Santa Monica, Calif. (6 July 2024) — Global auction house and international market leader Gooding & Company is proud to return as the official auction partner of the Concours of Elegance at Hampton Court Palace later this summer, where it will host its annual London Auction on Friday, 30 August. Gooding & Company today announces a quartet of historic, significant classic Bugattis from the world-class collection of Jack Braam Ruben, based in Maastricht, The Netherlands. This grouping includes one of the earliest surviving examples of the Bugatti Type 57 Atalante, a remarkably well-preserved and patinated Bugatti Type 43A Roadster, an award-winning, unrestored Bugatti Type 57 Stelvio, and a show-quality Bugatti Type 57 Ventoux.
“Jack Braam Ruben is widely recognized in our industry as one of the foremost traders and collectors of classic and prewar cars in the world, and he has an especially keen sense for the most significant examples from the Bugatti and Alfa Romeo marque,” said Gooding & Company President and Co-Founder, David Gooding. “We are privileged and delighted to present these very original Bugattis from his premier collection at our London Auction, and look forward to offering these exceptional motor cars on the historic grounds of Hampton Court Palace.”
1935 Bugatti Type 57 Atalante (Estimate: £3,000,000 – £4,000,000) The Atalante is undoubtedly one of the most distinctive, attractive, and important styles of the venerable Bugatti Type 57. This example, chassis 57252, was built in November 1934 as a first series Grand Raid chassis, featuring a lowered steering column angle compared to a standard Type 57. Though originally intended to be clothed in Grand Raid roadster coachwork, the car was bodied by the factory in early 1935 with Jean Bugatti-designed Atalante coupe coachwork. This was the third such chassis to be equipped in this way. A mere 10 Atalantes would be produced throughout 1935; this very early example features a beautifully tapered tail section, which gives the entire car a lighter, more sporting design. This is achieved through convex wheel covers featuring special hand-formed tear drop shapes, as well as rear fenders which sweep up behind the wheel openings, resulting in the delicately tapered appearance not present on later Atalantes. Chassis 57252 was the third of these 10 Type 57s to receive Atalante coachwork, and of these, only three examples are known to survive today.
Ordered new by Bugatti agent Monestier in Lyon for its first owner, Mr. Perrot, it was equipped with 18-inch wire wheels and Lockheed hydraulic brakes, per special customer request. 57252 would pass through a succession of French owners for the next two decades before being sold to famed Belgian Bugatti restorer and dealer Jean De Dobbeleer of Brussels in 1956. In 1957, the Atalante was exported to the US by Bugatti collector Lyman Greenlee. The car would eventually make its way back to Europe, first to Guido Artom in Italy, and then to Peter Rae in the UK. Mr. Rae correctly restored the car to its original specifications, including Scintilla headlamps and Lalique-style running lights mounted atop the fenders. 57252 remained in the UK before joining Mr. Braam Ruben’s collection in 2019. The Dutch collector commissioned a thorough restoration, tasking Bugatti specialist Classic Skills of Lomm, The Netherlands, with the work. The exterior was refinished in its original two-tone smoke and sage green color scheme, the interior was reupholstered, and the dashboard and bumpers were returned to their original configuration. Confirmed to still retain its original engine, no. 195, per documentation on file, this incredibly well-restored and historically important Type 57 Atalante, with its visually distinctive early design, presents a rare opportunity for any discerning Bugattiste and collector.
1933 Bugatti Type 43A Roadster (Estimate: £3,000,000 – £4,000,000) The Type 43, and its successor, the Type 43A, were conceived as road-going counterparts to the Bugatti Type 35, the most successful and important of prewar Grand Prix racing cars. While a standard Type 43 was equipped with grand sporting coachwork, a 43A signified a car clothed in elegant Jean Bugatti-designed roadster coachwork. Mechanically, the 43A was equipped with a supercharged 2.3-litre inline eight-cylinder engine, based on the engine of the race-winning Type 35B. Bugatti built just 18 examples of the Type 43A, and of these, less than 10 are accounted for today. This Type 43A, chassis 43309, has the penultimate chassis number, and was delivered new to Edouard Michel of Paris in May 1934; it would remain in Europe for the next four decades. During this time, it was displayed at Serge Pozzoli’s famed Montlhéry Motor Museum, as well as the Le Mans Museum. Around 1978 the Bugatti was acquired by noted German Bugatti collector and historian Uwe Hucke. After nine years in Hucke’s ownership, it passed to Dr. Joachim Jantzen of Essen, who entered the car in a number of historic driving events. Next, 43309 joined the collection of Manfred Dolleschel, who entered the Type 43A in the International Rally in the UK in 2004, and the International Rally in Tuscany in 2009. In more recent years, 43309 was exhibited at the Concours of Elegance at St. James’s Palace in 2013, as well as the 2022 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance® following completion of the Pebble Beach Motoring Classic. This Type 43A has a gorgeously patinated, two-tone gray finish, with subtle evidence of original black and yellow paint in small sections throughout the exterior. Retaining many important original components according to an accompanying report by marque authority Mark Morris, including its original semi-roller bearing crankshaft, much of its original leather upholstery, and original engine, stamped no. 106. In place of the standard wooden dashboard is a two-piece aluminum dashboard. It is beautifully constructed, shifting all of the gauges from the center of the dash to a panel surrounding the steering column, giving unrestricted access to the centrally-mounted magneto ignition. 43309 represents what is surely an unrepeatable opportunity for the discerning collector to acquire what is widely recognized as one of the best examples of the Type 43.
