When we look at the vintage Bugattis, we are stupefied by the detail and the beauty in each element. The Type 59s were mesmerizing beauties that enchanted anyone laying eyes on them. The engines were unique, and the wheels were something of an innovation in themselves.
For Bugatti enthusiasts, these cars hold a special place because of their rarity and of course the elegant design of the lengthened low bonnet line, the driller rails, and the piano wire wheels. Bugatti ended up manufacturing only a handful of these, out of which, only four remain in their original condition. These classic cars are still around after decades, and their owners have done a fantastic job preserving them.
Let's find out how much a Bugatti Type 59 costs today.
The Design Of The Type 59
Bugatti first manufactured the Type 59 when the company was already at its decline. Ettore designed these cars to race at the Grand Prix as a replacement for the Type 51. These vehicles were too heavy, too dated, and came too late. The Type 59 is from the time when Bugatti was at the point of almost shutting down.
Bugattis were always built differently compared to other racing cars of the time. Type 59 still retained part of the iconic Type 35 heritage, with an upgrade to a more powerful double-overhead-cam inline eight-cylinder engine and a lower body line. The elongated, low bonnet-line was unique and rare. By extending the wheelbase of the new chassis, they created an utterly beautiful Grand Prix Car. The attention to detail was simply unparalleled with the unique piano wire wheels and the riveted spine on the tail section featured on this elegant masterpiece that exudes the feeling of a complicated Swiss watch, which is a joy to the eye.
A larger 3.3-liter engine had been fitted into this beauty instead of the initially intended 2.8-liter engine. The Type 59 made its debut at the Spanish Grand Prix in San Sebastian. Irrespective of its novel appearance, one cannot disguise the fact that the competing German cars technically outclassed this car.
Major Races and Developments Along the Road
The Type 59 Bugatti could be considered one of Ettore's most successful racing cars, and also one of his most exciting developments. If they had achieved this racing car in 1932 as planned, it could have been quite a benchmark in Grand Prix car design.
Initially, the Type 59's tally was just two proper Grands Prix as far as racing is concerned. The patrons of Bugatti believe that '57248' was a part of the four-car team at Spa in 1934 when René Dreyfus' team clinched the controversial victory where the Alfa rivals had crashed. Down the line, in the Algerian GP, the French ace Jean-Pierre Wimille bested the Italians to bring home the win for Bugatti. The Type 59s were outclassed by the German models with their weight, the dated gearbox, shoddy brakes, and limited power. Still, Neil Corner, who had driven these beauties and their rivals, claimed that they steered beautifully and handled so much better than his Alfa P3.
Team Bugatti took up the task, made improvements to the GP machine, and made it track-worthy by converting it into a sports car configuration and raced with it successfully till 1937. Jean-Pierre Wimille dominated the races around the Pyrenean circuit in the 1936 Grand Prix du Commingles. The opponents were reluctant to race a car they thought was outdated but, Wimille turned the tides on them with his mighty Type 59. Later, the team started working to upgrade them and enroll them for even more races. The modifications included a new four-speed dry-sump all-synchro gearbox, new rear radius arms were developed for the later GP cars. They also made a new body, which featured shallow side doors, a full-width wooden dash, a round tail covering the spare wheel, and a single aero screen.
Bugatti's best driver, Jean-Pierre Wimille went on to drive the T59 in races throughout 1937. At one instance, he beat the T150 Talbots and the 135 Delahayes even though he was suffering from the effects of the flu.
The Rarity and Current Worth
Considering that Ettore Bugatti made only six or seven Type 59s, these cars are pretty rare. Ettore sold the Type 59 that Jean-Pierre Wimille raced with to his most illustrious customer, King Leopold of Belgium. Gooding & Company auctioned this Bugatti Type 59 for close to $13 million.
Four original Type 59s were sold to automotive enthusiasts in England. These Type 59s that raced in the 1933 and '34 seasons were brought together after decades by the efforts of Pebble Beach a few years ago. It can be considered to be the most historically significant automotive rendezvous. The people at the event were spellbound by the beauty of these old GP cars. It was a once-in-a-lifetime moment honoring their originator, Ettore Bugatti, at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance.