Swiss Millionaire Gerald Bugnon’s unimaginable assortment of race and sports activities automobiles, valued at an estimated £6 million (roughly USD 7.5 Million), shall be auctioned on Sunday, April 21, on the French Osenat public sale home. The gathering consists of an Alfa Romeo-powered race boat and eight automobiles from the Fifties, Sixties, and Nineteen Seventies.
Motivated by an ardent love for the Italian model, Mr Bugnon has meticulously curated this exceptional assortment of Alfa Romeos, and their public sale is bound to generate appreciable enthusiasm on the Osenat sale dedicated to them. Each mannequin, from the modern and succesful 1958 Giulietta TI sedan to the unimaginable 1965 Alfa Romeo Racer water sports activities car and the magnificent 1969 Tipo 33/2 Daytona, epitomises ardour, perfection, and invention. These uncommon traditional automobiles have set efficiency, expertise and timeless aesthetics requirements.
Specialists and fanatics concur that this can be a vital assortment with historic implications for Alfa Romeo. The automobiles’ glitz and attraction are elevated as a result of many have race victories.
Gerald Bugnon’s uncommon assortment of Alfa Romeo sports activities automobiles. Picture: Osenat.
A trip to the Val d’Isère ski slopes marked the start of the Gérald Bugnon assortment. An Alfa-Romeo Giulietta Ti handed the Bugnon household as they approached the station. As this beautiful Italian car sped by them, the daddy and son David have been enthralled by its thunderous sound.
David Bugnon explains, “From then on, I by no means stopped pestering my father to purchase an Alfa Romeo. And that’s what he did, shopping for a Giulietta for himself and a GTV for my mom. He has remained loyal to the model for a few years all through his skilled profession.”
When he was fifty years outdated, Gerald Bugnon determined to compile a Giulietta assortment. He bought an SS after first buying a Spider. After finding out and studying about Alfa-Romeo’s previous, he targeting the rarest and most beautiful automobiles as he constructed his assortment. He took half in a number of rallies on the identical time.
David opines, “My father combines two passions: Alfa-Romeos and his associates. When he signed up for the historic Monte-Carlo Rally, he lined up 4 or 5 automobiles, which he lent to his associates for the race. The Bugnon household has all the time maintained relations with Alfa Romeo from this, and my grandparents, my dad and mom, myself and now my youngsters have all pushed Alfa Romeos.”
As well as, David additional explains, “As my father was racing increasingly more in VHC (historic competitors automobiles), he created a group engaged in VHC: Il Biscione Corsa Rossa. And as he didn’t do issues by halves, he employed drivers (all ex-Swiss champions) to host the varied championships. In these rallies, drivers like Romain Dumas and his dad Maurice or the well-known Swiss tightrope walker Olivier Gillet, accompanied by his compatriot and sailor, Steve Ravussin, have been capable of defend the colors of Il Biscione Corsa Romand, a group he created for contributors within the VHC European Rally Championship.”
This demand was additionally demonstrated by the necessity to provide spare elements and supply post-race servicing whereas sustaining the utmost regard for every car’s historical past. That indicated that the group race secure was working very laborious. Olivier Gillet, his mechanic, pilot, and right-hand man who dealt with transportation, administration, and every little thing else, helped him with this through the years.
Time To Promote
“However now the time has come to promote the gathering. My father nonetheless has a ardour for Alfa Romeos, however to a lesser extent now, as different actions forestall us from totally having fun with this unimaginable assortment and sustaining it correctly. For that reason, we determined to half with the “historic” a part of the gathering and preserve solely the most recent automobiles acquired by the household,” enthuses David.
Alfa Romeo 33
Picture: Osenat
The Alfa Romeo 33 represents the model’s comeback to the highest motorsport division. Alfa Romeo withdrew from all worldwide competitions on the finish of 1951, and the famend Disco Volante, which was purported to compete within the 1952 Le Mans 24 Hours, would by no means take the racecourse. Because of the wonderful GTA, TZ, and TZ2, Alfa Romeo regained aggressive success initially of the Sixties with the assistance of Autodelta. Alfa Romeo shall be compelled by these achievements to consider competing internationally as soon as extra. Subsequently, challenge 105.33 was began in September 1964. The preliminary prototype with the TZ2 engine was manufactured in September 1965. The engineers selected a two-litre V8 engine, which had been covertly constructed within the Fifties. With the Alfa Romeo 33, the corporate returns to its peak. The 33 is the second Alfa Romeo with an engine positioned rear centre, after the Tipo 512 in 1939, and was constructed to compete within the Sports activities Prototype championship.
