The successor to the Bugatti Type 44, the Type 49 was the final evolution of the traditional Ettore Bugatti touring car and one of the finest automobiles of its era. The Type 49 marked the last use of a single overhead cam inline eight-cylinder engine in a touring Bugatti. Improving on the Type 44, the Type 49 offered an enlarged engine and upgraded gearbox. Only 470 Type 49s were built, a mere eight of which are listed in the 2018 American Bugatti Club Register. Owing to its narrow track relative to its contemporaries, the Type 49 has been described as a successful blend of comfortable carriage and lively sports car.

This Type 49, chassis 49377, was built in August 1931 on the long 127” wheelbase. After receiving its four-door Gangloff coachwork that December, it was delivered to the Bugatti agent in Grenoble, France. While the Bugatti’s early provenance is not known, in 1963, it was acquired by Claude Retornez in Marseilles, where the car had been registered since 1934. At some point its original engine was exchanged for engine no. 305 from chassis 49439.

Initially restored in France in 1981, the car was further restored by marque specialist Gentry Restorations in England in 2005. In 2012, the Mullin Collection purchased the Type 49, repainted it in its current color scheme, and proudly displayed it at the Mullin Automotive Museum. The opportunity to acquire this highly sought after eight-cylinder touring Bugatti wearing beautiful and original berline coachwork should not be overlooked.