Mick WALSH

'Had someone said that this worn-looking titan would win the most famous old-car event, we would have laughed'

- Mick Walsh

It's hard to believe that the fantastically original Bugatti Type 59 Sports that was crowned Best of Show at this year's Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance had, in 2008, arrived in a box-trailer at C&SC's studio. Renowned Bugatti specialist Tim Dutton had tipped me off about its arrival from New York for a mechanical rebuild at his workshop, and asked the new owner if we could photograph the great Bugatti before it was refurbished.

On that September morning I likely broke my record for cycling to our Teddington office to help unload this Molsheim marvel, which since 1989 had been in American ownership and rarely seen. The prospect of studying its amazingly original condition and helping snapper Peter Spinney was a dream day at work. Better still, we had the bonus insight into the great car's design from Bugatti guru Tim.