responded to a request for comment. However, TMZ claims that an unnamed spokesperson for the Portuguese denied that he was the buyer.

As for Ronaldo, the most recent one of his cars that he shared with his 164 million Instagram followers is a Rolls-Royce Cullinan SUV, but that doesn’t disprove the Bugatti rumor, because the vehicle displayed at Geneva was just a design prototype and the real one won’t be built for at least another two years.

Meanwhile, Ronaldo's latest post shows him lacing up a pair of “Chicago green” shoes from his CR7 line of footwear.

Bugatti sold the world's most expensive new car for $18.9 million

Tue, 05 Mar 2019 09:27:39 -0500

Bugatti makes some of the world’s priciest new cars, but now it’s built the most expensive one ever. Literally one.

La Voiture Noire, which is French for The Black Car, was the automaker’s 110th birthday present to itself, but it was more than happy to sell it for $18.9 million after taxes and fees were added to its 11 million euro base price.

Revealed at the Geneva Motor Show, the coupe is based on the brand’s $3 million Chiron supercar, and features a 1149 hp quad-turbocharged W-16 engine. Its carbon fiber body was designed to evoke the styling, as best it’s modern shape can, of the legendary Bugatti Type 57 SC Atlantic.

The Chiron has an electronically limited top speed of 261 mph, but it’s not known how the La Voiture Noire’s unique shape affects that.

The buyer has only been officially described as a “Bugatti enthusiast,” but is rumored to be former Volkswagen Group Chairman Ferdinand Piëch, who spearheaded the resurrection of the Bugatti brand when his company purchased it in 1998.

BARN FIND BUGATTIS SOLD FOR $1 MILLION:

Trio of classic Bugattis hidden in a barn for decades sold for $1 million

Mon, 11 Feb 2019 09:58:09 -0500

A collection of old Bugattis that had been stored in a barn for decades were sold at an auction in Paris for $1 million on Friday.

The 1929 Type 40, 1932 Type 49 Berline and 1937 Type 57 Cabriolet and were purchased by Belgian sculptor August Thomassen in the late 1950s and 1960s for very little money and used as daily drivers for years before being hidden away as their value rose.

Thomassen’s daughter said the family didn’t have enough money to insure them, so they stuffed them into a barn behind a pile of sandbags as rumors of their existence spread.

Despite their financial situation, Thomassen’s daughter said her father didn’t want to sell them because they meant too much to him, but after the barn was broken into last year, they decided it was time to let them go.

The Type 57 got the highest bid at $550,000, while the other two sold for a combined figure just slightly less than that.

The cars were offered at the Artcurial Retromobile auction, alongside a 1939 Alfa Romeo 8C that went for nearly $19 million, making it one of the most expensive pre-war cars ever sold.

RARE ALFA ROMEO STUCK IN BASEMENT FOR 35 YEARS SOLD FOR $650,000

Million-dollar car collection hidden for years uncovered in poor artist's barn

Mon, 28 Jan 2019 15:36:01 -0500

A trio of treasured Bugattis kept locked in a barn for years by the family of an artist could sell for a small fortune when they are auctioned next week.

Belgian sculptor August Thomassen purchased the three vehicles in the late 1950s and early 1960s when they were practically worthless to everyone but him. His daughter told the De Telegraaf newspaper that he loved their engineering and unusual styling.

AMAZING COLLECTION OF 81 'BARN FIND' CARS WORTH A FORTUNE

He kept them running and used them as daily drivers for years, becoming such a fan of the brand that he sculpted a bust of the automaker’s founder, Ettore Bugatti, which today resides at the National Automobile Museum in Mulhouse, France.

His 1932 Bugatti Type 49 Berline and 1937 Bugatti Type 57 Cabriolet each feature custom coachwork, as was the practice of the day. He was creating his own for a 1929 Type 40 after it was damaged in an accident, but never quite finished the job. Its exposed wood frame still waits for new body panels to be hand-formed and attached to it.

Over the years, as the value of the cars increased, Thomassen received many offers from interested parties who had heard about them, but he had no interest in letting them go at any price.

