Project cars are a hit under the hammer
The highly original Bugatti T57S with special lightened chassis that was dragged from the garage of long-time owner Bill Turnbull (C&SC, December 2020) fell short of its £5-7m estimate at Bonhams’ Legends of the Road sale. The Bugatti eventually changed hands on 19 February for £4,047,000.
Beneath the body of the survivor, which had hidden its secrets away for more than 50 years, is one of the three drilled chassis built for the works ‘Tank’ racers. The rails were integrated into 57503 in 1937, the year after they had carried Resistance hero and Grand Prix racer Robert Benoist’s T57G in the French and Marne Grands Prix. The car is believed to be the last unrestored T57S in the world.
The five-car plus automobilia sale achieved a total of £7m, which included a matching-numbers Aston DB4GT project for £1.975m.
Meanwhile in Australia, a 1958 Porsche 356A Super 1600 Cabriolet restoration project sailed past its AUS$90-120,000 estimate to sell for AUS$230,000 (£128,500) at Shannons on 23 February. With rare Rudge wheels and Karmann hardtop, the 356A is one of fewer than 1400 built in 1958 and was found under a church in Brisbane, showing just 12,482 miles. The car looked to be original and complete, if a little the worse for wear.