Simon Khachadourian, 'The Collector's Collector'; "At £8,500, this strikes me as being the ideal Christmas gift - with a decent Lusso at £200,000 today, you could almost argue that the Bugatti model is grossly undervalued. This superbly made 1:8 scale model of the 1924 Bugatti Type 35 Grand Prix race car was made in very small numbers by ACA, in 1975.

"As a student, I worked temporarily at the Geneva Salon de l’Automobile in 1975, and remember attending the press launch of the Art Collection Auto (ACA), a Geneva based operation, where the Bugatti model was unveiled.

"It was launched at the Swiss Franc equivalent of a whopping £1,500 - this at a time when a good Ferrari Lusso cost less than £3,000!

"It is 20’’ (52 cm) long, all aluminium construction with fabulous detailing including engine-block leather seating, engine-turned aluminium dashboard and exquisite cast-alloy wheels. Perhaps not surprisingly, ACA didn’t survive long, and only a few of these models were made and sold in ACA’s original incarnation."

About Simon Khachadourian and the Pullman Gallery

Pullman Gallery was opened in 1998 by Simon Khachadourian. Born in London in 1955, Simon followed an early career as a Chartered Shipbroker in the City of London, and entered the antiques business full-time in 1981.

Dubbed 'The Collector's Collector' by a leading American client some years ago, Simon's passion for his subject, be it automotive art, Rene Lalique glass or cocktail shakers is renowned and he is happy to share it with visitors to Pullman Gallery.

For further information please visit www.pullmangallery.com. Or email : [email protected].

Text: Classic Driver
Photos: Pullman Gallery