"We regularly had enthusiasts at the door who wanted to buy the cars,” his daughter said. “But my father refused to sell them. Even though we hardly had money as a family. You can safely say that we were poor."

Since they didn’t have enough money to insure the cars, they decided to lock them up literally and metaphorically, parking them in Thomassen’s studio barn in Belgium with piles of sandbags blocking the door and never speaking of them in public. The family is so averse to drawing attention to them that the daughter only agreed to speak to De Telegraaf anonymously.

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But last year someone broke into the building during what was suspected to have been a recon mission for a theft. With Thomassen now 95 and unable to drive, the family decided it was time to get rid of them, along with a 1925 Citroen Torpedo that was also stored away.

After contacting several auction houses, they settled on Artcurial, who sent a team to examine and retrieve the vehicles. Company director Matthieu Lamoure called it “the stuff of dreams,” and said that he’d “never imagined finding such sleeping beauties.”

The cars will be crossing the block on Feb. 8 at the Retromobile event in Paris, where they should sell for well over $1 million combined. The all-original Type 57 is expected to fetch as much as $750,000 on its own.

Thomassen’s daughter doesn’t know what they’ll do with the money yet, but said that "it must be something that becomes a tribute to my father."

TREASURE TROVE OF INDIAN MOTORCYCLES FOUND IN SCRAPYARD

3 killer classic car investments

Thu, 17 Oct 2013 12:23:23 -0400

When discussing killings made in the market, the classic story seems to be that hypothetical person who invested $10,000 and bought 5,000 shares of Apple stock in 1985 for $2.00 a share, and held it for nearly 30 years, and watched that initial investment balloon to $6 million today. Some people have done nearly as well in the classic car world. Here are some of our favorite killings in the classic car market:

1. Famous Ferrari

1964 Ferrari 250 GTO: In the February 1981 issue of Hemmings Motor News, a small ad appeared for a 1964 Ferrari 250 GTO, serial number 4091, from a dealer in Joliet, Ill. The asking price was $285,000 (about $733,000 in today’s money). Admittedly, it was not a small sum for a very pretty but obsolete race car. But had you taken the plunge on this rare classic Ferrari (fewer than 40 were made), your investment would be worth around $50 million today. A similar car was reportedly sold for that sum a few weeks ago. That’s about an 18% annualized return.

2. Bevy of Bugattis

Bugatti collection for a pittance: In 1963, fishing equipment heir John Shakespeare dumped his collection of 30 classic Bugattis to a predatory French collector for a reported price of less than $250,000. The collection might today be worth close to $100 million, and included one of six Bugatti Royales, one of the most expensive cars on the planet. Shakespeare himself had scooped that one up for just $9,000 in 1956.

3. Sister snakes

A pair of Cobras for less than 100 grand: In the same issue of Hemmings Motor News referenced above, you could have purchased a pair of real Shelby Cobras for under $100,000 — just $30,000 for a small-block 289 Cobra and $60,000 for a big-block 427. Today, they’d be worth about $900,000 and $1.3 million, respectively.

Click here for more classic car stories from Hagerty, or here to sign up for our Classic Car Newsletter.

Bugatti Chiron makes 0-248-0 MPH dash in record 41.96 seconds

Mon, 11 Sep 2017 11:35:00 -0400

We always knew the Bugatti Chiron was going to be faster than the Veyron, though we’re only just coming to realize how much faster it is—and the gap is mindboggling.

With racing driver Juan Pablo Montoya behind the wheel, a Chiron went from standstill to 248.548 mph (400 kmh) and back to standstill in 41.96 seconds. According to Bugatti, that’s faster than what the Veyron Super Sport needs just to reach 248.548 mph.

It’s a new record for production cars. In fact, the Chiron is the only car we have such a figure for. Independent certification firm SGS-TÜV Saar was on hand to witness the achievement which took place at the Volkswagen Group’s Ehra-Lessien test track in Germany.

