1928 Bugatti Type 35B Boattail Speedster

This 1928 Bugatti Type 35B is a Pur Sang recreation that is identical to the original car. It is finished in blue paintwork with matching black upholstery. It has traveled less than 100 miles in its life with only minor indications of its age. It is equipped with a straight-eight supercharged engine with nine-roller bearings capable of producing 130 horsepower. There is a four-speed manual gearbox with four-wheel mechanical drum brakes. In the front are Marchal headlights and comes equipped with a side-mounted spare.

The Type 35B Bugatti's had a very glorious racing career, one that captured 412 racing victories. It was a dominant force in international competition from 1924 through 1929 and one of the most respected vehicles from the Ettore Bugatti legacy.

The Type 35 made its racing debut at the French Grand Prix in 1924. It was able to exceed speeds of 100 mph. With the adoption of the supercharged in 1926, horsepower rose from 90 to 130. Speeds of 120 mph were now able to be obtained for the lightweight and nimble 800kg machine.

This recreation, with chassis number 4938 and should no way be confused with the Molsheim-built Bugatti T35B bearing the same number, was offered for sale at the 2008 Automobiles of Amelia presented by RM Auctions. The estimated value was set at $175,000 - $225,000, which was not obtained. Bidding reached $160,000, which was not enough to satisfy the reserve and the car was left unsold.

By Daniel Vaughan | Mar 2008