2025 |
Pebble Beach Auctions1934 Bugatti Type 57 Ventoux
Register to BidEstimate
$250,000 - $325,000| Without Reserve
Chassis
57297
Engine
151
Car Highlights
Formerly Part of the Schlumpf Reserve and Mullin Automotive Museum Collections
An Unrestored Example Retaining Its Original Body and Engine
Known History and a Perfect Candidate for Concours Restoration
Formerly Owned by Early Bugatti Collector John Shakespeare
An Ideal Entry Point into the Fabled Bugatti Marque
Technical Specs
3,257 CC DOHC Inline 8-Cylinder Engine
Single Stromberg UUR-2 Carburetor
135 BHP at 5,000 RPM
4-Speed Manual Gearbox
4-Wheel Mechanical Drum Brakes
Front Solid Axle with Semi-Elliptical Leaf Springs and Shock Absorbers
Rear Live Axle with Reversed Quarter-Elliptic Leaf Springs and Shock Absorbers
Introduced in 1934, the Type 57 is widely regarded as a masterpiece by the hand of Jean Bugatti. According to a copy of the American Bugatti Register and Data Book entry on file, this Type 57 was ordered on November 30, 1934, and delivered on January 25, 1935, to its first owner, Jean Verdier, through Bugatti agent Dominique Lamberjack in Paris. M. Verdier paid 66,240 French francs for his new Bugatti, which was fitted with Ventoux coupe-style coachwork and engine no. 151, which it retains today.
In 1938, M. Verdier traded this Type 57 towards another example (chassis 57389), and it was later sold by Lamberjack to Léon Givon. By 1963, the Ventoux was owned by noted early Bugatti collector John Shakespeare of Centralia, Illinois, whose collection came to the attention of Swiss textile magnate Fritz Schlumpf. Schumpf purchased the Ventoux, along with 29 other Bugattis from Shakespeare, on March 1, 1964.
A part of the famed Schlumpf Reserve Collection, this Type 57 remained in static storage and unrestored in Malmerspach, France, until 2008 when Peter Mullin purchased the entire collection. He displayed the Ventoux in the Mullin Automotive Museum for 13 years and it was subsequently purchased by the consignor. Remaining in unrestored condition and retaining its original engine and coachwork, this Type 57 would be an ideal candidate for a concours-level restoration.
*Please note that this vehicle has been in long-term static storage and may not be currently operational. It will require mechanical attention prior to road use.