In other news. The Ferrari 250, no longer the most expensive car in the world.
quote:
Hammer time: Bugatti breaks £20m
A 1936 Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic has become the most expensive car ever to sell at auction, fetching over $30m (£20m) in California yesterday.
One of only three ever built, the gorgeous Atlantic - styled by Ettore Bugatti's son Jean - was bought by an anonymous bidder at the Gooding classic car auction in Santa Monica.
The exact amount remains undisclosed, but reports from the show floor suggest it could be as high as $40m (£27m), smashing the $12.2m (£8m) paid for a 1957 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa at the same show last year.
That is, in technical terms, a hell of a lot of cash. But this is a hell of a lot of car.
First bought by Lord Philippe de Rothschild in 1936, the Atlantic was fitted with a supercharger in 1939, boosting the power of its 3.3-litre inline eight to a heady 210bhp. In its prime, the Atlantic would run to a dizzying 123mph.
Since 1971, it was owned by Bugatti collector Peter Williamson, who restored the Atlantic to its original specification after an ambitious previous owner decided to paint it red. And fit new rear windows. Oops. Williamson did a good job: the Atlantic won top prize at the Pebble Beach Concours in 2003.
And now... well, who knows? No word on which deep-pocketed collector has acquired the Atlantic, but let's hope he or she isn't going to hide it away in some high-security vault deep within a shark-infested laser volcano.
Question for the day, then. If the 1936 Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic rolled off the delivery truck in front of your house this morning, where would you take it? A blast down the French Riviera? The Nurburgring? Asda?
Man, if only i had enough spare cash to spend 40 mil on a car....
Though honestly even if i did, i woudnt spend it on a Bugatti. I would just buy every classic Ferrari out there, starting with the 250 GT Spyder California.
leph555
Moongoose
550i...sweet!
miamitranceman
quote:
Originally posted by Moongoose
550i...sweet!
Yeah nice find there!
I think the updated styling looks better on the 5 series rather than the 7 series, actually.
Moongoose
I prefer them both over the previous versions. Loved the old E60 save for the interior which left a lot to be desired, while the F10 hits the mark perfectly on all counts. Just waiting for the ///M to come out, engine from the X5M and X6M with even more HP probably...pure madness.
This on the other hand is pure sex. Sure, Alfas might not be the best made cars out there (getting better though since they put a german in charge) but my god they are wonderful in every other way imaginable. Such a delight to drive.
