Legendary 1934 Bugatti Type 59 Could Sell For Over $13 Million

This 1934 Bugatti Type 59 may be covered with scratches and scars from its racing days, but it is a piece of Bugatti history and is expected to sell for over £10,000,000 ($13,194,750).

What makes the car so special? Well, this Type 59, fitted with engine no. 5, was initially part of the Bugatti works Grand Prix team during the 1934-1935 seasons. It was raced primarily by René Dreyfus and secured a 3rd place finish at the Monaco Grand Prix as well as a race win at the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa.

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When the French car manufacturer withdrew from Grand Prix racing, it transformed this Type 59 for sports car events and opted to remove the supercharger while also fitting a new dry-sump gearbox, revising the chassis and bodywork, and giving it a new identity as chassis 57248. Driven by Jean-Pierre Wimille, the Type 59 Sports dominated its rivals during the 1937 season, according to the Gooding & Company listing.

The following year, the car was retired from competitive racing and purchased by King Leopold III of Belgium. It has since been under the possession of four other owners and is being sold in its original condition that provides a hint of the vehicle’s hard racing life and, inevitably, adds to its value and desirability.

Slotted beneath the minimal bodywork is a 3.25-liter inline eight-cylinder with twin Zenith carburetors. Back in the days where it had a supercharger, the racer was good for 250 hp at 5,000 rpm, which was pretty impressive for its era. The classic Bugatti also has a 4-speed manual transmission, mechanical drum brakes at all four corners, a solid front axle with semi-elliptical leaf springs and De Ram shock absorbers, and a live rear axle.