Undervalued or overpaid?
02/20/2021
A very special Bugatti Type 57S was auctioned off in London yesterday evening. Chassis 57503 originally came from one of the three 57G works racing cars, which achieved several triumphs in 1936 and won Le Mans in 1937. The body was built by Corsica in London in 1937.
Not only is the car in very original condition, its history is probably better researched and documented than that of most cars. Former owners were Grand Prix racing driver Rodney Clarke and Robert Ropner, heir to a large shipping company. The car has been owned by enthusiast Bill Turnbull for 51 years.
This Bugatti is a jewel. The purchase price was £ 4,047,000 (EUR 4,677,522, CHF 5,076,293). This seems to be a high price for a car whose restoration has not yet been fully completed. However, Bonhams had hoped for £ 5 to 7 million.
As always, the result can be viewed from different perspectives. Why does this car cost significantly less than some Ferrari 250 GT California or a McLaren F1? After all, this Bugatti is a unique specimen and a legendary witness of its time. Why didn't anyone want to offer more?
Or, how can this car be worth 20 times as much as the Frazer Nash TT Replica from 1934 sold at the same auction, which also has a fascinating history and guaranteed driving pleasure?
We tend to say that this Bugatti was sold too cheaply, you can't really have more history and fascination combined in one car.
We have already published the complete auction report .
