Mullin Bugatti bags record price

by Bill Buys

A rare Bugatti has set a world record at auction.

The immaculate 1938 Bugatti Type 57C Aravis cabriolet by Swiss/French coachbuilder Gangloff has just sold at auction for US $6,605,000 (AU$10,006,000) – double its pre-auction estimate and a world record for this model.

The car, featuring ivory bodywork with dark blue fenders and trim, was successfully raced by the famed Maurice Trintignant at the 1939 Grand Prix du Comminges.

He had bought it new and many years later it was restored under his direction.

One of just three such bodied examples left in the world, it was the top seller among the 115 vehicles sold by Goodings.

The auction was held at Oxnard, a small town west of Los Angeles, where in 2010, Peter Mullin established a home for his extensive mainly French collection.

The Mullin Automotive Museum was housed in an industrial building, in which he created a magnificent interior that paid homage to French culture, cars, architecture, visual arts and design, furniture, lighting and sculpture of the art deco period.

There’s Carlo Bugatti-designed furniture, an animal sculpture by his son Rembrandt and the motoring creations of his other son, Ettore.

Peter Mullin died, aged 82, last year and his vast collection of cars was sold at two auctions, the first, in March, comprising 20 cars, realised a total of US $4,428,700.

They included a Delage D6 Grand Prix racer (US $544,000) and a Bugatti Type 35C Grand Prix (US $582,500).

The latest auction, at which all of the 115 lots were sold without reserve, totalled another US $19,016,296 for a total yield of $23,444,996 – or a tad more than $35.5m Australian.

While the Type 57C Aravis cabrio was the star of the event, there were many other cars of great beauty, performance, and interest.

A 1930 Bugatti Type 46 Semi-Profilée Coupe also claimed a new world record for the Molsheim marque by becoming the most valuable Type 46 to sell at auction in achieving US $1,105,000.

Other top sellers included the multiple class award-winning 1933 Hispano-Suiza J12 Cabriolet, which sold for US $2,315,000, and a 1957 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster, also for US $1,105,000.

1938 Bugatti Type 57C Aravis cabriolet by Swiss/French coach builder Gangloff

The auction also had cars from the legendary Schlumpf Reserve Collection.

Some were in less than great condition, but that did not deter buyers.

The 1927 Bugatti Type 40 ‘Break de Chasse’ brought $445,000, the 1927 Bugatti Type 40 Faux Cabriolet, $246,400, and the 1931 Bugatti Type 40A Roadster achieved $302,000.

The pair of Bugatti Type 57 Ventoux also performed well: the 1934 model sold for $472,500, and the 1936 example for $511,000.

Other offerings at the auction were various examples of Citroën, Peugeot, Renault, and Delage, as well as selections from more obscure, rarely seen brands.

These included a 1902 Prunel Model F cabriolet, which fetched $63,840, a 1913 Bedelia Type 8 10CV Sport Torpédo ($42,560), a 1928 Avions Voisin Type C14 Chartreuse Berline ($151,200) and a 1925 Altos Moto Derny Type 15, which was snapped up for $42,560.

The 1933 Hispano-Suiza J12 Cabriolet was a pedigreed example, with attractive coachwork by Vanvooren.

It also made many appearances at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, where it took numerous class awards.

It went for US$2,315,000.

At the other end of the scale was a 1986 Citroen 2CV6 Sahara.

While the little two-cylinder 2CV is probably the world’s most identifiably French car and there were several at the auction, but one dubbed the 2CV Sahara was no ordinary 2CV.

Created for use in oil fields and the rough roads of places like Morocco and Tunisia, the 2CV Sahara is a four-wheel drive model.

But rather than linking all four wheels to one engine, Citroën decided to fit an entire second drivetrain in the rear.

Hence its 2CV Sahara is a twin-engine vehicle. They’re small engines, just 425cc, but there are two of them.

A single accelerator, shift linkage and clutch pedal connect both engines, and the Sahara can be operated by either engine, or both.

No wonder it sold for $128,800 - more than double its pre-sale estimate.

What about Mr Peter Mullin?

In 1969, when he was 28 years of age, he founded Mullin Consulting in Los Angeles, which ultimately became North America’s largest executive benefits and compensation company.

In 1978, with three close friends/colleagues, he co-founded the M Financial Group, a leader in life-insurance and financial services for ultra-high-net-worth individuals and Fortune 500 companies.

Then, in 2010, he created a home for his beloved collection of classic cars and art.

The building in Oxnard, had long housed classic cars but Peter and his wife, Merle, soon turned it into a superb venue for their collection of major league French design.

“Peter Mullin’s passing shook the automotive community,” Gooding & Company president David Gooding said.

“He no doubt will go down in history as one of this world’s greatest visionaries, especially in the realm of French Classic and Art Deco cars.

“The spectacular performance of this auction serves as a testament to the Mullin name, signifying the influence and weight of the legacy left behind by Peter and the commitment to excellence as embodied in the collection he curated with his wife, Merle.”