A Bugatti with a long racing history and ownership by King Leopold III of Belgium wowed the judges at the 2024 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance.
An unrestored 1934 Bugatti Type 59 Sports was voted Best of Show at the 2024 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance which ran on Sunday and closed out this year'sThe car marked a couple of firsts for the prestigious awards as it was the first time a preservation car was given top honors. It was also the first time the winner's owner is from overseas, in this case Swiss resident Fritz Burkard, owner of The Pearl Collection.
The open-top two-seater was built in 1934 as a Type 59 Sports with a Type 57 chassis, and originally with blue paint. A short time later, it received a custom chassis for the next series of Grand Prix races, where it would be driven by Bugatti factory drivers, including legends like René Dreyfus, Robert Benoist, and Jean Pierre Wimille.After 1935, Ettore Bugatti decided to retire from grand prix racing and sold the company's collection of Type 59 Sports. However, chassis no.
As a sports car, chassis no. 57428 would continue to be raced by Wimille and other factory drivers, until finally at the end of the 1937 season it received a request for purchase from long-time Bugatti customer King Leopold III of Belgium. The car was then repainted black, with some of the original blue still visible in various scuff marks.
King Leopold III managed to hold onto the car during the Second World War and also after he abdicated in 1951. He eventually sold the car to a Belgian collector in 1967, after which it changed hands a few more times, with each subsequent owner choosing to maintain it in original form. Burkard is thought to have acquired the car at an auction in 2020.
A total of 10 Bugattis have now taken home the Best of Show award at Pebble Beach, meaning Bugatti is tied with Mercedes-Benz for having won the award the most times.
United Kingdom Latest News, United Kingdom Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
2024 Pebble Beach and Monterey Car Week Live BlogEvery year in mid-August, the Monterey Peninsula becomes the epicenter of automotive enthusiasm. Come along for the ride.
Read more »
2024 Volvo XC90 Recharge and 2024 Genesis GV60 Show Electrified AlternativesTag along while we put the 2024 Volvo XC90 Recharge and Genesis GV60 thorugh their paces on the latest episode of Talking Cars with the Boss.
Read more »
Niantic pulls off two great events for ‘Pokemon Go’ and ‘Monster Hunter Now’The Global Pokemon Go Fest 2024 and Summer Hunt 2024 were worth the price of admission
Read more »
2024 Belgian Grand Prix 2024 Odds, Picks, & Predictions: Verstappen Eyes ReboundF1 odds for the 2024 Belgian Grand Prix list Max Verstappen and Lando Norris as co-favorites with Oscar Piastri next in line after his first win.
Read more »
Election 2024 live updates: Biden says he will withdraw from 2024 race, endorses VP Kamala HarrisFormer Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi praised Joe Biden’s values and leadership after the president withdrew from the 2024 race. Biden is “one of the most consequential presidents in American history,” Pelosi said.
Read more »
2024 Election Latest: Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries endorse Kamala Harris’ 2024 candidacyVice President Kamala Harris flew to her first battleground state after locking up enough support from Democratic delegates to earn the nomination, and top congressional Democratic leaders endorsed…
Read more »