Over its 115-year history, Bugatti has produced some of the most sought-after cars of all time. Renowned for their engineering ingenuity, their inherent beauty and their rarity, the opportunity for enthusiasts to purchase a Bugatti at auction is always met with an intense excitement that demonstrates the timeless appeal of Bugatti-branded Supercars. At Gooding & Company’s recent Selections from the Mullin Collection Auction, every Bugatti model exceeded its estimated retail price.
The Mullin Collection lots were offered from the former Mullin Automotive Museum in Oxnard, California. It was reputed to have the largest collection of French classic and Art Deco cars in the world, among many other star attractions, but closed permanently after the death of its visionary founder, Peter Mullin, in September 2023. The Mullin Automotive Museum, which showcases the remarkable talent of the exhibits the entire Bugatti family, housed more than 75 pieces of Carlo Bugatti furniture, numerous sculptures by Rembrandt and the world’s largest private collection of cars by Ettore and Jean Bugatti. For a long time, the highlight of the museum was the 1936 Type 57SC Atlantic designed by Jean Bugatti.
A selection of these extraordinary models were offered by Gooding & Company at its recent sale, with the star of the auction being a 1938 Bugatti Type 57C Aravis ‘Special Cabriolet’ with a lower estimate of $2,500,000 which sold for $6,605 .000 – a world record price for this model. The supercharged Type 57C is one of only three examples of the Gangloff-bodied Aravis that have survived to this day, ordered new by Avignon agent Granat & Fils for famed Bugatti team driver Maurice Trintignant. Chassis 57768, with ivory bodywork and dark blue fenders and trim, was successfully used by Trintignant at the Grand Prix du Comminges in 1939. It was restored by Sargent Metal Works in 2005 and has been part of the Peter Mullin Collection since 2002.
A Bugatti Type 46 Semi-Profile Coupe also shattered the world record for a Type 46, selling for $1,105,000, against a lower estimate of $650,000. This rare Type 46 was ordered new by Bugatti agent Vladimir Gut in Prague, where it spent part of its early life in the stables of prominent Czech owners. After a succession of owners, it underwent a restoration in the early 2000s, when Harry Kouwen was contracted to create a replica of the most stunning bodywork ever for a Type 46: the Semi-Profile.
Yet it was not only the restored cars that attracted attention and sold for top prices. Several highly original and unrestored Bugattis performed well above their estimates, including a 1927 Bugatti Type 40 ‘Break de Chasse’. The Bugatti was ordered and delivered on December 2, 1927 to Fernand Huck and in the 1930s or 1940s the Type 40 was converted to the distinctive wooden shooting brake body it now wears. It sold for $445,000, with a lower estimate of $100,000. Two Bugatti Type 57 Ventoux models – both with original engine and bodywork – reached double their estimates, along with strong sales for the 1927 Bugatti Type 40 Faux Cabriolet and 1931 Bugatti Type 40A Roadster.
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