The restoration of the Bugatti Type 59/50S lasted more than 20 years. Now the rare car is fully consistent with the original, which is confirmed by documents.
In the United States, a 1935 Bugatti Type 59/50S racer was put up for online auction Bring a Trailer. The rarest sports car went through a very complex and lengthy restoration and actually received a second life. The starting price is $500,000, according to the official website of the auction.
This car was driven by Robert Benois in the 1935 French Grand Prix. Subsequently, the Bugatti Type 59/50S was dismantled for parts and the sports car actually ceased to exist.
The car was brought back to life by the American Bugatti collector and restorer Ray Jones. Back in the 60s, at the Bugatti plant in Molsheim, he purchased a car frame, suspension parts and a number of other components. Then he managed to find the car's engine.
But the body of the Bugatti Type 59/50S and its interior had to be recreated virtually from scratch on its own. The restoration lasted more than 20 years and was completed in the mid-90s.
Ray Jones successfully coped with the difficult task – the sports car is fully consistent with the original. Its authenticity is confirmed by the technical passport of the FIA ​​motorsport federation, and the car has also collected many awards at various retro shows. In 2015-2016, the son of Ray Jones updated the car.
Only eight racing Bugatti Type 59s were produced in total, and all of them are unique – there are no two identical cars among them. This particular sports car is equipped with a 5.0-liter inline eight with a compressor with a capacity of about 400 hp. With. and 4-speed manual transmission.
