1939 Bugatti Type 57 Cabriolet by Letourneur et Marchand

Original commissioner of the coachwork; car was customised to his specifications and registered in his name, first in Paris then in Pau. Complete order and build files survive.

Widow of the Baron; reportedly sold the car in 1956 per family account. Car had remained in southwest France throughout her tenure.

Paris-based buyer; car was registered in Paris during this period and photographed there by an American automotive journalist before export.

Long Beach, California physician and prominent early American Bugatti enthusiast; purchased via Parisian dealer Armand Beressi. Car was listed in the 1962 Bugatti Register under his ownership.

Haverford, Pennsylvania owner who commissioned a full concours restoration by Mike Wilson; located and reacquired the original engine in 2003 and had it rebuilt. Sold in 2005.

Netherlands-based collector or collection; had the Cotal gearbox rebuilt by Klopper Engineering during this tenure.

American Bugatti Club member and past club president; ownership sequence places him after Roth.

Ownership recorded in the 1979 American Bugatti Register.

Pacific Palisades owner; during this period the original engine had been replaced with a different unit.

Described as a well-known collector; maintained the car to concours standard and had it prepared by the Alan Taylor Company for a return appearance at Pebble Beach.

Described as the car's first modern show appearance after concours restoration; narrowly beaten by the car that went on to claim Best of Show.

Invited return appearance at Pebble Beach; extensively prepared by the Alan Taylor Company including bodywork, woodwork, upholstery, and exhaust work.

At the Paris Bugatti agency's request, Letourneur et Marchand extended the steering column by five millimetres and fabricated bespoke rear bumpers and a fishing-rod holder to the Baron's specifications before final delivery.

These modifications were made after the car's showroom display period and before the Baron took possession in March 1939.

Original engine number 458 was located and reacquired, reuniting it with chassis 57587 after its years of separation.

Robert Owens conducted a prolonged search before securing the original engine.

Original engine number 458 was overhauled by Jim Stranberg, including the fitting of a new crankshaft as typically required on these cars.

Carried out as part of the broader concours restoration commissioned by Robert Owens.

Comprehensive concours-level restoration by Mike Wilson, returning the car to its 1939 delivery specification including correctly recreated black and ruby colouring, the correct Cotal gearbox, and all bespoke Baron de Cocq fittings.

Work began from a largely sound original structure, limiting the extent of rust remediation and interior woodwork repair required. Completed in time for the 2004 Pebble Beach appearance.

The original engine number 458 was removed and replaced with engine number 395 at some point during the American ownership chain, prior to Robert Owens acquiring the car.

Circumstances and timing of the engine swap are not detailed in the catalogue; it had occurred by the time Jerry Symons owned the car.

The Cotal pre-selector gearbox was overhauled by Klopper Engineering during the period of Dutch ownership.

Thorough preparation for a second Pebble Beach appearance carried out by the Alan Taylor Company, encompassing bodywork corrections, structural woodwork repairs, fitting of new plum-coloured leather upholstery, and exhaust manifold repairs.

Comprehensive invoices covering this work are retained in the car's file; inspection during the work revealed intact original serial number stampings in the woodwork and on the engine.