A real mobile work of art in 1/2 scale
Exhibited since 1980 at the Musée de Mougins, Saint Dizier then Reims
One of pre-war automotive design icons

A car like the Bugatti Type 55 Roadster, with its innovative lines designed in-house by Jean Bugatti, gave credit to European design. But more importantly, it reflects a peak of development and collaboration between The Boss, Ettore Bugatti, and the emergence of his son Jean as a major influence in the company. Jean's ideas are all present in the Type 55, which is based on a chassis and running gear designed entirely by his father, but with Jean's guiding hand in the power of its twin-cam engine. Designing and building this car together must have been an incredibly rewarding project for them and a feat of strength of their respective talents.
It was in 1980, when Hervé Charbonneaux took his Delahaye 145 Grand Prix car to a recommended coachbuilder, that he met Doris Blasquez, whom he considered to be a goldsmith. He quickly became the witness of a new tandem, linking a car stylist with a 40-year career, Philippe his father, and Doris Blasquez, who was not a first-timer. The two got along and understood each other perfectly! In a corner of his workshop, Hervé discovered at the same time a copy of the Bugatti 55, perfectly faithful to the original, but on a different scale, an incredible reduction of the model, as a journeyman would do for his masterpiece! All the work had been done by hand and from memory, only two copies had been made.
Blasquez and his friend Jean Reus had taken all the dimensions from Bugatti Type 55 #55234, which was owned by Miles Coverdale from 1953 to 1989. The model was therefore perfect and the deal was quickly closed. Exhibited in 1980 at the Mandelieu Museum, then at Saint Dizier and finally at the Reims Museum, Hervé will admit that he had always planned to install an electric engine despite his father's opposition, worried about the idea that it might be damaged. Recently restored, this work of art can be exhibited like a real one or put in the hands of a child who does not yet realise how lucky he is...
It was with a Type 55 that Jean Bugatti, late in the evening, broke records for the average speed of his journey from the Molsheim factory to Paris. For the record, Hervé told us with amusement: "When he stopped for petrol halfway to Charpentier's in Saint Dizier, a few steps from the family museum, Jean Bugatti took the time to make his own omelette behind the counter of the establishment before setting off again with a bang! The owner of the place in the 1970s told me this! "

This car will be sold by auction by AGUTTES Auction House, in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France, on June the 20th, 2021.
The digital catalog is available by the following link
https://www.aguttes.com/en/catalog/113642?

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