1930 Bugatti Type 46 Cabriolet

This Bugatti Type 46 was constructed in September 1930 with four-door saloon coachwork by Gangloff and powered by engine number 377. Algerian Bugatti agent Sagnier purchased 46470 in April 1931 on behalf of his customer, M. Etievan. It is believed that the Bugatti remained in Molsheim until 1933, when it was shipped to the Gangloff workshop in Colmar, France, for a new two-door, four-seat Cabriolet body. The design featured twin, side-mount spares, skirted fenders, a three-position top with landau irons, and an exterior of two shades of brown with a cream top.

Etievan drove the car for approximately 5,300 km before parking it inside his farmhouse garage around 1939. It remained there, on blocks and under cover, throughout World War II. The Type 46 remained in static storage until 1959, when it was moved to a new warehouse in Belcourt. In 1963, the Bugatti was acquired by David Mize; at the time, it was in completely original condition. Shortly after its acquisition, the Bugatti Mr. Mize shipped it to France to be serviced by a mechanic in Marseille, then stored it in Holland through the early 1970s. Next, the Bugatti was shipped to the United Kingdom, where a restoration was completed by Nigel Arnold-Forster and Ian Wilkinson.

Dr. Theodore Waugh acquired the Type 46 in 1975 and remains in his care. More recently, the car has been given a cosmetic restoration overseen by Jim Stranberg's High Mountain Classics of Colorado. In 2018, the car was shown in a Bugatti exhibit at the Saratoga Automobile Museum, one of its few (perhaps only) public appearances.

By Daniel Vaughan | Oct 2024