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Ultra-Rare 1932 Bugatti Type 55 to Sell at Paris Auction in 2020

The pre-war years are considered by some the golden years of motorsport racing. It was then the great names of today's auto industry rose to power, thanks to their extraordinary machines. Unfortunately, few of these cars survived the onslaught of the Second World War.
1932 Bugatti Type 55 59 photos
Photo: Bugatti
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But of the 38 cars ever made in the Bugatti Type 55 Super Sports series, 29 managed to escape. And next year, a very special survivor will be sold in Paris, during an auction hosted by Bonhams.

This particular Type 55 wears chassis number 55221 and was used back in the day as a works entry in the 1932 24 Hours of Le Mans race. Driven by Louis Chiron and Count Guy Bouriat-Quintart, the car failed to finish the race due to a ruptured fuel tank.

Following the botched run, the car was sold to French magazine publisher Jacques Dupuy, who had its body reworked and turned into a two-seater with two highline doors. In 1933, Dupuy entered it in the 1933 Paris-Nice Rally.

Well after the war, the car was purchased by racer Geoffrey St. John in 1963 and brought to the UK. Three years later, it underwent its first restoration, and a second one followed 30 years after that, prompted by a road accident.

Apparently, the car still has the 2.3-liter supercharged twin-cam 8-cylinder engine that allowed it to accelerate to 60 mph in 13 seconds and to a top speed of 115 mph (185 mph).

The 1932 Bugatti Type 55 will sell next year during the 2020 Bonhams Grand Palais Sale on February 6, the first time the car is trying to find a new owner at an auction.

"This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to acquire an extremely historic and important motor car owned by the same family for 56 years," said Sholto Gilbertson, Bonhams director in charge of cars.

"Over the years, the family have resisted many offers and we are very much looking forward to presenting the Bugatti for sale in Paris next February. Everyone will now have an equal opportunity to secure one of the most important motor cars to come to market in recent years."

The auction house did not say how much it hopes to get for the car.
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About the author: Daniel Patrascu
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Daniel loves writing (or so he claims), and he uses this skill to offer readers a "behind the scenes" look at the automotive industry. He also enjoys talking about space exploration and robots, because in his view the only way forward for humanity is away from this planet, in metal bodies.
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