Carmaker Bugatti spent two and a half years trying to convince Hans Matti, a collector, to sell it five iconic vehicles of historical importance. Ettore Bugatti’s granddaughter Caroline herself was taking part in the negotiation – which has now succeeded.
The company’s museum acquired the Bugatti Type 51 that Louis Chiron drove in the 1930s, the Type 49 that Jean Bugatti called his own (see video), as well as a Type 37A, a Type 35B and a modified Type 35A.
The former owner of the five rarities is considered among the leading experts on Bugatti sports cars of the past. Aside from cars, his collection includes magazine cuts, unique photos, books and bits of biographical evidence that Matti had spent decades collecting.
