A well-known Achille Varzi 1931 Bugatti Type 54 Racer will be the highlight of the Bonhams Paris auction held on February 7th 2013, which coincides with the weeklong Retromobile collector-car festivities in Paris. This outstanding ex-works Bugatti Type 54, that raced at Monza on 6th September 1931 in the hands of Achille Varzi expected to fetch $3.2 million to $4.4 million.
In 1931, Bugatti, then-new Type 54s with 4.9-liter, twin overhead cam, supercharged eight-cylinder engines debuted as the racer at the IV Gran Premio Di Monza. That Type 54s, which were the largest capacity Bugatti Grand Prix cars ever produced generated an amazing 300 horsepower and gave the cars top speeds around 150 mph. During preliminary heats, Achille Varzi in Type 54s finishing first and Louis Chiron second. But, in the main race, two burst tires slowed Varzi, and he finished third, but he still set the fastest lap time at an average speed of 102 mph.
One more notable car to be offered at Bonhams Paris 2013 is a 4.4-litre four-cylinder 1911 Panhard-Levassor Type X14 25hp Tourer with seven-seater coachwork by Achille Vanvooren of Paris, with an estimated price of $261,000-$391,000.
