RM Sotheby's presents pre-war delights in Paris

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Rétromobile has many highlights, one of which is the string of high-profile auctions. RM Sotheby's never fails to present an interesting mix of desirable cars, and this year's sale on 1st February is no exception, with plenty of lots lined up which appeal to our pre-war tastes. If Rétromobile is famous for one thing, it is bringing together a collection of unusual or exceptional vehicles with a few surprises always guaranteed, and RM Sotheby's auction reflects that, with such revered names as Hispano-Suiza, Bugatti and Rolls-Royce set to pass under the hammer. Here are some of the highlights:

1912 Hispano-Suiza 15/20 coupé de ville (€80,000-100,000)

This is a rare survivor of a large Edwardian Hispano-Suiza, one of around 500 15/20s built between 1910 and 1914, fitted with an especially grandiose and imposing body and complete with full ownership history. Fresh from a six-year restoration by Kutschen Ress, it now has a modern radiator, LED lighting, indicators and an electric fuel pump, making it eminently usable under modern driving conditions.

1928 Bugatti Type 43 roadster by Lavocat et Marsaud (€1,000,000-1,300,000)

Chassis 43233, one of 160 Type 43s made, first appeared as a chassis at the Stand Auto Garage on the Champs-Élysées and was first sold to Delage racer and cyclecar manufacturer Robert Senechal. With a temporary torpedo body, he won an outright victory at the 1928 Rallye de Pau and a class win at the Morlaas hill-climb, before commissioning Lavocat et Marsaud to make a roadster body for it. In 1929, Senechal continued his campaigns, first at the French Motorcycle Club hill-climb, followed by a class win at Gometz le Chatel hill-climb in October. Bought in 1932 by Jean Trevoux, it was the outright winner of that year's Paris-Nice Rally and took a class win at La Turbie hill-climb. It has had many interesting owners since and benefits from much recent work.

1931 Rolls-Royce Phantom II Continental sports saloon by Thrupp & Maberly (€170,000-220,000)

Chassis 8JS was the first Phantom II Continental, intended for the 1931 Paris Salon but actually revealed at the Olympia Motor Show. Originally priced at an eye-watering £3000, it has a detailed ownership history starting with J. W. Hemmingway of Leeds in November 1931. Still wearing its original body and restored to its original colour scheme, this is a particularly attractive and historically important Phantom.

1932 Bugatti Type 55 roadster (€1,800,000-2,200,000)

Developed from the Type 51 racer, the Type 55 was one of Bugatti's finest sports cars. Chassis 55219 was ordered by Bucar of Zurich for Edmund Reiffers of Luxembourg. After his son Ernest had run it just as a chassis in several Automobile Club of Luxembourg events, Edmund sent it to Pritchard et Demollin of Angleur to be bodied as a four-seat cabriolet. After 1938, it changed hands several times and sustained front-end accident damage in the early post-war years. In the 1950s, a Californian Type 55 owner bought it as a parts car and before selling it sans bodywork. The attractive roadster body as made in the 1970s to evoke the personal Type 55 of Jean Bugatti. It was comprehensively restored in 1958.

1937 Bentley 4¼-Litre drophead coupé by Vanden Plas (€175,000-225,000)

This Derby Bentley has a restrained outward appearance, but a very notable history. During the Second World War, the Dutch royal family took refuge in England, and it was during this stay that HRH Prince Bernhard bought the Bentley, who was then Commander of the Dutch Armed Forces and an active Spitfire pilot. When peace returned, he drove it to the Netherlands, used it as family transport and kept it at Soestdijk Palace, until parting with it in 1947. In excellent order after a 2020 repaint, there's surely nothing better for a Dutch Bentley enthusiast.

1938 Alfa Romeo 6C 2300B Mille Miglia Berlinetta by Touring (€1,000,000-1,400,000)

The Alfa Romeo 6C 2300B realised its greatest potential when equipped with the Mille Miglia  engine, but only 107 were built to that specification, most of which received either Berlinetta or Spider bodywork by Touring. The history of chassis 815053 stretches back to its ownership by Herr Hoffer of Geneva in 1946, but in 1958 it was sold to another Geneva man, Michel Dovaz, who amassed a collection of over 50 unrestored historic cars until the 1983 book Sleeping Beauties drew unwanted attention to his private hobby. He started to sell his cars, and the 2300B was one of the first to go. It was fully restored in time to win its class at Pebble Beach in 2007 and Amelia Island in 2009. For ease of use, it's fitted with a five-speed gearbox from a Giulietta Sprint Veloce, but the original gearbox will be supplied.
 

1939 Delahaye 148L Cabriolet Mylord Grand Luxe by Chapron (€200,000-300,000)

If you've a soft spot for the elegance of the 1930s French carrossiers, you can't get much better than a combination of Delahaye and Chapron. This 148L was one of only two built in the Cabriolet Mylord style, and was finished to Grand Luxe specification with lots of glamorous brightwork and luxury fittings. An older restoration, it was renovated and repainted in the 2000s and will still make a handsome sight on any concours lawn.
 

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