leBolide is an online auction platform that was recently founded by Christian Philippsen. Christian Philippsen is first and foremost a car enthusiast. The British magazine Magneto recently ranked him 24th in its top 50 list of the most influential people in the classic car world. His latest initiative is called leBolide and aims to shake up the traditional auction business by reducing the hassle for sellers (no transportation of the vehicle to the point of sale and no seller's commission) and the cost of selling.s commission) and costs for buyers (buyer's premium of 5% of the hammer price instead of 15-30%) while offering a first-class service.
After initially offering smaller lots to ensure the site was technically sound, leBolide is now moving upmarket. A good example is the very first Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint Zagato from 1959 with chassis number 00001, which has been in current ownership for a long time and has never been offered to the public before.
Zagato offered for the first time
True to its motto: "If a car looks different from all the others, it's a Zagato," the Milanese coachbuilder designed a more streamlined shape with clean lines and built it in aluminum to reduce the weight to well under 800 kg.
With its 1290 cm³ 4-cylinder aluminum engine with two overhead camshafts and two Weber twin carburetors, delivering over 100 hp, and its 5-speed manual gearbox, the Giulietta Sprint Zagato "coda tonda" (round rear) is a true masterpiece of the Italian automotive scene.
The official presentation of the SZ took place at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1960 with prototype number 00001. This is the one that is offered for sale on leBolide. It was the first of a series of around 200 vehicles.
Its uniqueness lies in the details such as the door handles, the seats and the glove compartment lid, which were all different in the final production version.
The car was raced by its first owner, Scuderia Sant'Ambroeus, whose driver Sergio Pedretti, alias "Kim", defended the colors, especially at the 1960 Targa Florio. He also won the 1300 cc class in the Italian GT Championship in 1960. A dedication from the aforementioned driver can be found on the inside of the left door.
It was then sold to the Bolognese coachbuilder Giuseppe Brusiani before being taken over by the now deceased father of the current owner in June 1982.
Wide and exciting range
The leBolide range includes a diverse selection, including an elegant Delahaye 135M from 1939 with bodywork by Figoni&Falachi, the former James Coburn Ferrari 308 GTS, a Peugeot 905 Spider for the racetrack, a rare Citroën Méhari 4x4 or a Bugatti 35 toy car in half scale.
You can see the latest vehicles at any time on the leBolide website.