“Bugatti is the first car brand that not only calculates how fast a car can go from zero to 400 to zero on a computer, we actually drove it,” CEO Wolfgang Dürheimer said in a statement. “Where others are satisfied with theory, we validate our data with real-life values.”

The comments are a dig at Koenigsegg which tends to boast of world-beating figures without backing them up. For example, Koenigsegg claims its One:1 will accelerate to 248.548 mph in "approximately 20 seconds." The Swedish firm also claims the One:1 can go from 248.548 mph to a standstill in "approximately 10 seconds." Neither claim has been demonstrated.

For the Chiron's run, Montoya, who traveled a total 1.93 miles during the stunt and eclipsed his own personal speed record of 252.898 mph set in an IndyCar racecar, was particularly impressed with the car’s stability, so much so that he chose not to wear the usual safety gear such as racing suit, helmet or HANS (head and neck support) device for the run.

Getting up to such lofty speeds is achieved with a mammoth of a powertrain, in this case an 8.0-liter quad-turbocharged W-16 with 1,480 horsepower and 1,180 pound-feet of torque on tap. Slowing down is achieved via a powerful braking system that includes the aid of the rear wing which doubles as an air brake when needed. Bugatti claims Montoya would have felt a force of 2 g during braking, similar to that experienced during the launch of a space shuttle.

He’s now hopeful of Bugatti allowing him to set the Chiron’s official top speed, a test scheduled for 2018. The speed to beat is the 267.855 mph set by the Veyron Super Sport in 2010. Currently, Bugatti limits the top speed of the Chiron to 261 mph.

Bugatti now has 200 remaining build slots from an original tally of 500 for the Chiron. This record-breaking car will be presented on Tuesday at the 2017 Frankfurt auto show. To learn about some of the other vehicles appearing at the German show, head to Motor Authority's dedicated hub.

Video suggests Bugatti Chiron can hit 273 mph

Thu, 14 Sep 2017 08:02:00 -0400

The Bugatti Chiron recently set an astonishing performance mark by making a run from 0 mph to 248.548 mph (400 kmh) and back to 0 mph in under 42 seconds, but that may not be the only thing the 1,500 hp coupe can do better than any other car.

Road & Track noticed that in the end of the video Bugatti released to announce the feat there is an image of its speedometer reading 440 kmh. That’s around 273 mph, which would earn the Chiron the title of world’s fastest car.

This isn’t a surprise, the Chiron’s successor, the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport, currently holds the Guinness record at 268 mph, and it ‘only’ had 1,200 hp, while the 1,244 hp Hennessey Venom GT hit 270 mph during an unsanctioned run.

According to Bugatti, the Chiron’s official top speed is 261 mph, but it is electronically restricted. That was also the case for the Veyron, but they deactivated the limiter to set the record.

There’s no indication as to when Bugatti might officially announce this achievement, but just before it shows the speedometer, the video says: to be continued.

Jamie Foxx unveils his gold million-dollar supercar

Thu, 08 Jun 2017 16:12:00 -0400

Jamie Foxx’s new show “Beat Shazam” is all about hit records, but it's his car that's solid gold.

At least it looks like it is.

Foxx recently shared a photo of his Bugatti Veyron with a fresh gold wrap on Instagram.

He's owned the $1.5 million car for a while, and it was originally black and blue.

Foxx’s next project, “Baby Driver,” is a heist movie about a getaway car driver who always drives souped-up Subaru with the music in his headphones cranked up. Over 150 cars were purchased, and many destroyed, for the making of the film.

Hot music? Fast cars? Sounds like the perfect vehicle for Foxx.

Bugatti will help remove speed limiter on Chiron if you want to do 285

Mon, 12 Sep 2016 09:54:55 -0400

Before it was released, rumor had it that the Bugatti Chiron would have a top speed of 288 mph.

However, when the car was unveiled, many speed addicts were disappointed to discover that the car would be electronically limited to 261 mph.

If you were one of those addicts, however, we've got good news.

