Ettore Bugatti’s personal 1936 Type 57C Coupe up for auction

A 1936 Bugatti could break the record recently set by the 1957 Ferrari 250 Testarossa for the most expensive car ever sold on auction. The Bugatti Type 57 C Coupe will be auctioned off at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance by Gooding & Company, the official auction house of the event.

"This year's Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance will be honouring 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.

The car is considered to be a highly historical example. It was built for Bugatti founder Ettore Bugatti as a birthday present. The factory protected it quite extraordinarily during World War II and therefore nothing happened to it. Ettore passed away in August 1947. The company continued to keep it and later it was upgraded with accessories such as a unique engine and transmission, some subtle technical improvements, tailored interior appointments and others.

The car has had only a few very protective owners ever since it was released from the factory in the 1950s. There has been no restoration work done to it, which means the car is completely original.

Other notable cars that will go on auction in Pebble Beach between 15 and 16 August are from the The Don Lyons Collection of historical American racing cars spanning 100 years.  They include:

• The Denis "Denny" Hulme 1967 AAR Gurney Eagle Indy Car
• The Mario Andretti 1964 Dean Van Lines Roadster Indy Car, "The Lightweight Weight Roadster"
• The Jim Hurtubise 1966 Gerhard-Offy Indy Car
• 1909 Stoddard-Dayton Model K Re-creation
• The Mario Andretti 1985 Lola Indy Car, Andretti's famous "Spin and Win" Car
• The Lujie Lesovsky 1951 Blue Crown Spark Plug Special Indy Car

Note: The FoMoCo 1967 Super Mustang Top Fuel Dragster is not included in the picture