Sold at $852,500

By KEITH MARTIN
AutoWeek | Published 07/24/07, 9:58 am et

AT A GLANCE:

3257-cc, 160-hp, supercharged straight-eight, four-speed. Black and tan, with saddle-leather interior. From the John W. Strauss Collec-tion. In dry storage since 1962. Original Stelvio cabriolet coachwork by Gangloff, later switched to Bugatti’s Atalante coachwork, displayed in the French Pavilion at the 1939 New York World’s Fair. Panel gaps still good, all glass intact. Needs everywhere, including chipping and faded paint, rusty chrome, perished tires, dirty engine compartment, tattered original leather interior. Complete restoration project for an ambitious buyer.

Constructed from two Bugattis by prewar owner Ray Murray, this car had the style of the Atalante and the performance of the supercharged Type 57C. The Atalante was conceived as a Grand Routier, focusing on high-speed transport for two rather than practicality, and the combination of the Type 57C’s supercharged engine and the Jean Bugatti-designed Atalante coachwork made it both elegant and fast. In barn-find condition, including dust and dirt from 45 years of inactivity, this car brought lots of attention in the sale room. Despite all its needs, it sold at double the high estimate of $400,000. Not cheap by any means, the price was likely worth it. It’s been accepted to the preservation class at Pebble Beach this year, so the new owner is already getting a substantial return on his investment. In bragging rights, anyway.