Barn-find Bugatti Type 38 makes seven times its estimate at auction

Barn-find Bugatti Type 38 makes seven times its estimate at auction

I do love these barn-find stories, but even so this one looks like it's going to take one helluva job to get it looking like it should (above) again! One can only assume that the winning bidder knows what he/she is doing and that they feel pretty sure of themselves in getting this Bugatti rebuilt cost-effectively. I suppose it's entirely possible to get it looking as good as new for £132,000 - at least there are some parts present (including the all-important chassis) and there are doubtless many Bugatti specialists out there who might be tempted to take on the restoration of it. New parts can be fabricated using old designs and the rarity value of this model (only 385 made between 1926 and 1927) means that it should be a worthwhile undertaking.

Of course it may be that the new owner wants to keep it as is, like the Type 22 from a few months ago - a sort of automotive artwork. Although by all accounts the Type 22 is not as valuable a model as the Type 38, so I expect in this case something more will be done. It may take a while, but with any luck this motley collection of parts will one day be a beautifully complete example of a rare pre-war Bugatti.