This is the kind of old sports car they still make toys of today. It's the definition of classic. Which is why this 1937 Bugatti is expected to sell for about £6 million when it goes to auction next month.
This Bugatti Type 57S Atalante is one of only 17 ever made, which is why auction house Bonhams is commanding such a high bidding price. The car is also in very good condition, with only 26,284 miles on the odometer. It has been restored for auction by Nick Banwell with minimal work.
The car has spent the last 48 years in a garage. It was originally bought by a British MP named Francis Curzon, who then sold it to Newcastle Doctor Harold Carr. Carr apparently used the car from 1955 to 1960 and then placed it in a garage still with its original body, chassis and drivetrain. It remained there until it his death last year, when relatives realized what a bonanza they had inherited.
James Knight is the man who heads Bonhams' motoring department and he commented "This is one of the last great barn discoveries, and one of the ultimate roadgoing sports cars from the golden era of the Thirties."
The auction is scheduled for February 7 at Bonhams' Retromobile event in Paris.
