25 most expensive cars in this week’s Mullin Collection sale

French delights – and more

Classic cars, ’bikes and horse-drawn carriages belonging to the world-famous classic car collector Peter Mullin, who died on 18 September 2023, will cross the block in a no-reserve auction on 26 April 2024.

The Gooding & Company sale will be held at the Mullin Automotive Museum in Oxnard, California, which closed on 10 February.

Here, we’re taking a look at the 25 most expensive lots going under the hammer, based on pre-sale estimates.

Mullin had a penchant for pre-war French Art Deco cars, so it will come as no surprise that Bugattis, Delages, Citroëns and the like dominate this list.

1. 1901 Decauville Roadster (est: $50-70,000)

This Decauville Roadster is from the dawn of motoring, so don’t expect the controls to be where you think they will be.

It’s an early multi-cylinder vehicle that was previously part of the Crawford Auto-Aviation Collection in Cleveland, Ohio.

It joined Peter Mullin’s collection in the 1990s.

2. 1911 Panhard Et Levassor X17 Sedanca de Ville (est: $50-70,000)

Extravagant and innovative, Panhard et Levassor was among the world’s first car makers.

The X17 was produced between 1911 and 1915, and this car was built with Sedanca de Ville bodywork, where the exposed driver’s seat is separate from the covered passenger compartment.

On the dashboard there’s a speedo that reads up to 80kph (50mph) and a switch that sends acetylene – a flammable gas – to the headlamps.

3. 1927 Bugatti Type 40 Faux Cabriolet (est: $50-75,000)

Peter Mullin bought 62 unrestored cars from a huge French collection, and this Bugatti Type 40 was one of them.

The Italian-born Schlumpf brothers owned a successful textiles company in Mulhouse, France, and they started storing classic cars in one of their factories.

When the business went bankrupt in the 1980s, the pair fled the country and the disgruntled workers discovered the cars, which were eventually seized by the French government.

In 2008, Mullin purchased a large chunk of the collection and it went on display in his museum, which opened in 2010.

4. 1973 Citroën DS23 Prestige (est: $60-80,000)

Coachbuilder Henri Chapron worked with Citroën to create unique creations for its most esteemed customers with a highly customisable DS based on the range-topping Pallas.

Roughly 450 Prestige-spec Citroën DS cars were built.

This one includes a glass divider between the front and rear seats, a fold-out desk, a drinks cabinet and even a humidity-controlled cigar box.

5. 1926 Avions Voisin Type C7 Lumineuse Saloon (est: $75-125,000)

Gabriel Voisin was an early advocate of comfort and safety in cars.

Big windows, plus adjustable seats and suspension were key features of the C7 Lumineuse that made everyday driving less of a chore.

It appears this approach worked because this car’s first owner kept it for 53 years.

6. 1924 Delage GL Skiff (est: $80-120,000)

The Delage GL made use of a strong chassis and a powerful straight-six engine to tempt buyers away from the likes of Rolls-Royce and Hispano-Suiza.

Peter Mullin bought this car as a restoration project in 2004. 

Although much of the work is complete, including the rebuilt wooden bodywork, the sale includes boxes of components that need to be reassembled.

7. 1935 Bugatti Type 57 Galibier (est: $80-120,000)

Another car from the Schlumpf Reserve Collection, this unrestored Bugatti Type 57 is very original.

Built in 1935, the Gangloff-bodied car was one of 700 Type 57s produced.

After it was bought by Fritz Schlumpf in 1963, the Bugatti was stored in a French barn for many years.

It joined Peter Mullin’s collection in 2008.

8. 1937 Bugatti Type 57 Galibier (est: $80-120,000)

Unlike the Gangloff-bodied Bugatti on the previous slide, this Type 57 was sent to Switzerland-based coachbuilder Graber for its four-door body.

The straight-eight-engined Bugatti stayed in Switzerland until it was bought by American car collector John Shakespeare, who then sold it to Fritz Schlumpf in the 1960s.

Stashed away in Schlumpf’s barn for decades, the Bugatti returned to the US when Mullin purchased a chunk of the collection in 2008.

9. 1937 Wanderer W25K Roadster (est: $80-120,000)

The first German vehicle in this list, the Wanderer W25K Roadster was one of the earliest models produced by Auto Union.

The company formed when Audi, DKW, Horch and Wanderer merged in 1932.

This car’s supercharged engine was designed by Ferdinand Porsche, who set up his consultancy company in 1931.

10. 1931 Bugatti Type 40A Roadster (est: $90-120,000)

The Bugatti Brescia’s successor, the Type 40, got an uprated 1.6-litre engine towards the end of its production run as it morphed into the sportier Type 40A.

This car is one of 30-something examples built and it wears bodywork designed by Jean Bugatti.

By the 1960s, this car had also joined John Shakespeare’s impressive hoard (at the time, it was the biggest American collection of Bugattis) before it returned to France as part of Hans and Fritz Schlumpf’s stash of rare vehicles.

11. 1927 Bugatti Type 40 ‘Break de Chasse’ (est: $100-150,000)

It’s not everyday that you see a Bugatti woodie.

This one-off Type 40 was first sold as a Gangloff-bodied saloon car, but its owner decided to turn it into something more practical in the 1930s or ’40s.

Other modifications included Houdaille shock absorbers up front and De Carbon dampers at the back.

12. 1947 Delahaye Type 135MS Coupe (est: $100-150,000)

Those who have visited the Mullin Automotive Museum may recognise this Delahaye, which was displayed in a mock-up barn.

The 135MS was added to Mullin’s collection in 1985, 25 years after it was imported to the US by American car dealer Otto Zipper.

