Rare Race Car Restored In Portsmouth Expected To Fetch Millions At Auction

The project took over seven years to complete.

According to the Union Leader, a 1925 Bugatti Type 35A has been restored in Portsmouth, and expected to command around 2.4 million dollars when Worldwide Auctioneers holds the auction Jan. 16 in Scottsdale, Ariz. Donald Koleman, president of Competition Motors said the steep price is due in part to who drove the Bugatti. According to the Union Leader, documentation suggests the car was raced by Marseille Bugatti agent Jean Ollivier and that Louis Chiron drove it in the 1926 Provence Grand Prix at Miramas, finishing fourth. Chiron was considered one of the best racers of the time and was so well-known that according to Wikipedia “He drives like Chiron” became a popular phrase to describe speeding motorists. David Carroll of Lexington, Mass completed the restoration work in 2004.

Why millions of dollars for an old car? Koleman told the Union Leader, “The car business in the last 25 years has expanded enormously for vintage cars. There’s so many more enthusiasts than there used to be." “Auction prices are very good. Race cars are just out of sight.”