French auction house Artcurial has uncovered a classic Bugatti that makes the Veyron look like a run-of-the-mill Fiat 500. Next month, the company will auction off a 1925 Bugatti Brescia, one of just 12 examples believed to be left today.
Artcurial reports the Brescia was recently pulled out of a garage in France. Its early history is a little bit vague, but it was reportedly owned by renown Bugatti enthusiast Bernard Terrillon before the current owner purchased it in 1953. The car is still fitted with the original registration number that was assigned to it in 1953 in the Côte-d’Or department of France.
Wearing chassis number 2628, the Brescia is a dream come true for collectors. It hasn’t moved an inch since the current owner backed it into a dry, well-isolated garage four decades ago. Furthermore, it’s entirely original, having never been restored or modified in any way, and the body – which was crafted by a coachbuilder named Maron, Pot et Compagnie – has never been repainted.
It will undoubtedly take a great deal of work to put the Brescia back on the road. For starters, the twin-ignition engine likely needs to be entirely rebuilt. Whether the car will be left in its original condition or restored back to new will be for the next owner to decide.
The 1925 Bugatti Brescia is scheduled to cross the auction block on June 22nd at a special event that will be held on the Avenue des Champs-Élysées in Paris. Artcurial estimates the Brescia will sell for anywhere between €150,000 and €250,000, sums that represent about $167,000 and $279,000, respectively.
