Swaggerish1s

The thing about vintage cars is that you just can’t name a price. You’d like to, but you are sure to be beaten when the hammer falls courtesy of some auto crazed fan that’s just bonkers for oldies. Bonhams auction house is conducting its inaugural annual “Weekend de l’Excellence Automobile” at Reims on September 26, and the event will be marked by a Bugatti model from 1912. This model has the distinction of being driven by none other than Ettore Bugatti (at Le Mans and the Mont Ventoux Hill Climb) and is accordingly expected to fetch anywhere up to $3.4 million at the auction. The list of its former owners is rather impressive, with the Duke of Bavaria and Nigel Arnold-Forster (U.K.-based classic car engineer) among others. This two-seater 5-liter “Type 18” is one of the three surviving machines that were originally manufactured by Ettore. The tag, therefore, is more than likely to be reached.

And for people looking beyond Bugatti, Reims will also see a 1937 Mercedes Benz 540K Cab. C and a 1968 Ferrari 330 GTS convertible up for grabs. These are likely to appeal to those looking to satisfy an itch for vintage at a reasonable price.