Swiss Millionaire Gerald Bugnon’s incredible collection of race and sports cars, valued at an estimated £6 million (approximately USD 7.5 Million), will be auctioned on Sunday, April 21, at the French Osenat auction house. The collection includes an Alfa Romeo-powered race boat and eight cars from the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s.
Motivated by an ardent love for the Italian brand, Mr Bugnon has meticulously curated this remarkable assortment of Alfa Romeos, and their auction is sure to generate considerable enthusiasm at the Osenat sale devoted to them. Every model, from the sleek and capable 1958 Giulietta TI sedan to the incredible 1965 Alfa Romeo Racer water sports vehicle and the magnificent 1969 Tipo 33/2 Daytona, epitomises passion, perfection, and invention. These rare classic cars have set performance, technology and timeless aesthetics standards.
Experts and enthusiasts concur that this is a significant collection with historical implications for Alfa Romeo. The cars’ glitz and appeal are increased because many have race victories.
Gerald Bugnon’s rare collection of Alfa Romeo sports cars. Image: Osenat.
A vacation to the Val d’Isère ski slopes marked the beginning of the Gérald Bugnon collection. An Alfa-Romeo Giulietta Ti passed the Bugnon family as they approached the station. As this stunning Italian automobile sped by them, the father and son David were enthralled by its thunderous sound.
David Bugnon explains, “From then on, I never stopped pestering my father to buy an Alfa Romeo. And that’s what he did, buying a Giulietta for himself and a GTV for my mother. He has remained loyal to the brand for many years throughout his professional career.”
When he was fifty years old, Gerald Bugnon decided to compile a Giulietta collection. He got an SS after first acquiring a Spider. After studying and learning about Alfa-Romeo’s past, he concentrated on the rarest and most exquisite vehicles as he built his collection. He took part in multiple rallies at the same time.
David opines, “My father combines two passions: Alfa-Romeos and his friends. When he signed up for the historic Monte-Carlo Rally, he lined up four or five cars, which he lent to his friends for the race. The Bugnon family has always maintained relations with Alfa Romeo from this, and my grandparents, my parents, myself and now my children have all driven Alfa Romeos.”
In addition, David further explains, “As my father was racing more and more in VHC (historic competition vehicles), he created a team engaged in VHC: Il Biscione Corsa Rossa. And as he didn’t do things by halves, he hired drivers (all ex-Swiss champions) to host the various championships. In these rallies, drivers like Romain Dumas and his dad Maurice or the famous Swiss tightrope walker Olivier Gillet, accompanied by his compatriot and sailor, Steve Ravussin, were able to defend the colours of Il Biscione Corsa Romand, a team he created for participants in the VHC European Rally Championship.”
This demand was also demonstrated by the need to supply spare parts and provide post-race servicing while maintaining the utmost regard for each vehicle’s history. That indicated that the team race stable was working very hard. Olivier Gillet, his mechanic, pilot, and right-hand man who handled transportation, administration, and everything else, helped him with this over the years.
Time To Sell
“But now the time has come to sell the collection. My father still has a passion for Alfa Romeos, but to a lesser extent now, as other activities prevent us from fully enjoying this incredible collection and maintaining it as it should be. For this reason, we decided to part with the “historical” part of the collection and keep only the latest cars acquired by the family,” enthuses David.
Alfa Romeo 33
Image: Osenat
The Alfa Romeo 33 represents the brand’s comeback to the top motorsport division. Alfa Romeo withdrew from all international competitions at the end of 1951, and the renowned Disco Volante, which was supposed to compete in the 1952 Le Mans 24 Hours, would never take the racecourse. Thanks to the amazing GTA, TZ, and TZ2, Alfa Romeo regained competitive success at the start of the 1960s with the help of Autodelta. Alfa Romeo will be compelled by these achievements to think about competing internationally once more. Therefore, project 105.33 was started in September 1964. The initial prototype with the TZ2 engine was manufactured in September 1965. The engineers decided on a two-litre V8 engine, which had been covertly built in the 1950s. With the Alfa Romeo 33, the company 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 built to compete in the Sports Prototype championship.
(Est. EUR 2,000,000-2,500,000)
Alfa Romeo TZ
Image: Osenat
Alfa Romeo started developing the sports Giulietta’s replacement at the start of the 1960s. Mechanically speaking, the new Giulia has a 1570 cm3 engine that has been significantly updated for the model year with an aluminium block and cylinder head. With two Weber 40 double-barrel carburettors, it can produce 170 horsepower in competition and 112 in civilian use. The bodywork is given to Zagato, who will assign the job to Ercole Spada after reviewing the work completed on the SZ Coda Tronca. It will provide an exceptionally aerodynamic line. The end product was one of its era’s most incredible race vehicles. Alfa Romeo produced 112 examples in total, assuming that 100 examples were planned initially. The history of the vehicle up for auction starts 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
Image: Osenat
Alfa Romeo’s comeback to the pinnacle of motorsport is symbolized by the 33. In 1960, as a reaction to Bertone’s Sprint Speciale, Zagato introduced the Zagato Sprint. Compared to its rival, the Sprint Zagato is far more sporty. With a maximum speed of 200 km/h, the Sprint Zagato’s weight of just 785 kg and around 115 horsepower made it an instant favourite among racers. The specimen under consideration was supplied 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 in the Coupes du Salon in October 1962 and finished an honourable seventh overall and first in the 1000/1300 cm3 class.
