This outstanding car is indeed a Bugatti Grand Prix, a Type 51 (chassis #51133) originally owned by Louis Chiron.
André Bith bought it in June 1936 and he decided to transform his Grand Prix Bugatti into a coupe. In April 1937, Bith ordered a new body from Louis Dubos, a coachbuilder who had his workshop at rue de Sablonville, Paris. Dubos was a coachbuilder working mainly on medium range cars (Citroën, Peugeot, Delahaye …) and also busses.
The design of the coupé has been drawing by André Bith himself, being definitely inspired by the famous Bugatti Type 57s Atlantic. The cost of the body was of 20,000 French francs, for comparison a Citroën Traction Avant 7cv was priced new 22,500 FFR.
Painted in Bugatti racing blue, Bith participated to the Paris-Nice rally of 1937, see the picture.
Few weeks later, the T51, repainted in a darker blue, was presented by Jacqueline Ganet, Bith’s girl friend, to the concours d’élégance organized by the newspaper L’Auto, in June 1937.
The car was sold by Bith in Fall 1938.
Today 51133 with its original body can be seen in the Nethercutt collection in California.
