1937 Bugatti 57S Cabrio
RM Sotheby's has started lining up its consignments
for its Amelia Island auction this coming March, and the highlight will surely
be the Bugatti you see here.
A rare Type 57S Cabriolet from 1937, chassis number
57513 is one of only three ever made with bodywork by Parisian coachbuilder
Vanvooren. Never completely restored, this Bugatti is highly original and
well-documented, and is now being offered for auction for the first time in its
80-year history.
Given its elegance, rarity, and history, RM expects
the Bugatti to bring in a solid US$ 8.5 million when the gavel drops at its 19th
annual auction at the northeastern Florida venue. That's within spitting
distance of the $.87 million paid for a Type 57SC Atalante in 2013 at Gooding
& Company's Pebble Beach auction in 2013, and the 57SC Sports Tourer that
Bonhams sold at Amelia Island last year for US$ 9.7 million.
The French cabrio won't be the only pre-war classic
up for grabs at the event, though. Joining it will be a 1930 Stutz Model M
Supercharged Coupe with bodywork by Lancefield Coachworks. Impressive and
imposing, it's tipped to sell for upwards of US$ 1 million. There'll also be a
1933 Cadillac V-16 All-Weather Phaeton, one of the few of its kind to have
survived in tact, valued at US$ 400-500k.