(Est. EUR 2,000,000-2,500,000)
Alfa Romeo TZ
Picture: Osenat
Alfa Romeo began creating the sports activities Giulietta’s substitute initially of the Sixties. Mechanically talking, the brand new Giulia has a 1570 cm3 engine that has been considerably up to date for the mannequin 12 months with an aluminium block and cylinder head. With two Weber 40 double-barrel carburettors, it may produce 170 horsepower in competitors and 112 in civilian use. The bodywork is given to Zagato, who will assign the job to Ercole Spada after reviewing the work accomplished on the SZ Coda Tronca. It can present an exceptionally aerodynamic line. The tip product was one among its period’s most unimaginable race automobiles. Alfa Romeo produced 112 examples in complete, assuming that 100 examples have been deliberate initially. The historical past of the car up for public sale begins when Alfa Romeo GB LTD was given a TZ chassis 750071 in November 1964.
(Est. EUR 800,000-1,000,000)
Alfa Romeo SZ Tonda
Picture: Osenat
Alfa Romeo’s comeback to the top of motorsport is symbolized by the 33. In 1960, as a response to Bertone’s Dash Speciale, Zagato launched the Zagato Dash. In comparison with its rival, the Dash Zagato is much extra sporty. With a most pace of 200 km/h, the Dash Zagato’s weight of simply 785 kg and round 115 horsepower made it an instantaneous favorite amongst racers. The specimen into account was provided brand-new to Jean Gonguet on February 16, 1962, by the Aix-les-Bains dealership. A semi-professional driver who raced primarily for AC Savoie, he participated within the Coupes du Salon in October 1962 and completed an honourable seventh total and first within the 1000/1300 cm3 class.
(Est. EUR 400,000-600,000)
Alfa Romeo SZ Coda Tronica
Picture: Osenat
With no wind tunnel, Zagato performed freeway checks with the devoted designer Ercole Spada sitting on the bottom as a timekeeper and the cornerstones serving as a information. After a couple of months, the result was prepared, and Zagato drove the modified SZ to victory on the 1961 Monza Grand Prix, defeating Micheloti’s upgraded SZ within the course of. In response to this success, the second collection of SZ started manufacturing. The second collection adopts all the options of the primary SZ mechanically. Apparently, the car misplaced 15 kg and now weighs 840 kg as a substitute of 850 kg after being longer. These upgrades have allowed the height pace to comfortably surpass 200 km/h, with a slight flirtation with 215 km/h. On 7 December 1962, the instance up for public sale departed the Zagato workshops. The automobile was delivered on 15 January 1963, by Louwman & Parqui, a Leidschendam-based Dutch importer. This is without doubt one of the few chassis with entrance disc brakes put in from the manufacturing facility.
(Est. EUR600,000-800,000)
Alfa Romeo Giulietta Spider
Picture: Osenat.
Seeing the opportunity of a roadster constructed from the soon-to-be-present Giulietta Dash, the Hoffman Motor Automobiles firm, primarily based in New York, turned the official importer of Alfa Romeo in america originally of the Fifties. Alfa Romeo and Hoffman labored intently collectively to design a roadster primarily based on the Giulietta Dash chassis in the direction of the top of 1953. Rudolf Hruska, the model’s engineer overseeing the Dash challenge, shall be accountable for growth. A motorised chassis is prepared fairly quickly. The quantity on it’s AR 1495 0000. This one goes to be saved from getting bodied.
Hruska contacted Bertone and Pininfarina, two Turin coachbuilders, asking them to tackle two chassis apiece. They’re accountable for implementing their recommendations for the upcoming “Giulietta Spider.” Chassis 003 and 002 shall be despatched to Pininfarina, who will use them to create two non-functional stylistic experiments. Following Max Hoffman’s design approval, chassis 0003 was as soon as extra transported to Turin to create a working prototype. This car is the one up for public sale. Its chassis will journey 4 instances on a spherical journey between New York and Turin for closing certification as soon as it has been re-bodied. Pininfarina has thereby defeated Bertone in securing the contract.