(Est. EUR 400,000-600,000)
Alfa Romeo SZ Coda Tronica
Image: Osenat
Without a wind tunnel, Zagato conducted highway tests with the devoted designer Ercole Spada sitting on the ground as a timekeeper and the cornerstones serving as a guide. After a few months, the outcome was ready, and Zagato drove the modified SZ to victory at the 1961 Monza Grand Prix, defeating Micheloti’s upgraded SZ in the process. In response to this success, the second series of SZ began manufacturing. The second series adopts all of the features of the first SZ mechanically. Interestingly, the automobile lost 15 kg and now weighs 840 kg instead of 850 kg after being longer. These upgrades have allowed the peak speed to comfortably surpass 200 km/h, with a slight flirtation with 215 km/h. On 7 December 1962, the example up for auction departed the Zagato workshops. The car was delivered on 15 January 1963, by Louwman & Parqui, a Leidschendam-based Dutch importer. This is one of the few chassis with front disc brakes installed from the factory.
(Est. EUR600,000-800,000)
Alfa Romeo Giulietta Spider
Image: Osenat.
Seeing the possibility of a roadster built from the soon-to-be-present Giulietta Sprint, the Hoffman Motor Cars company, based in New York, became the official importer of Alfa Romeo in the United States at the beginning of the 1950s. Alfa Romeo and Hoffman worked closely together to design a roadster based on the Giulietta Sprint chassis towards the end of 1953. Rudolf Hruska, the brand’s engineer overseeing the Sprint project, will be responsible for development. A motorised chassis is ready quite rapidly. The number on it is AR 1495 0000. This one is going to be kept from getting bodied.
Hruska contacted Bertone and Pininfarina, two Turin coachbuilders, asking them to take on two chassis apiece. They are responsible for implementing their suggestions for the upcoming “Giulietta Spider.” Chassis 003 and 002 will be sent to Pininfarina, who will use them to create two non-functional stylistic experiments. Following Max Hoffman’s design approval, chassis 0003 was once more transported to Turin to create a working prototype. This vehicle is the one up for auction. Its chassis will travel four times on a round trip between New York and Turin for final certification once it has been re-bodied. Pininfarina has thereby defeated Bertone in securing the contract.
(Est. EUR350,000-450,000)
Alfa Romeo 750 SS
Image: Osenat
Thanks to its brilliant designer Franco Scaglione, Alfa Romeo and Bertone will work together to create extraordinary projects. The “Sprint Speciale” was first developed in 1957 as a prototype by the “BAT” (Berlina Aerodinamica Tecnica) and “Disco Volante” Projects, and it began to be produced in series in 1959. The automobile changed starting in 1960 to meet American regulations. About 100 units of the first series, the 750 SS, were manufactured to receive certification for use in competition. This particular series is identified by the “Muso Basso” snout and the lack of bumpers.
The 48th produced model up for auction was delivered brand new on August 19, 1959, by the Porto dealership in Portugal, with registration number OP 21-55. Manuel Nogueira Pinto, the renowned Portuguese pilot of the 1960s, was its original owner. He competed in multiple events as soon as he got his car. Entering under number 11, he finished second in the 1959 Vila do Conde event.
(Est. EUR300,000-350,000)
Alfa Romeo GTA
Image: Osenat
The Giulia Sprint GT’s official competition version, the GTA, debuted in 1965 and was available in racing (corsa) and road (stradale) configurations. The Autodelta factory’s competition section was in charge of the latter. The GTA’s aluminium body panels, Plexiglas side and rear windows, and lightweight interior fixtures set it apart. As a result, the GTA weighs 200 kg less than a Sprint GT. Alfa’s iconic 1,570 cc twin-cam four-cylinder engine saw significant changes for the GTA. The valve angle was lowered from 90 to 80 degrees, and the valve size was significantly increased. They decided to use twin ignition because there was no more extended space for a central spark plug between them. The updated engine developed 115 horsepower in road trim and up to 150 horsepower in race trim. On March 20, 1966, at Monza, the GTA made its racing debut when Andrea de Adamich and Teodoro Zeccoli won the Jolly Club four-hour race.
(Est. EUR180,000-250,000)
Alfa Romeo TI
Image: Osenat
Alfa Romeo views the Giulietta, born in 1955, as the bright spot in the otherwise difficult post-war era for the Biscione company. This compact yet sophisticated four-door sedan was ideally suited for its intended use, as evidenced by its excellent driving characteristics and reasonably priced finish. 1957 saw the introduction of the Tourisme Internationale (TI) edition. A 1300 cc aluminium engine with double overhead camshafts powered it. Then, with 65 horsepower, it reached about 160 km/h.
It made a name in well-known competitions like the Tour de France Auto, the Mille Miglia, and Monte Carlo. The vehicle we are showcasing was shipped brand-new from France on April 24, 1958, to the brand’s Paris dealership in its current configuration: a Blue Elvezia with houndstooth trim and upholstery. Its registration as 188 QF 31 in Haute Garonne in 1970 is where we locate its trace. Up to 1990, it will stay in the Toulouse region. After that, a Charente Maritime enthusiast bought it and held it until 2001. It needed to be in better shape when Mr. Bugnon bought this Giulietta in July 2001.
(Est: EUR25,000-45,000)
Alfa Romeo-engined Race Boat
Image: Osenat.
Known for his outboard motor competition hulls, Angelo Molinari was also active in the inboard racer classes, especially in the 1300 cm3 class at the beginning of the 1960s. The yacht we are about to show you was purchased by the legendary racing driver Michel Barone in 1971. In 1971, the latter traded in his machine for this Racer to compete in the R2 class, using a 1300 cm3 racer. With an Alfa Romeo engine rebored to 1,500 cm3 for the R2 competition, Michel Barone could win the 1973 world championship with this boat. This boat is in good shape but has been out of use for about ten years. Before it can be used again in competitions, it needs to be maintained and restarted.
(Est. EUR20,000-30,000)
