In Photos: Leopold III's Bugatti goes up for auction

In Photos: Leopold III's Bugatti goes up for auction
Credit: Gooding & Company/ Mathieu Heurtault

A vintage Bugatti once owned by Belgium’s King Leopold III is expected to fetch millions when it goes to auction in September.

As part of a special sale by the Gooding & Company auction house, which specialises in car auctions, a 1934 Bugatti Type 59 Sports owned by the Belgian King Leopold III, was put up for sale.

The value of the "mythical" type 59 is estimated to be at least 10 million pounds sterling or around 11 million Euro.

Leopold III, a Bugatti enthusiast, bought the car in 1937. Previously it had been part of the Bugatti Grand Prix team in the 1934-1935 racing season, finishing third at the Monaco GP and that year winning the Belgian GP at Spa.

After Leopold, the vehicle changed hands four more times afterwards, but remained in its original condition all the time. According to the auction house, the "57248" (chassis number) is, without doubt, the most important and most original of all Bugatti racing cars.

The auction will take place on 5 September at 6:00 PM Belgian time, in the British Hampton Court Palace. A total of fifteen historic vehicles will be offered for sale.

The sale also includes a 1937 Bugatti Type 57S Atalante, a 1955 Aston Martin DB3S, a 1961 Aston Martin DB4 GT Zaga, as well as several of Lamborghinis, Bentleys and Rolls-Royce.

Jules Johnston

The Brussels Times

All images copyright and courtesy of Gooding & Company.

Photos by Mathieu Heurtault


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