(Est. EUR350,000-450,000)
Alfa Romeo 750 SS
Picture: Osenat
Because of its good designer Franco Scaglione, Alfa Romeo and Bertone will work collectively to create extraordinary initiatives. The “Dash Speciale” was first developed in 1957 as a prototype by the “BAT” (Berlina Aerodinamica Tecnica) and “Disco Volante” Tasks, and it started to be produced in collection in 1959. The auto modified beginning in 1960 to satisfy American rules. About 100 models of the primary collection, the 750 SS, have been manufactured to obtain certification to be used in competitors. This specific collection is recognized by the “Muso Basso” snout and the shortage of bumpers.
The forty eighth produced mannequin up for public sale was delivered model new on August 19, 1959, by the Porto dealership in Portugal, with registration quantity OP 21-55. Manuel Nogueira Pinto, the famend Portuguese pilot of the Sixties, was its authentic proprietor. He competed in a number of occasions as quickly as he bought his automobile. Getting into underneath quantity 11, he completed second within the 1959 Vila do Conde occasion.
(Est. EUR300,000-350,000)
Alfa Romeo GTA
Picture: Osenat
The Giulia Dash GT’s official competitors model, the GTA, debuted in 1965 and was obtainable in racing (corsa) and street (stradale) configurations. The Autodelta manufacturing facility’s competitors part was accountable for the latter. The GTA’s aluminium physique panels, Plexiglas aspect and rear home windows, and light-weight inside fixtures set it aside. Consequently, the GTA weighs 200 kg lower than a Dash GT. Alfa’s iconic 1,570 cc twin-cam four-cylinder engine noticed vital adjustments for the GTA. The valve angle was lowered from 90 to 80 levels, and the valve dimension was considerably elevated. They determined to make use of twin ignition as a result of there was no extra prolonged area for a central spark plug between them. The up to date engine developed 115 horsepower in street trim and as much as 150 horsepower in race trim. On March 20, 1966, at Monza, the GTA made its racing debut when Andrea de Adamich and Teodoro Zeccoli received the Jolly Membership four-hour race.
(Est. EUR180,000-250,000)
Alfa Romeo TI
Picture: Osenat
Alfa Romeo views the Giulietta, born in 1955, as the brilliant spot within the in any other case troublesome post-war period for the Biscione firm. This compact but refined four-door sedan was ideally suited to its supposed use, as evidenced by its glorious driving traits and fairly priced end. 1957 noticed the introduction of the Tourisme Internationale (TI) version. A 1300 cc aluminium engine with double overhead camshafts powered it. Then, with 65 horsepower, it reached about 160 km/h.
It made a reputation in well-known competitions just like the Tour de France Auto, the Mille Miglia, and Monte Carlo. The car we’re showcasing was shipped brand-new from France on April 24, 1958, to the model’s Paris dealership in its present configuration: a Blue Elvezia with houndstooth trim and fabric. Its registration as 188 QF 31 in Haute Garonne in 1970 is the place we find its hint. As much as 1990, it’s going to keep within the Toulouse area. After that, a Charente Maritime fanatic purchased it and held it till 2001. It wanted to be in higher form when Mr. Bugnon purchased this Giulietta in July 2001.
(Est: EUR25,000-45,000)
Alfa Romeo-engined Race Boat
Picture: Osenat.
Identified for his outboard motor competitors hulls, Angelo Molinari was additionally energetic within the inboard racer courses, particularly within the 1300 cm3 class originally of the Sixties. The yacht we’re about to point out you was bought by the legendary racing driver Michel Barone in 1971. In 1971, the latter traded in his machine for this Racer to compete within the R2 class, utilizing a 1300 cm3 racer. With an Alfa Romeo engine rebored to 1,500 cm3 for the R2 competitors, Michel Barone may win the 1973 world championship with this boat. This boat is in fine condition however has been out of use for about ten years. Earlier than it may be used once more in competitions, it must be maintained and restarted.
(Est. EUR20,000-30,000)