• Grand prix-derived engineering and supercharged eight-cylinder power
• One of approximately 160 examples of the sporting Type 43 produced
• Successfully raced in period; winner of the 1932 Paris-Nice rally
• First owned by Delage factory Works racer Robert Senechal
• Presently fitted with the Type 43 engine no. 62, previously installed in chassis 43251

Please note this lot has entered the EU on a temporary import bond, which must be cancelled either by exporting the lot outside of the EU on an approved Bill of Lading with supporting customs documentation or by paying the applicable VAT and import duties to have the lot remain in the EU.

Veuillez noter que ce lot a été introduit dans l'UE avec un cautionnement d'importation temporaire, qui devra être soldé par réexportation hors de l'UE avec un connaissement (bon de chargement) accompagné de ses documents douaniers, ou par paiement de la TVA et des droits de douane applicables s'il doit demeurer dans l'UE.

The Bugatti Type 35 is unquestionably among the greatest racing cars of all time, and the Type 43 is effectively its roadgoing counterpart. It is true that in creating the Type 43, which debuted in 1927, Bugatti needed to make some changes; the wheelbase is longer than that of the Type 35, for example. Yet the fundamentals remained—including the supercharged 2.3-litre overhead-cam inline-eight engine.

The Type 43 on offer, chassis 43233, was delivered in chassis form to Stand Auto Garage on the Champs-Élysées in Paris after being invoiced in September of 1928. One month later, the Bugatti received standard Grand Sport coachwork and was registered to its first owner, Robert Senechal. A Delage Works driver and former manufacturer of cyclecars, Mr. Senechal was exactly the type of esteemed character one would expect to purchase such a fine automobile in the period; in fact, according to a report on file from marque expert Pierre-Yves Laugier, he ordered six Type 43 chassis, apparently intending to become an agent for the marque.

He would soon put this chassis, then wearing temporary torpedo bodywork, to work; he achieved overall victory at the 1928 Rallye de Pau while entered in the lower 2-to-3-litre category, followed by a class win a few days later at the nearby Morlaas hillclimb. Soon after, respected Parisian coachbuilders Lavocat et Marsaud completed a two-seat roadster-style body for the chassis.

After the coachwork was fitted in January 1929, the campaign continued at the French Motorcycle Club Hill climb that same month, with a class win at the Gometz le Chatel hill climb coming that October. Not long after, the car was sold to an unknown buyer, but in 1932 chassis 43233 entered the ownership of Jean Trevoux. Several months later, he won the Paris-Nice Rally outright with his new purchase. A class win at the La Turbie hill climb soon followed.

Four additional Frenchman are reported to have taken ownership of the car before the war. Beginning in 1945, Jean Charbonneaux and his family would be owners for just over a decade. Charbonneaux owned a separate Type 43, chassis 43251 with engine number 62, and at some point during his ownership, the engines were swapped. It would be sold to François Claude Pruvot, an engineer, in 1955, before passing to a Parisian mechanic, Jacques Banao, in 1962.

By 1965 the Bugatti had landed on English shores, entering the collection of Peter Newens. After being purchased by Franck Wall in 1971, an extensive mechanical and cosmetic restoration occurred. A photograph from the period shows the Type 43 painted in a single shade of dark blue and wearing a plate numbered “FGW 27C”.

In October 1978, chassis 43233 sold at auction in London to the Seydoux Collection in Paris; after exactly 50 years, the Bugatti had returned to its original hometown. The vehicle would remain on the continent after being purchased by Oscar Davis at auction in 1996. Invoices and correspondence from the period show the Bugatti was maintained at a shop in the Netherlands in order to be used at a moment’s notice for a number of European rallies.

Davis eventually sold the car to a New Hampshire gentleman in 2002 but would eventually buy back this wonderful machine in 2007. A year prior to this purchase, the car received a FIA Historic Technical Passport.

Today, the Type 43 is finished in a deep shade of red with a black leather interior. A suite of Jaeger gauges reading water temperature, amperes, engine speed, road speed, and oil pressure complement the finely finished wood dashboard. The car has been maintained by Leydon Restorations of Lahaska, Pennsylvania throughout ownership of the consigning owner. Work has included the installation of a new wiring harness, a valve job, a full reseal of the engine including new water plates, and the fitment of a new radiator core by Chuck Niles at American Honeycomb.

With approximately just 160 examples of this model produced, this extraordinary Bugatti is both rare and desirable in equal measure.
To view this car and others currently consigned to this auction, please visit the RM website at rmsothebys.com/en/auctions/pa23.