1931 Bugatti Type 50 Roadster
- Engine
- Supercharged DOHC straight-eight with dual carburetors and dry-sump lubrication, tuned to approximately 300 hp
- Colour
- Black with yellow stripe
Bugatti Type 50 chassis 50123, built in 1931, is one of only four factory roadsters bodied to designs by Jean Bugatti and the sole survivor retaining its original coachwork. Ordered new by celebrated Fauvist painter André Derain, the car features a twin-cam supercharged straight-eight engine and has a documented ownership history spanning nearly a century. It passed through a succession of noted collectors in Europe and the United States and took a class award at the 2010 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance.
Ownership
- —Auction saleSold €1,411,250 (≈ $1.55M)
- 1931 → 1935Factory deliveryAndre Derainfull documentation
Celebrated French Fauvist painter who commissioned the car with specific bespoke details including black coachwork with a yellow stripe, separate front seats, and a rear luggage compartment. Original bill of sale and correspondence with Ettore Bugatti survive.
- 1935 → 1937Acquisition unknownJean Trivierpartial documentation
Brewery proprietor who brought the car back to Alsace for servicing.
- 1937 →Acquisition unknownJack Lemon Burtonpartial documentation
Imported the car to England and drove it as his personal vehicle until the onset of the Second World War. Sold the original engine around 1942 and later fitted a replacement Type 50 motor sourced after the war.
- 1942 →Private saleEli Richardsonpartial documentation
American collector who purchased only the original engine from Burton, not the car itself.
- 1954 →Acquisition unknownJohn Erskine-Hallpartial documentation
South Kensington-based owner who held the car by early 1954 at the latest.
- → 1962Acquisition unknownJohn Capertonfull documentation
Louisville, Kentucky owner who undertook a restoration in the late 1950s, tuning the engine to approximate Type 54 Grand Prix output; the work was covered in Road & Track's July 1958 issue.
- 1962 → 1970Acquisition unknownJohn Hoggattpartial documentation
Indianapolis-based owner; the car was sold from his estate following his death.
- 1970 →Private saleDavid Schiffpartial documentation
New York owner who kept the car for at least eighteen years, during which marque specialist Don Lefferts carried out maintenance including an engine rebuild in 1983.
- 1997-08-01 → 2003Acquisition unknownOscar Davidpartial documentation
New Jersey collector who acquired the car in August 1997.
- 2003 →Private saleHenry Petronispartial documentation
Highly regarded collector under whose ownership the car earned a class award at the 2010 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance.
- Date unknownAcquisition unknownAnn Kleinpartial documentation
American tire industry figure who may have held the car briefly between Erskine-Hall and Caperton; ownership in this segment is uncertain.
- Date unknownAcquisition unknownCurrent consignorfull documentation
Oversaw additional restoration work and assembled an enhanced documentation file including factory records, the original purchase invoice to Derain, and correspondence between Derain and Ettore Bugatti.
Competition
- 20102010 Pebble Beach Concours d'EleganceClass award winner
Entered during Henry Petronis's period of ownership.
Maintenance & restoration
- 1937Service
Returned to Alsace by owner Jean Trivier for routine servicing.
- 1942Modification
Original engine was sold separately; after the war a replacement Type 50 engine (unit number 18, ex-chassis 50134) was fitted.
Very few Type 50s retain their original engines, as swaps were common due to recurring mechanical difficulties.
- 1983Engine rebuildDon Lefferts
Engine overhauled by Bugatti marque specialist Don Lefferts during David Schiff's ownership.
Lefferts maintained the car throughout Schiff's tenure, which extended to at least 1988.
- —Restoration
Comprehensive restoration carried out by John Caperton, including engine tuning to approximate Type 54 Grand Prix specification, yielding close to 300 hp. Documented in the July 1958 Road & Track.
The rebuilt car recorded a 0–60 mph time of 8.0 seconds when tested by Road & Track.
- —Restoration
Additional restoration measures undertaken after acquisition by the current consignor, scope not fully specified.
The consignor also gathered supplementary factory documentation to strengthen the provenance file.
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