Paris Highlife
‘Forget barn finds—lake finds are where the real excitement is!’
The Legend Begins: Paris, 1934
René Dreyfus, One of France’s most celebrated race car drivers, renowned for his skill and charm, was at the centre of a captivating tale in the glamorous world of motorsport.
Dreyfus was on a losing streak in a high-stakes poker game in Paris.
He wagered his beloved Bugatti Type 22 Brescia Roadster with little cash and lost it to Swiss playboy Adalbert Bodé.
The Swiss Playboy took possession of the Bugatti as a trophy but faced difficulties at the Swiss-Italian border, where customs demanded import duties.
Unable or unwilling to pay, Bodé abandoned the car. Swiss customs officials eventually dumped it into Lake Maggiore, where it remained submerged for 73 years.
In 2009, the rusted remains of the Bugatti were recovered from Lake Maggiore, capturing the imagination of car enthusiasts and historians alike.
In 2010, the car was sold at Bonhams’ auction in Paris for £294,000 to Peter Mullin, a renowned car collector, who chose not to restore it but to display it as an art piece.
The Bugatti resided in the Mullin Automotive Museum in California until February 2024, when it was closed following Peter Mullin’s death.
The Bugatti was displayed in a dimly lit room that echoes the car’s underwater resting place.
While the story of Dreyfus losing the Bugatti in a poker game is a fascinating piece of automotive folklore, its authenticity remains debated, with some suggesting it might be more legend than fact.
The tale of René Dreyfus and the lost Bugatti continues to captivate. It blends the glamour of early motorsport with the intrigue of lost treasures, making it a story that transcends time.
Whether entirely true or not, the Bugatti Type 22 Brescia Roadster’s story remains a captivating narrative that intertwines the worlds of racing, high society, and the mystique of lost and found treasures.
‘From the high life of Paris to the low life under Lake Maggiore—this Bugatti’s journey is the stuff of legends.’
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