1929 | Bugatti Type 44

To Be OFFERED AT AUCTION at RM Sothebys' Cliveden House event, 8 July 2025.
£150,000 - £200,000 GBP

• Offered from single ownership since 1968
• Known history with only four caretakers from new
• Attractive, close-coupled original cabriolet coachwork
• Retained in the same condition for many decades

Please note this car is titled as 1933

Ettore Bugatti—or “Le Patron” as he was known in the workplace—always offered “street” versions of his automobiles; but they were road cars for racing drivers. That changed at the 1927 Paris Motor Show, where Bugatti unveiled the Type 44. This model featured an inline eight-cylinder engine in two cast-iron blocks of four. With a single-overhead camshaft, two inlets, and one exhaust valve per cylinder, while displacing 2,991 cc, it produced an estimated 80 horsepower.

Fitted with a vibration damper and on a long—by Bugatti standards—3,119-millimetre chassis, it was still a powerful and fast car. But make no mistake, this was a kinder, gentler Bugatti. The late dean of automotive writers, Ken W Purdy reported: “A good one will do 80 miles an hour; it’s reasonably quiet, starts easily, is pleasant to shift, and has the softest clutch I, at least, have ever laid foot to.”

The Type 44 offered here was fitted with an especially attractive cabriolet body by Lavocat et Marsaud of Boulogne, Paris. Its form notably incorporated cycle-style front fenders and a curved “carriage sill” below the doors for a decidedly sporting air. In Hugh Conway’s 1962 Bugatti Register and Data Book, the car was described as having been run by its original French owner until 1934. It was then “laid up and run very little” until it was acquired by a second owner, D M Thompson, in 1960. It subsequently passed from Thompson to Dr S Bayliss of Welwyn, Hertfordshire. Conway noted: “the car is apparently 100 per cent original, with the exception of the rear window [being] enlarged… and is believed to have done under 100,000 miles. Engine very powerful and smooth.”

In 1968 the car was acquired from Dr Bayliss by the fourth and consigning owner, in whose small, well-chosen collection it has now remained for a remarkable 57 years. It is still in the same condition in which it was acquired, a wonderful testament to its preservation. The exception is the braking system, which in 1975 was upgraded to feature hydraulic units—for more dependable modern operation. While actively enjoyed in current ownership, the Bugatti had been stored for a period of time before being returned to running condition. A mechanical inspection is recommended prior to the car being driven. It is a marvellous road car and awaits its next caretaker for enjoyment at any number of events worldwide.
To view this car and others currently consigned to this auction, please visit the RM website at rmsothebys.com/auctions/ch25/.