Originally displayed at the 1951 Paris Salon de l'Automobil, this is the one-of-a-kind 1951 Bugatti Type 101 Coupe by Van Antem. The Bugatti brand began taking a steep decline in the late 1930’s, when founder Ettore Bugatti’s talented son, Jean Bugatti, fatally crashed during a test driving incident. This tragedy was followed by World War II, and ultimately the passing of Ettore Bugatti in 1947, which truly marked the end of the Bugatti company as it was known, after just producing around 8,000 total cars. As a revival of the Bugatti name, Bugatti’s General Manager, Pierre Marco, along with Ettore Bugatti’s youngest son from his first marriage, Roland Bugatti, created the type 101, which was based mostly on the prewar Type 57 platform. Around eight total chassis were built, all of which featured different coach work from companies such as Antem, Ghia, Gangloff and others. This example, chassis number 101504, is the only Type 101 to be bodied by Van Antem in Neuilly-sur-Seine, near Paris. Being that the Type 101 was based mostly around the Type 57 model, a number of similarities can be found between the two, including the 3.3L dual overhead-camshaft inline eight-cylinder engine. The dramatic coachwork on the Van Antem Type 101 is finished off with a beautiful red and black color scheme, and has been owned by a number of prominent collectors and celebrities over the years. The car has been in the hands of casino magnate Bill Harrah’s National Automobile Museum (The Harrah Collection), American actor and film producer, Nicolas Cage, serial entrepreneur, Gene Ponder, and French automobile proponent, Jacques Harguindeguy to name just a few. The Van Antem Type 101 features a Cotal pre-selector gearbox, amongst a number of other unique elements and components that simply allow this car to be one of the most extraordinary in the world!
How many made? while a handful (around 8) of Type 101 examples were produced, chassis 101504 is a true one-off
Engine: 3.3L dual overhead-camshaft inline eight-cylinder engine
Debut: 1951 Paris Salon de l'Automobil
Top speed: n/a
0-60mph: n/a
Photo Credit: @cesargrau_cars
Research: @rarecarsonly