The Five Most Expensive Classic Cars Sold at Auctions in 2020 Were All Bugattis

Due to the new coronavirus that rapidly spread across the globe last year, our daily lives have drastically changed. Social distancing measures forced us to stay at home as much as possible, and many events that we were looking forward to have either been canceled or moved online.

Among those events are auctions, which were expected to draw less attention now that face-to-face interaction is off the table. Still, interestingly enough, online-organized events were more successful than anyone ever thought.

Auction houses like Bonhams or Gooding & Company broke records with these vintage Bugatti masterpieces, all five of which were the most expensive vehicles sold last year at this type of events.

#5 Bugatti Type 55 Super Sport - $5 million

The ‘cheapest’ of the five was sold in Paris last February for no less than $5 million, making it the most expensive car to be sold at the last year’s Retromobile auctions.

This Bugatti is extremely sought-after because it’s the factory race car co-driven in 1932 by Louis Chiron and Count Guy Bouriat-Quintart in the 24 Hours of Le Mans race.

Built in 1931 and given chassis number 55221, it is fitted with a unique Figoni body and a 2.3-liter eight-cylinder turbocharged engine producing 158 hp.

#4 Bugatti Type 35C Grand Prix - $5.23 million

Auctioned by Gooding & Company in London, this valuable piece of automotive history was sold for $5.23 million, a record for a Type 35.

Originally built as a works entry for the 1928 Targa Florio race, chassis number 4871 was eventually bought by Jannine Jennky, a former French entertainer and aspiring racing driver who drove it to victory at the inaugural Coupe de Bourgogne race, beating Louis Chiron, who crashed with six laps remaining.

Since 1932, this Type 35C has had only four owners, and the bodywork remains in its original, unrestored condition. However, the supercharged 2.0-liter straight-eight producing 123 hp was flawlessly restored by the Bugatti experts at Ivan Dutton Ltd.

#3 Bugatti Type 55 Super Sport Roadster - $7.1 million

Until 1935, Bugatti produced a total of just 38 Type 55 Super Sport chassis. Only 14 were roadsters, and 11 have survived to this day. This one was given number 55220, and it was powered by a detuned version of the Type 51's 2.3-liter straight-eight, delivering 130 hp.

It was purchased as a new car in 1932 by 22-year-old psychology student Victor Rothschild, who later became the third Baron of the notorious banking family.

In 1985, Boston professor Dean S. Edmonds Jr. acquired the Type 55 Super Sport Roadster for £440,000 (around $572,000 back then), making it the most expensive car ever sold in Britain at the time. Edmonds fully restored it and won first place in its class at Pebble Beach in 1993. It was sold at Bonhams’ Amelia Island auction in March 2020 for $7.1 million.

#2 Bugatti Type 57S Atalante - $12.54 million

This extremely rare model rolled out the factory gates powered by a 173 hp turbocharged 3.3-liter eight-cylinder on the 5th of May 1937, with the works number plate 1127-W5.

That same year, it was purchased by British racing driver and Bugatti enthusiast Earl Howe from Sorel of London, the UK agents for Bugatti.

One of only 17 cars that Jean Bugatti fitted with his gorgeous Atalante body, chassis number 57502 has a tumultuous history, exchanging multiple owners before being fully restored and auctioned at a Gooding & Company event in London where it sold for $12.54 million.

#1 Bugatti Type 59 Sports - $12.68 million

Bought by a wealthy enthusiast for $12.68 million, this amazing classic is the most expensive car sold at an auction in 2020. It was built as a factory race car in 1933 and carries chassis number 57248.

The elegant race car was driven by some of the most successful racing drivers in the history of the French carmaker, including Robert Benoist, Louis Chiron, Rene Dreyfus, Achille Varzi, and Jean-Pierre Wimille.

After a successful racing season, which included a Belgian Grand Prix win, it was converted to a road-legal sports car and sold to King Leopold III of Belgium. Powered by a 3.3-liter eight-cylinder that produces around 247 hp, it remains in its original, unrestored condition to this day.

To experts, the exorbitant prices paid for these cars were not surprising, as they argue that vintage Bugattis are considered the most valuable cars of all time.

While I don’t disagree with that, I would love to see these cars become more accessible to the general public in a museum instead of becoming trophies for wealthy car hoarders collectors.