1935 Bugatti Type 57 Stelvio (Estimate: £900,000 – £1,100,000) This Gangloff-bodied 1935 Bugatti Type 57 Stelvio cabriolet, chassis 57181, was equipped with engine no. 30 and fashioned with a light-colored soft-top hood upon completion. The car was sold new to France and was acquired after World War II by a Swiss owner, before being sold in the late 1960s to David Mize in the US in exceptionally original condition, having traveled only 27,000 km. An avid Bugattiste, Mize would later become the president of the American Bugatti Club. The Stelvio was later sold to collector John Risch, an American of Dutch origin, who won Best in Show with the car at the New Hope Automobile Show in Pennsylvania in 1968. Mr. Risch was the long-term owner of 57181, lovingly retaining it for several decades until his passing in 1991, after which point the car remained with his estate. In 2016, 57181 was displayed at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance® in the Prewar Preservation class, where it was awarded Second in Class, and also completed the Tour d’Elegance. In 2018, the Stelvio was shown at the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance before joining Mr. Braam Ruben’s esteemed collection in The Netherlands. Surely one of the finest unrestored examples extant, the Stelvio retains a wonderfully patinated original red leather interior, beautifully complimented by a subtle two-tone black and maroon paint scheme.
1938 Bugatti Type 57 Ventoux (Estimate: £550,000 – £650,000) Built on a Series III rolling chassis with engine no. 523 in October 1938, this Bugatti Type 57 Ventoux, chassis 57724, was completed near the end of the assembly line before the impending war brought production to a halt. Factory finished with a Gris Deauville (gray) body with Havane (tan) leather, the car was sold through British agent Colonel Sorel to its first owner, L.W. Young in 1940. It remained with Mr. Young for a decade before passing on to H. Archer-Smith, who reportedly won the Bugatti Owners’ Club Taylor Trophy with the Ventoux in 1958. In 1972, the Ventoux passed to John Frears, who displayed the car at the Stratford Motor Museum. In 1982, 57724 was acquired by Geoffrey Perfect of Penn in Buckinghamshire, a serious and respected Bugatti collector. It was during his ownership that the car captivated the attention of Mr. Braam Ruben, who would eventually add it to his collection in 2021. This exceptional, show-quality Type 57 Ventoux, with known provenance from new, has been displayed at some of the most prestigious events throughout its lifetime, including the Earls Court London Motor Show in 1989, Techno Classica Essen in 2019, and the Concours d’Elegance Paleis Soestdijk in 2022. Additional European offerings from the Jack Braam Ruben Collection include an expertly restored 1939 Alfa Romeo GT 6C2300 B ‘Corto’ Cabriolet (Estimate: £450,000 – £550,000) with one-off details, as well as a 1949 Alfa Romeo 6C2500 Sport Freccia d’Oro (Estimate: £250,000 – £350,000) eligible for premier vintage tours and rallies such as the Mille Miglia.
A very limited number of spots are still available for consignments to Gooding & Company’s anticipated London Auction; interested clients are strongly encouraged to contact the auction house for related inquiries.
London Auction Date: Friday, 30 August at 15.00 BST Location: Hampton Court Palace, UK Viewing Days: Thursday-Friday, 29-30 August Concours of Elegance Ticketing Information: https://concoursofelegance.co.uk/tickets/ Bidder Registration: www.goodingco.com/register Live Auction Broadcast: www.goodingco.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/GoodingandCompany X: @goodingandco #LondonAuction #GoodingLondon Instagram: @goodingandcompany #LondonAuction #GoodingLondon YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/GoodingandCompany Phone: +1.310.899.1960
About Gooding & Company The London Auction is presented by Gooding UK, LLC, a division of Gooding & Company.
Gooding & Company is celebrated for its world-class automotive auctions, private brokerage, and unparalleled service in the international collector car market, achieving over $2.75 billion in sales since the company’s inception. The auction house continues to deliver market-leading results through both its live auctions and Geared Online platform, setting new trends and world records with best-of-category cars across numerous verticals. Gooding & Company consistently presents the highest quality consignments while operating with openness and integrity, providing the company a reputation of trust and respect unmatched in the industry. Offering a wide range of services including private and estate sales, appraisals and collection management, the auction house is ready to assist you with numerous collector car services.
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