Monterey earthquake: Bugattis on the block

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One of the finest private collections of Bugattis in the world will be sold at Gooding & Co.’s Pebble Beach auction in Monterey Aug. 16 and 17. The collection, owned by the late Dr. Peter Williamson and his wife, Susan, will be auctioned off to benefit the Dartmouth Medical School, where Dr. Williamson was a professor.

The 12 featured cars include a Type 57SC Atalante, a Type 35B supercharged grand prix car (ex-Louis Chiron) and the Type 55 ‘Jean Bugatti Roadster.’ For the uninitiated, Bugattis are among the most beautiful and evocative of prewar classics. The company only made a few thousand cars in its time, but they were always remarkable. The marque amassed scores of wins in grand prix and road racing, while at the same time building some of the most significant luxury cars ever, such as the storied Bugatti Type 41 Royale. The collection is expected to fetch more than $15 million. Here’s a few pictures.

1937 Bugatti Type 57SC Atalante Coupe -- considered the most prestigious car in the collection; the two-toned color is known as London Fog.

1931 Bugatti Type 55 ‘Jean Bugatti Roadster’ -- one of the most important and memorable of Bugatti sports cars, it was the first of its kind ever built.

1928 Bugatti Type 35B Grand Prix -- the supercharged engine in this car set new standards for performance in the industry at the time it was built.

-- Dan Neil