Brescia Bugatti Found in Swiss Lake To Be Auctioned

Auction house Bonhams just announced several rare examples set to go under the hammer at its Retromobile sale, due to be held in Paris on January 23, 2010. The collection offered for sale will comprise 100 lots, among which 28 collectors’ motorcars will be offered in the public domain for the first time.

One of the most interesting lots ever to be offered at the Retromobile auction is the touring Bugatti which was found at the bottom of a Swiss lake after seventy years. The Brescia Bugatti has suffered some damage during its extensive stay underwater, however half of the chassis and most of the aluminum casings can still be saved. According to Bonhams. this motor car has attracted a pre-sale estimate of €70,000-90,000.

Other highlights include a 1930 Bentley 4-Litre/8-Litre Le Mans-style Tourer (estimate €450,000-550,000), a 1929 Mercedes Benz 630K "Town Car" (estimate €400,000-600,000), a 1935 Hispano-Suiza T56 torpédo Fiol (estimate €450,000-600,000), a 1931 Cadillac V16 serie 452 dual-cowl phaeton (estimate €350,000-450,000), and a 1920 Rolls Royce Silver Ghost 40/50HP Double Phaeton (estimate €250,000-350,000). They all were collected by an Andalusian industrialist.

Bonhams will also be offering a restored 1926-27 1.5-litre supercharged straight-eight Talbot-Darracq that has a pre-sale estimate of €400,000-600,000. Other highlights include the ex-1955 Paris Salon & 1955 Turin Motor Show 1955 Pegaso (estimate €400,000-500,000), a 1927 Bugatti Type 44 Roadster (estimate €120,000-160,000), a 1930 Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 Gran Sport (estimate €550,000-650,000) and an extremely rare 1931 Avions Voisin C14 'Chartre', one of only two ever built, which has a pre-sale estimate of €380,000-460,000.