in 1964, fishing equipment magnate John Shakespeare sold his collection of thirty Bugattis and a horde of rare parts to the infamous Fritz Schlumpf for less than $250,000. If you haven't been to the Schlumpf museum in Mulhouse, France you are missing something.
The collection included a Royale similar to one that sold just eighteen years later for $8.7 million. I have only seen two of them in my life. The one here in France and the other was in my hometown ares at Henry Ford's Greenfield Village. Reason for Shakespeare's sale, according to the December, 1964 issue of Sports Car Graphic: “To devote more time to his newest hobbies, skiing and skindiving.” Of course, Shakespeare had plenty of money so I doubt that he ever felt like a chump about his end of the deal.