It comes with plenty of history from a previous owner, whose letters and photographs provide details about the car’s early life.
 

13. 1928 Avions Voisin Type C14 Chartreuse Berline (est: $100-150,000)

Almost 1800 Avions Voisin Type C14s were built, making it one of the French marque’s most popular models. Today, approximately 100 examples remain.

The Voisin had a quiet, sleeve-valve engine and a strong aluminium body.

14. 1963 Citroën DS19 Concorde (est: $120-150,000)

This rare Citroën DS19 was one of Henri Chapron’s coachbuilt alternatives to the standard, factory-built car.

The one-of-38 Concorde was similar to Chapron’s other DS-based coupé, Le Dandy, but featured a longer, squared-off roofline to give back-seat passengers more room.
 

15. 1934 Bugatti Type 57 Ventoux (est: $125-175,000)

Jean Verdier took delivery of his new Bugatti Type 57 on 25 January 1935.

Verdier paid 66,240Fr for this straight-eight-powered coupé, which he kept until 1938 when he traded it in for another Type 57.

It has its original bodywork and engine, and is reportedly the perfect candidate for a top-level restoration.

16. 1932 Delage D8S Cabriolet (est: $125-175,000)

The D8 was the first Delage road car offered with an eight-cylinder engine.

This short-wheelbase D8S was the drop-top version of the sportiest model, which packed up to 145bhp.

It represents a high-water mark for Delage before it was bought by Delahaye in 1935.

17. 1938 Avions Voisin Type C30 Cabriolet (est: $150-250,000)

The Art Deco-style Type C30 was the last model unveiled by French marque Avions Voisin.

The supercharged two-door was first shown at the 1938 Paris motor show and 30 examples were built by the Société des Automobiles Voisin, which built cars under licence after the Voisin factory closed in 1936.

18. 1936 Bugatti Type 57 Ventoux (est: $200-250,000)

Jean Bugatti constantly fettled with the Type 57 following its introduction in 1934.

This resulted in three markedly different chassis and numerous special editions.

This 1936 car has a strengthened rear axle, upgraded brakes, plus a two-door body designed and built at Bugatti’s factory in Molsheim, France.

19. 1969 Citroën DS21 d’Usine Cabriolet (est: $200-250,000)

Henri Chapron had a good relationship with Citroën throughout the 1960s.

Not only did Citroën supply the Parisian coachbuilder with cars, but the two companies also co-operated on a number of factory-built models.

The Chapron-penned DS21 drop-top was one of them.

It was available by special order and cost about the same as two Citroën ID19 saloon cars.

20. 1956 Porsche 356A Super Speedster (est: $250-350,000)

Max Hoffman’s suggestion of a lightweight, cut-price Porsche 356 that could be used as a weekend racer resulted in the sub-$3000 Speedster.

This 356A-generation car (early cars were based on the pre-A 356) is a Super Speedster, which came new with an uprated version of Porsche’s air-cooled motor.

Apparently, it’s one of just 141 Speedsters that left the factory finished in black.

21. 1930 Bugatti Type 46 Semi-Profilée Coupe (est: $700-900,000)

This stunning Bugatti Type 46 has a comprehensive history file that stretches back to when it was ordered by Dr Vladimir Boruvka on 22 October 1929.

Most examples left the Molsheim works without bodywork and it’s believed that at least 45 different coachbuilders created designs for the Type 46.

Classic car collector Jack Braam Ruben bought this car in 2000.

The subsequent restoration included a switch to the Semi Profilée coachwork that it wears today.

22. 1937 Delage D8-120 Three-Position Cabriolet (est: $800-1m)

After Delahaye acquired Delage in 1935, the company decided that it would focus on building sporting models while Delage would produce luxury cars.

This Chapron-penned D8-120 was sold to an American film studio after WW2; it appeared in three movies in the 1950s, including An American in Paris.

The Delage was restored after Peter Mullin bought it in 1987 and it placed third in its class at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in 2016.

23. 1957 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Roadster (est: $1-1.3m)

As Mercedes-Benz wound down production of the 300SL Gullwing, the Roadster version appeared in 1956, first as a prototype and then as a production car the following year.

Peter Mullin bought this car in the mid-’90s and used it for trips around California.

Originally finished in Light Blue, it was repainted in German Racing Silver before it was added to Mullin’s collection.

24. 1938 Bugatti Type 57C Aravis ‘Special Cabriolet’ (est: $2.5-3.5m)

Coachbuilder Gangloff built four Bugatti Type 57C Aravis cabriolets.

Two were based on the standard Type 57 and two were based on the supercharged Type 57C – this is one of the latter.

The Aravis, named after a French mountain pass, was a striking two- or three-seat cabriolet.

Chassis 57768 was first sold to Bugatti works driver Maurice Trintignant, who raced it at the 1939 Grand Prix du Comminges in the south of France.

In 2005, three years after it joined the Mullin Collection, this Bugatti won First in Class at Pebble Beach.

25. 1933 Hispano-Suiza J12 Cabriolet (est: $2.5-3.5m)

With a 6ft-long bonnet and a 9.4-litre V12 engine, you’d struggle to miss this majestic classic car if you saw it on the road.

Designed by Swiss engineer Marc Birkigt, the J12 is one of Hispano-Suiza’s most celebrated models.

This car, chassis 14004, was awarded First in Class at Pebble Beach on three separate occasions – twice since it was acquired by Peter Mullin in 1991.

That’s your lot

Has anything caught your eye?

Be aware, many of the classic cars in this sale have been part of a static display for a long time and will need to be restored before they’re back on the road.

To see all the lots crossing the block at Gooding & Company’s Mullin Collection auction on 26 April 2024, please click here.