1339 Type 23

Bugatti 23 1339 with engine 911 and gearbox 920 had been produced between 7 March and 22 May 1922. Its specifications were: 5 Roues RAF avec Pneus, a single magneto Bosch, eclairage electrique S.E.V. Outillage. It was delivered to the Swiss agent Addor & Cie in Lausanne Switzerland on 5.4.1922 for its first client Jules Friedlander, when it had a torpedo style body and rear wheel brakes only. The car has had a Swiss history all along. After extensive use he sold it to Mr Leuenberger, proprietor of a hosiery factory in Muuri Bern. He probably added the front wheel brakes with an Amilcar front axle and altered the bodywork to a two/three-seater cabriolet. It had a 2/3 seater Mathis body. In 1954 the car was sold separately to Mr Charles Ponchon-Galliadi in Wahren Switzerland. He acquired it at several meetings such as the Centenaire in 1981 and kept the car until his death in 1992 after which it was sold to Peter Jost who commissioned a complete restoration including the build of the burgundy and black body similar to the original one, and thick luxurious magnolia leather seats between 1994 and 1996. The mechanics were done by F. Rolli, the bodywork by R. Grubermann. The car participated at the IBR in Ibbenburen in 2006 (#21). It came up for sale at the auction of the Sportscar Company in 2007. It was offered from 2012 on at the Bonhams auction in Paris on February 2 2012 (during the Retromobile) sale 20999 (lot #221) where it was sold to the Belgian trader Erwin Beerens. He in turn sold it to the Frenchman Dominique Segard, who intends to keep it until it has reached the age of 100 years (5 April 1922).