Bugatti Type 43/49 Roadster 1928, França

Bugatti Type 43/49 Roadster 1928, França

Fotografia

Chassis 43284, a stock, supercharged Type 43, was completed at the Bugatti works in March 1928. According to Bugatti historians, however, it remained at the factory for a further two years before being shipped as part of a trio of cars to the Paris Bugatti agent Mondan et Wilson.

The car received its first road registration in Paris as “8005 RE” in May 1931. Although details of the original buyer remain unknown, a period photograph shows the Bugatti already wearing its sporting two-seater coachwork. Believed to have been penned at the factory, it is a particularly interesting design and clearly can be seen as part of the journey to its successor, the Type 55 and its Super Sport roadster bodies.

The first documented private owner of the car appears in 1936, when it passed to Monsieur Ferry of Paris. Ferry retained the Type 43 throughout WWII and was still listed as its owner in 1948. The Bugatti remained unregistered for road use over the next decade, eventually resurfacing in a junkyard, where it was discovered by Dr. W. Granoff in the Paris suburb of Neuilly-sur-Seine. The discovery confirmed that the car had remained in the Paris area for most of its early life.

Dr. Granoff entrusted Henri Novo to restore the car, with work carried out over the next several years. Perhaps reflecting its condition and for ease of the restoration, the engine was replaced with a Type 49 unit (no. L47, ex-49717) purchased directly from the Bugatti factory in 1959.

The history file includes a series of letters documenting Dr. Granoff’s correspondence with the factory concerning a variety of technical topics and the acquisition of necessary mechanical spare parts. At Dr. Granoff’s request, the Bugatti was also fitted with hydraulic brakes and wire wheels.

Dr. Granoff kept the Bugatti for the rest of his life, after which it was acquired from his estate by Daniel Rogwiler in the early 1960s. Enjoyed by Mr. Rogwiler for many years, the Bugatti was next sold to noted European marque specialists Bruno Vendiesse and Jaap Braam Ruben in the early 2000s, and then acquired by the Mullin Collection in 2006.

More recently, the Bugatti was returned to the correct Type 43 cast-alloy wheels and their corresponding cable brakes, with work carried out by expert Simon Klopper of the Netherlands.

This exceptionally beautiful Roadster had been a popular car within the Mullin Collection and garnered attention and awards both in the US and abroad. A perfect admission to the coveted privilege of Bugatti ownership, this car is eligible for the multitude of events and tours run by the respective Bugatti groups around the world, including the domestic American Bugatti Club, and is ready for its next discerning caretaker. Texto da Gooding Christie's.

Nota do blog: Data 2026 / Crédito para Gooding Christie's.