The Bugatti that Spent 73 Years in a Swiss Lake

An extremely rare 1925 open-top Type 22 Bugatti Brescia was recovered after spending 73 years at the bottom of Lake Maggiore in Switzerland. Now, it will be sold and is expected to fetch more than $129,645, the same as a brand new luxury motor.

Named after the Italian track where the model took the top four places at a race in 1921, the Bugatti Brescia that spent 73 years under water has resurfaced and is expected to make a splash when it’s sold on January 23 at the Bonhams Retromobile sale in France.

Experts believe that the car belong to Max Schmuklerski, a Swiss-Polish architect who left the luxury car in store in a builder’s yard. According to reports, the builder, tired of being pestered by customs officials to pay the import taxes on the car, “pushed it into the Lake Maggiore in 1936.” The story of the “drowned Bugatti” was regarded locally as folklore until it was found by a diver 160 feet below the surface in 1967.

It’s likely that collectors and/or museums will be interested in buying the amazing car that has such a great history. It’s estimated that approximately 20 percent of the vehicle is salvageable.

Source