Description
This car is Lot 107 to be auctioned by Bonhams|Cars at Les Grandes Marques du Monde à Paris Sale on 6 February, please see the Bonhams website for full details.
Public Viewing:
Available Tuesday 4 February from 08:00 until 18:00 and Wednesday 5 February from 9 AM - 6 PM, at The Grand Palais Historique, Paris.
Lot 107
Longstanding high-quality recreation with some original Bugatti parts
1928 Bugatti Type 35B Grand Prix Recreation
Registration no.
Chassis no. 4858 (see text)
The most refined configuration of the model
2. 3-litre 8-cylinder engine, the most powerful version
Pierre-Yves Laugier report included in the file
Eligible for some historic competitions and offered with its valid FIA historic technical passport
French registration document
This Bugatti 35B offered for sale is a high-quality recreation using some original Bugatti parts and benefitting from a fully road legal French title bearing the identity of chassis no 4858. The car shows a very nice patina, benefits from FIA HTP documentation valid until 2029 and is well known on the European historic racing circuit having been successfully campaigned over the last ten years including Le Mans Classic, Circuit des Remparts in Angoulème and Goodwood.
The original Bugatti 35B #4858 -from which this one takes its identity and registration- is documented to have come out of the Bugatti factory in Molsheim in 1927 to be used as a works car for over a year until it was delivered in May 1928 to Count Salm who was Bugatti's agent in Budapest (Hungary). The car was then sold to a young aristocrat and gentleman driver by the name of Count Tivadar Zichy who entered the car in a number of races during the years 1928 and 1929 including the Tatra Hillclimb in June 1928 and the Grand Prix d'Antibes in April 1929. The car was then acquired in December 1929 by fellow Hungarian Laszlo Hartmann who raced the car in a number of high-profile events between 1930 and 1933 including Klausen Rennen in August 1930, Grand Prix de Tunisie (#17) in March 1931, International Avus Rennen in August 1931 (#41) and May 1932 (#48) as well as the Monaco Grand Prix (#24) in 1933. The car returned to Hungary after 1933 where its whereabouts were lost. It is reported that several Grand Prix and Sport Bugatti survived the second world war in Hungary, the Czech Republic and other countries behind the iron curtain. The fate of the original chassis 4858 is unknown and it is not confirmed if parts of the engine no 125T and some components of the car were separated from chassis 4858 and exported out of the country in the early Seventies.
In early Eighties, a number of original components have been reunited with a new chassis stamped 492 on the rear cross member (not the original chassis) coming from a replica Bugatti supplier's new stock to re-build a complete car using some original Bugatti components and the identity from Count Zichy original car. The report by Pierre-Yves Laugier, Bugatti historian, is available in the file, detailing every component of the car.
The Bugatti Type 35 is undeniably among the most celebrated and accomplished vintage race cars, making it naturally eligible for numerous prestigious classic events. For the last 10 years, the rebuilt car bearing chassis 4858 has been maintained at no expense spared and prepared for racing by Atelier Rondoni in South of France and participated in editions of Le Mans Classic and Grand Prix des Remparts in Angouleme. The car has most recently been invited in April 2024 to race in the Grover-Williams Trophy celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Type 35 during Goodwood Member's Meeting (#124) where it finished 14th out of 32 entrants.
The Bugatti Type 35 is one of the most celebrated and victorious race cars in history. This re-creation, featuring a straight-eight engine, would surely have earned Ettore Bugatti's admiration. It showcases the timeless elegance, remarkable performance, and exceptional craftsmanship typical of the marque. For many, few motoring experiences can rival the excitement of driving a pre-war Bugatti. An ideal addition to any collection, it also promises thrilling experiences in classic racing.
All lots are sold 'as is/ where is' and Bidders must satisfy themselves as to the provenance, condition, age, completeness and originality prior to bidding. Visit the Bonhams|Cars website for all pertinent auction information.
