For Sale at Auction: 1928 Bugatti Type 44 in Carmel, California

Chassis No. 44437
Engine No. 154

Acclaimed by the contemporary motoring press as the true gentleman's motorcar, the Type 44 succeeded the Type 38 with increased displacement, enlarging Bugatti's celebrated inline-eight to 3.0 liters. It also benefited from a new nine-main-bearing crankshaft running in plain bearings, bringing improved performance as well as greater driving comfort. The traditional qualities of Molsheim-built touring cars were complemented by comfortable and spacious coachwork, a combination that contributed to the model's commercial success.

In July 1928, the Figoni coachwork register records Invoice No. 225 to Bugatti Paris for chassis number 44437: a four-seat body built under the patent of racing driver Jean Vizcaya, commissioned for Mr. McConnell at 18,000 French Francs.

Several months earlier, Bugatti factory records dated 3 April 1928 show that chassis numbers 44436 through 44450 had been allocated to the Paris showroom or stock "Magasin" rather than to importers or specific customer orders, according to a digital copy accompanying the car. A separate accounting document further records chassis 44437 as having been invoiced to Bugatti's Paris sales office, the Societe des Ventes, for 45,684 French Francs.

The early documentation provided by Bugatti historian and marque authority Peter Larsen also includes a digital copy of the original customs records confirming that the Bugatti was shipped aboard the Saint Andrew on 9 August 1928, crated for Southampton before continuing on to McConnell in Montreal.

John W. McConnell, a businessman who began his career at fourteen, was also a man of taste. Once his fortune was made, as owner and publisher of the Montreal Star and a board member of fifteen companies, he became an art collector and philanthropist. A discerning Bugatti enthusiast, McConnell acquired this Type 44 as well as a Type 57 through British Bugatti importer Colonel Sorel in London.

According to Joseph Figoni: Le Grand Couturier de la Carrosserie Automobile by Peter M. Larsen and Ben Erickson, which devotes 12 pages to chassis 44437, scanned copies of which are available in the file, the next recorded owner was D. Cameron Peck, who sold the car to Tom Carstens of Washington State in 1950 for $1,350. Carstens subsequently sold it to Connecticut resident Ken Purdy, author of Kings of the Road, who commissioned a complete restoration by pre-war specialists James Hoe and Bunny Phillips.

It is known that chassis 44437 became separated from its original engine at some point during the 20th century. The original unit, engine no. 154, eventually found its way into the hands of Bugatti specialist Ivan Dutton in England and, following a commercial exchange, was reunited with its original chassis in 1994.

In 1972, Theodore Waugh acquired the Bugatti from Mrs. Purdy. During his ownership, the body was restored by Gus Reuter, who applied the present livery and fitted a windshield as the car had likely never previously been equipped with one. Waugh, whose Bugatti collection was among the finest of its kind, retained the car for over 50 years before it was offered at public sale in 2024.

A comprehensive mechanical recommissioning program totaling nearly $70,000 was undertaken under the current ownership in 2025. Every component was subjected to an exceptionally meticulous inspection, down to the smallest fastener and gasket. Carried out to the highest standards of authenticity and craftsmanship, the work is comprehensively documented by detailed invoices accompanying the car's file. The work included an overhaul of the starter motor with replacement of the Bendix drive; fabrication of a new fuel tank; cleaning of the carburetor and intake system together with replacement of the fuel line; inspection of the cylinders; servicing of both the differential and gearbox; restoration of the clutch; cleaning and adjustment of the braking system; fitting of four new tires; and a comprehensive major service incorporating lubrication of all mechanical components.

Having been reunited with its original, matching-numbers engine, extensively documented by Bugatti historian Peter Larsen, and having received the finest care last year, this Type 44 presents a rare opportunity to acquire the quintessential gentleman's motorcar, celebrated by the contemporary motoring press and distinguished by elegant Figoni coachwork that makes it eligible for the world's foremost concours d'elegance.