Beschreibung
This auction has been extended to 26 February on - details above. RESERVE HAS BEEN MET!
This example of the TEAL T44 is believed the be the only four-seater vehicle ever built by the company. Bought by the current owner in 2013 to be used in his wedding car business, it is tax exempt by virtue of having a 1971 registration date on the V5 registration document. With only 13, 000 miles on the odometer, the MOT has just been renewed and the car is freshly serviced and ready for its new owner to enjoy.
The majority of the Bugatti replicas you’ll come across span the spectrum of horrific through to amusing. And yet, among the dross, there is the odd gem, and one of the most polished are the cars engineered by Trafford Engineering Automotive Limited, or TEAL.
From an inauspicious start in 1983 (a VW Beetle-based, rear-engined, glassfibre-bodied replica provided the initial inspiration…), the three founders - one of whom was a Daimler chassis engineer, which is always a good place to start when you’re designing your own car - eventually created the front-engined, alloy bodied T35 replica, a pretty, delicate evocation of the Bugatti of the same name.
The firm flourished - largely because they did the job properly - and the range eventually expanded to include the T44 you’re looking at here.
Finished in navy blue, the steel coachwork is an impressively accurate copy of the original Bugatti Type 44 and the attention to detail is obvious: King Of The Road-style headlamps dominate the imposing radiator grille, which is, of course, topped off with a period Boyce Motometer thermometer.
The paintwork is still glossy and the panel gaps are impressively tight and even. There are some small stone chips but there doesn’t look to be anything that would cause us even a moment’s concern.
The vintage look is further enhanced by the 18-inch knock-on spoked wheels, which are finished in red and shod with Blockley period-style tyres. However, while the rear-mounted spare tyre looks to be unused, the paint on all five wheels is rather faded in places, most notably on the nearside front.
The extensive chromework is generally bright, shiny and free of serious pits and damage although the chrome is flaking away on the nearside headlamp. The nearside front indicator is also showing some pitting and rusting.
The car also comes with a full length tonneau cover, side screens, and a folding hood, all of which are finished in a very attractive tan material and are in good condition.
Please note that the text above is just a summary of our listing and the price here is just an estimate. Please click on the link above, or visit our website themarket. co. uk for the complete description plus at least 100 photos and videos fully illustrating the car and its service history. All bidding occurs through our website, and our website listing is the best place to ask questions directly to the seller.
The vehicle can be viewed in Reading.
We are running online classic auctions continuously, please sign up on our website to receive a weekly auction-listing update.
