A one-of-a-kind Bugatti Type 101C-X from 1965, converted by the Italian Carrozzeria Ghia based on the ideas of designer Virgil Exner, is looking for a new owner in the United States.
An exceptional automobile exhibit is up for sale in the United States, believed to be the last genuine Bugatti model built at the historic Molsheim factory, long before the brand's revival in the modern era. It is a 1965 Bugatti Type 101C-X with chassis number 101506, one of only seven Type 101 chassis produced after World War II. This specific example is factory-equipped with a supercharged inline eight-cylinder engine that develops 147 kW (200 hp), a significant increase over the standard naturally aspirated version, which produces 99 kW (135 hp).
The history of this vehicle is a testament to the difficult attempts at post-war revival of the brand, as the technically advanced Type 101 model, based on the pre-war Type 57, failed to convince buyers at the time, which is why the last bare chassis remained in Molsheim until 1961. At that time, it was purchased by American collector E. Allen Henderson, and his friend and publisher L. Scott Bailey recognized it as the perfect canvas for the famous Chrysler designer Virgil Exner. The chassis was shortened and sent to Italy to the renowned design house Carrozzeria Ghia, where it was transformed into a dramatic roadster with a recognizable horseshoe-shaped grille, rectangular headlights, split windshield and a rear end in the style of sports cars of the time, and it was premiered to the public at the Turin Motor Show in 1965.
Although Exner hoped that this bold project would spark a relaunch of series production, the car remained a one-off, spending the next four decades in the renowned collection of General William Lyon, occasionally appearing at prestigious events such as the elegant Pebble Beach race week. Currently offered by the Hyman Ltd. dealership in Missouri, the vehicle is in almost all original, unrestored condition. To purchase this important piece of automotive history, a prospective buyer will have to pay several million euros, which, according to experts, is still less than half the amount needed to purchase Bugatti's latest Tourbillon hypercar.
