1931 Bugatti Type 51 Race Car
RM Auctions will hold its 2010 Sports and Classics of Monterey auction on August 12th to 14th at the Portola Hotel and Spa and Monterey Convention Center in Monterey, California. RM’s 25th annual auction will feature approximately 225 cars, with 20 automobiles estimated to garner over $1 million.
Other than the Diana Dors’ 1949 Delahaye Type 175 S Roadster, a rare 79-year-old Bugatti Type 51 will be the highlight at the RM auction. 1931 Bugatti Type 51 is considered one of the finest surviving models of its kind, complete with its original bodywork, engine and gearbox. Reports suggest that it would fetch $4.5 million in the sale at the Pebble Beach motoring week in Monterey this Saturday.
The seller is a British private collector who has already set a world record two years ago when his Type 35 Bugatti was sold for a whopping £2.5 million ($3.9 million). Bugatti historian David Sewell cited that the chassis 51132 is a remarkably complete and original car and there is no doubt to its authenticity.
The vintage car raced in 17 European Grand Prix events, fitted with a 185 hp, 2,262 cc DOHC supercharged inline eight-cylinder engine, Zenith carburetor, four-speed manual transmission, front semi-elliptic springs, rear quarter-elliptic inverted springs, live axle and four-wheel mechanical brakes.
If the Bugatti Type 51 goes for $4.5 million, it would be the highest price ever paid for a Grand Prix racing Bugatti.
1931 Bugatti Type 51 Race Car
1931 Bugatti Type 51 Race Car
1931 Bugatti Type 51 Race Car
[Source: RM Auction]
