1934 Bugatti Type 51 Grand Prix heads to auction

Leake Auction Company will sell a 1934 Bugatti Type 51 Grand Prix this November in Dallas. It was consigned from the John Ridings Lee collection and will be a part of Leake's Platinum Series of cars, set to cross the auction block in Dallas Market Hall on Saturday, Nov. 22.

People have had a fascination with the Bugatti brand since 1901. Only 40 Type 51's were manufactured between 1931 and 1934, making this Bugatti extremely rare. Carrying chassis number 51153, the Bugatti was purchased by one Mr. Lee in March of 2012 from Peter Mullin of the Mullin Automotive Museum in Oxnard, Canada. It has been raced at the vintage car races at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. The Bugatti has a manual transmission with twin overhead cam supercharged straight 8 Grand Prix engine. The exterior color is in Bugatti Blue with black leather interior.

Documentation on the Bugatti is available from the following sources:

• Fiva Identity Card which was issued to the Bugatti in April of 1998.
• The historical vehicle identity form, which was conducted by Federation International DE Automobile.
• A letter from David Sewell (Independent Bugatti Consultant) written to Peter Mullin on September 15, 2003 which attests to certain facts pertaining to the automobile.
• A historical report on Bugatti Type 51 Chassis #51153 by David Sewell.
• A report from Donald Koleman prepared Feb. 24, 1994 denoting certain historical pieces of information about the car.
• A report from Sandy Leith, registrar, American Bugatti Club, and an article written by Thor Thorson which presents an insightful profile on the car.

Prospective buyers may request the full documentation by contacting Leake's office at 918.254.7077.

See this rare Bugatti and many other vehicles spanning decades of automotive history in Dallas Market Hall, Nov. 21-23. Admission is $15 for adults, $10 for senior citizens and military personnel with an ID and $7 for children under 12. Doors open at 9am daily. The auction will start at noon on Friday, 10am on Saturday and 11am on Sunday.