In an interview with Autoblog, Dr. Willi Netuschil, Head of Bugatti's engineering department, revealed that if you wanted to have the limiter disabled so that you can hit 285 mph, Bugatti will help.

Even with the limiter disabled, however, there are very few places in the world where the car's top speed can be achieved, noted Netuschil, due to the vehicle's long braking distance.

In addition to the revelation, there were several other mind-boggling statistics from Autoblog's interview:

-- If you put all the single fibers from the Chiron's carbon end-to-end, it would stretch from the Earth to the moon... nine times!
-- A Bugatti Chiron/Veyron owner has an average of 42 cars in their garage
-- And 1.7 jets and 1.4 yachts each

I'll keep dreaming.

More auto news from Fox Sports

$2.5 million Bugatti gets ditched

Mon, 28 Nov 2016 16:12:00 -0500

Don’t feel bad, even the pros blow it sometimes.

A Bugatti test driver has run one of the company’s new Chiron supercars into a ditch in what is believed to be the first public road crash of the $2.5 million model.

An image posted to the GTBoard.com Facebook page shows the black and silver coupe with severe front end damage being towed by a wheel loader outside Bugatti parent company Volkswagen’s Wolfsburg, Germany, headquarters.

There are no details about what exactly happened, but a Bugatti spokeswoman told Bild that "the driver was unfortunately a little inattentive, which is why the car landed in the road ditch. Fortunately nobody was hurt.”

It could’ve been much worse. The Chiron has a 1,500 hp 8.0-liter V16 engine and a top speed that’s electronically limited to 261 mph.

Man pleads guilty to fraud in $1 millon Bugatti crash

Fri, 29 Aug 2014 12:37:03 -0400

Video of his crash made a splash on the Internet in 2009, and now a Texas man faces a long stretch in the clink for driving his Bugatti Veyron into the drink.

Federal authorities say 39-year-old Andy Lee House of Lufkin has pleaded guilty to wire mail fraud in relation to the incident. House purchased the car for $1 million, then took a $2.2 million insurance policy on it. After the accident, he tried to file a claim on the car.

Authorities say House initially claimed in November 2009 that he was reaching for his cell phone when the vehicle swerved into water near Galveston. The salt water flooded the engine, ruining the Bugatti.

But a motorist videotaped the incident, allowing investigators to note discrepancies in House's account.

His sentencing has not been scheduled. He faces up to 20 years.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

$2.5 million Bugatti Chiron out to claim world speed record

Mon, 29 Feb 2016 15:39:17 -0500

Bugatti has built the world’s fastest car, again.

The Bugatti Chiron is the automaker’s $2.5 million successor to the Veyron Super Sport, which holds the Guinness World Record for fastest production car at 268 mph.

Like the Veyron, the carbon fiber Chiron is powered by an 8.0-liter quad-turbocharged 16-cylinder engine, but it puts out nearly 1,500 horsepower, compared to the Super Sport’s relatively measly 1,200 hp. No mass-produced production car has ever come close. Twin fuel injectors for each cylinder help feed the beast, which breathes through six catalytic converters.

Bugatti says the Chiron will be limited to 260 mph for road travel, but that it is also “ready for a new world speed record.” The Veyron was similarly restricted to 258 mph for use on the street, so this suggests plans for a record run with the electronic nannies turned off.

Acceleration is touted to be similarly impressive, with a 2.5-second 0-60 mph time and a 0-186 mph time in “under 13.6 sec.,” which is a significant figure, because it would beat the Hennessey Venom GT’s Guinness World Record of 13.63 sec.

The Chiron features an adaptive suspension system to enhance its ride and handling, along with active aerodynamics that includes a movable rear wing that can make the car slipperier for top speed runs, or increase downforce for better traction in turns and under braking.

The Chiron shares a clear family resemblance with the Veyron, but adopts a few styling cues that hearken back to the classic Type 57, including its small central fin and semicircular side panels, here doubling as air intakes.

Bugatti plans to build 500 Chirons, and you’d better hurry if you want one. A third of the run was sold to the brand’s loyal customers before the car’s public reveal.

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