The car had been abandoned in a garage in Worcestershire, unused and unloved, covered with bags of rubbish and become blocked in by trees and debris.
Engineer Alan Riley, who bought the car in 1987 was convinced that it was a real Grand Prix-winning Bugatti Type 51 worth up to USD 32,48000, the 'Daily Mail' reported.
Riley believed the car was the Bugatti that won the 1931 Casablanca Grand Prix, driven by Count Stanislas Czaykowski.
However, when he died earlier this year after a long illness the UK's leading Bugatti expert David Sewell determined it is almost certainly a very skilfully executed replica, although it may contain parts of the Czaykowski car.
The car was probably made in the early 1980s by Keith Butti of Upminster who had since become notorious for making a number of very convincing replica Bugattis using a mixture of genuine and reproduction parts.
"The lower estimate was USD 162200 so we're absolutely delighted with the price. There was lots of interest on the phones and in the room. It exceeded expectations," James Dennison of Brightwells Auctioneers said.
