Rare Bugatti leads Goodwood Revival sale

A 1935 Bugatti Type 57 Atalante Faux Cabriolet is one of six cars collected by the late Barry Burnett heading to auction. The Atalante is one of very few surviving ‘Atalante’ fixed-head coupés. It will be offered at the Bonhams Goodwood Revival Sale on 14 September.

The Bugatti spent most of its life in France and crossed the Atlantic in 1957, when purchased by an American collector, before returning to Europe in the 1980s.  Burnett encountered the Atalante when it was in the possession of another notable collector, Peter Rae, who had had the car completely restored, although, unusually, it retains its original chassis, engine, gearbox and body, all with matching numbers.

Burnett acquired it as a straight swap for a Delage, adding its registration ‘DYF 4’ which once appeared on the Type 57S Atlantic of Sir Malcolm Campbell. The car, finished in striking black and cream coachwork, has an estimate of between £1,000,000 and £1,500,000.

A renowned motor car collector, Burnett most famously owned a Corsica-bodied 1931 Daimler Double Six – the first car he ever purchased – which in later life went on to win the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in 2006.

In 2009, Bonhams handled 28 of Barry’s 60-strong car collection as part of its Beaulieu Sale. Now, a decade later, Bonhams will more cars from the Burnett collection.

As well as the Bugatti, there is a 1938 Lagonda V12 'Le Mans Replica' Tourer (estimate £200,000-£300,000), a 1936 Lagonda LG45 Tourer (estimate £120,000-£160,000), 1936 Talbot-Lago T23 Le Mans Replica (estimate £100,000-£150,000), and a Jaguar D-Type Replica (estimate £40,000-£70,000).

Sholto Gilbertson, Bonhams Motor Cars Department Director UK, commented: “We are delighted to have been entrusted to offer another bespoke selection from the Burnett stable at this year’s Goodwood Revival Sale. It reflects Barry’s expert eye for quality and his passion for classic and vintage motor cars.”

One fine example of Barry’s eye for quality is the opulent 1934 Duesenberg Model J Torpedo Phaeton, which he added to his collection in 2006, and which Bonhams will offer in its Quail Lodge Auction in California on 15 August. Featuring stylish coachwork by renowned Duesenberg restorer Fran Roxas, this is one of the most important models ever produced and has an estimate of $600,000 – 800,000 (£490,000 – 660,000).