Original Signed Bugatti Press Photograph

Lot details

One of the most important pieces of Bugatti ephemera to come to the market in recent years, this rare black/white press photograph for the Type 37G depicts J. P. Wimille aboard the No.12 'Tank car', above the facsimile signature of Ettore Bugatti. What makes this piece particularly special, is the actual signature of J.P. Wimile, which was added to the photograph in black ink at a race at Montlhery, 1936. J.P. Wimile signed very few items in his short racing career & his autograph is seen as the Holy Grail to many collectors. The piece is framed for display in black & measures 30x26cm.
History - Even through Ettore and his son Jean built the Type 57 as a road going supercar, they couldn't resist proving it on the track. In the first year of production competition versions of the Type 57, with streamlined bodies, raced in Tourist Trophy.
The following year, in 1936, an extremely different competition Type 57 appeared called the 57G. It featured fully enclosed bodywork that gave the car its tank nickname; a title first given to the Type 32. The newer car, however, featured much more elegant lines more akin to Bugatti design. For cooling purposes, the body of the car was heavily cutup with extra ventilation in the engine bay, front section and underbody. When the 57G first appeared, it was sensation within the racing community. Bugatti proved the car at many different Grand Prix events, and even won the French Grand Prix at Montlhery due their slippery aerodynamics and light fuel consumption. The following year, at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Jean-Pierre Wimille and Robert Benoist drove a Type 57G car to victory at Le Mans at an average speed of 85 mph.