1932 Bugatti Type 49 Roadster / 49534 Chassis Information

Sold for $676,500 at 2017 Bonhams : Greenwich Concours.
The Bugatti Type 49 was introduced at the Paris Salon in 1930 and was produced until 1934 with a total of 470 examples produced. It is believed that around 76 examples remain in existence. This would be the last of Ettore Bugatti's eight-cylinder, single-camshaft touring cars. The 3.3-liter model featured twin-plug ignition, an enlarged radiator, ball-change gearlever, and eventually cast aluminum wheels.

The Type 49 Bugatti's received quality coachwork from some of the finest and most distinguished coachbuilders of the era, as well as a variety of styles by the Molsheim factory.

This particular example wears coachwork by Labourdette. The Labourdette coachbuilder has a distinguished history that began as a carriage builder, eventually switching to horseless carriages. Their name was associated with quality and craftsmanship. Early in their career they clothed Panhard-Levassors, C.G.V.s, Delaunay-Bellevilles, and Mors motorcars, through the teen era Mercedes, Peugeot and Rolls-Royce joined that roster, then came Bugatti, Hispano-Suiza and the 40 horsepower Renaults. During the 1930s they produced coachwork for Delage and Talbot. Their list of individual clients was equally impressive.

This Bugatti Avant grade Roadster has a sweeping tapered tail design with aerodynamic experiments that Labourdette were pioneering.

This example, which is believed to be unique, was ordered new through Parisian dealer Lamberjack in January of 1933. It is believed that it was commissioned for its first owner, Charles Drouilly at a cost of 15,000 French Francs. The car is a longer chassis variant which was necessary to accommodate the long coachwork. It is a two seater with a rumble/dickey seat with a sunken spare wheel behind this. It was given engine number L423, which is still installed in the engine bay. The eight-cylinder, 3257 cc unit is fitted with a single Schebler carburetor and offers 85 horsepower. There is a four-speed manual transmission and four-wheel drum brakes.

It is not known how long Mr. Drouilly would own the car. As early as 1946, the Roadster had re-surfaced in the care of Roger Teillac, who owned a prominent garage in Paris. Its owner around this time was a M. Rengnez. The next owner is believed to have been Francois Lecorche. By this point in history, its scuttle vents and side door had been covered up. Around the 1970s, the car migrated to dealer/enthusiast Jacques du Montant.

While in du Montant's care, the car was painted solid back from its previous yellow with black fenders. It left France for the first time in the early 1970s, and sent to the United Kingdom where it was photographed with two tone bodywork and painted side sweeps. From there it traveled to Japan and into the care of its next owner, residing with a Mr. Minuro Kawamoto for much of the next decade.

It arrived in the United States in 1983 passing through a dealer to Robert Marceca in New York. Just one further ownership occurred before the current custodian acquired the Bugatti in 1995.

During the past two decades, the Bugatti has been systematically refurbished. The work included an engine rebuild and trim work at Automotive Restorations in Stratford, paintwork by Blackhorse Garage in Bridgeport and the wiring and bodywork carried out by the Lefferts brothers' Vintage Auto Restorations in Ridgefield. The work was completed by the close of 2016.

By Daniel Vaughan | Jun 2017