1927 Bugatti Type 35B news, pictures, and information

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Boattail Racer
Chassis Num: 4884

The Bugatti Type 35B marked the introduction of a supercharger to the Type 35 line of Grand Prix cars. The Type 35B was built alongside the Type 39, which was designed in accord with updated 1926 Grand Prix regulation imposing an engine capacity of 1.5-liters. Bugatti reduced the bore of the existing Type 35 engine and, to compensate for the smaller displacement, a Roots supercharger was added. The 35B began an era of blown Bugattis that would last until the Type 57.

This vehicle is a 1927 Bugatti Type 35B with chassis number 4884. It was originally delivered by the factory in April 1927 to Matarazzo in Sao Paulo, where it was extensively raced in South America prior to World War II.

After a series of owners in South America, including being run as a dirt track speed car, the car came to Australia where it was restored in the early 1990's. It has participated in historic racing and rallies in Australia, Europe, and the USA.

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Boattail Racer
Chassis Num: 4849

Formerly owned by Le Mans winner Duncan Hamilton.

An excerpt from Duncan Hamilton's autobiography Touch Wood. where he recounts a particularly challenging preparation session for a hill climb:

'We worked all weekend to get it ready for a meeting at Shelsley. I was so anxious to road test her when we had finished that I did not take into account the fact that we had fitted twin-rears in readiness for the hill-climbs. I arrived at the exit doing perhaps fifty miles an hour, only to find that though my front wheels passed through safely enough, the gap was too narrow to accommodate twin-rears, and I left the entire back axle assembly behind. There was nothing for it but to begin all over again. We worked all day-various odd
friends lending a hand from time to time -- and then right through the night; it was not until ten-thirty the next morning that she was ready for the road once again. I was so tired that I completely forgot about the twin-rears and proceeded to execute a repeat performance of the previous day's happenings. Once again the back axle assembly and the car parted company, to the astonishment, not only of myself, but of all the well-wishers who had gathered to lend a hand and to offer encouragement.

Ownership History
This Bugatti Type 35B has led a long and active life spanning nearly 80 years. It served its first owner as a road car and then began an active racing career which endured into the 1950's. It was most notably driven
by Jaguar LeMans winner, Duncan Hamilton, in the mid 1940's and remained competitive even during that period. It later found a home at the Harrah's Automobile Museum in Reno, Nevada where it was restored to its former glory. Since the mid 1980's it has been in the William Lyon Family Collection. It is as much a piece of automotive history as art.

Bugatti Chassis No 4849 was one of only two Type 35B's imported new to England. It was unusually delivered by road under its own power from Molsheim to London. No 4849 was received in May of 1927 by Alexander Keiller, a member of the Scottish family business famous for jams and marmalades. Keiller was not a racing driver but rather an enthusiastic owner who enjoyed driving his cars on the public highway, notably in his native Scotland. Like the Type 35 he owned previously, Keiller had No 4849 painted black. He kept this car for no less than seven years before trading it to Thomson & Taylor's the Brooklands-based
racing car specialists. After years of road use No 4849's racing career would begin in earnest when it was purchased by CEC (Charlie) Martin in 1934.
Martin was an active racer, having campaigned a Type 37 throughout 1932 and 1933. He recalled the car fondly in the January 1937 issue of Bugantics, the Bugatti Owner's Club Magazine, where Martin provided a very detailed account of the modifications he made to the car and his racing successes. At some point during Martin's ownership, he repainted No 4849 blue. Having ordered a new Type 59 from the
factory, Martin sold No. 4849 at the end of the 1935 season to the Hon. Jack Leith. Leith raced the car with a fair degree of success throughout 1935 and the start of the 1936 season, like Martin principally at Brooklands and Donington, then the only two English racing circuits. He also entered events at other venues, notable at Shelsley Walsh and in Ireland for the Mannin Moar race where he unavoidably collided with an errant Alfa Romeo on the second lap. At some point during his ownership of the car, No 4849 was repainted red. Thought it appears possible that No 4849 may have had another owner briefly, in 1936
it passed to Andrew Leitch who made his debut appearance with it at the Brooklands Whitsun meeting held on June 1, 1936 when he also drove the Type 37 in which he had competed during the previous season.

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Boattail Racer
Chassis Num: 4817
Engine Num: 194T

This 1927 Bugatti Type 35B Grand Prix car has its original body and chassis. Mounted under the bonnet is a factory-works-prepared 35B racing engine formerly in chassis number 4939. This car is chassis number 4817, though it is currently badged and titled as chassis number 4939. This assignment was based upon the chassis number originally associated with the engine.

This car, chassis number 4817, was sent to Louis Chiron and first registered in the name of Marius Giraud. By 1929, the third owner, Roger Morand, was in possession of the car. It would be in his care until 1936, a period of time that was recorded in history as having many racing adventures. One of the races was the 1933 Grand Prix Lwowa in Poland. History does not record that this was the car that raced; what is known is that a Type 35B was raced by Roger Morand during this period of time. There is record of chassis 4817 being driven in the Klausenrennen Hillclimb in 1934.

Several other owners cared for this car during the years. It was acquired by Dr. Milton Roth and later brought to the US where it was purchased by Bob Hammel. Hammel had the car restored and used it regularly touring the Southern California countryside, making grocery runs and transporting the family from place-to-place.

In 1964, the car was purchased by Dr. Peter and Susan Williamson. During the 1970s, the car was carefully and accurately restored, and finished in black with red leather interior. There are proper eight-spoke alloy wheels, large integral brake drums, full road equipment, cycle fenders, Marchal headlights, Scintilla taillight, dual aeroscreens, a single side-mounted spare wheel and tire, and an instrument-panel-mounted Jaeger clock.

The engine is a 2.3-liter inline eight-cylinder unit fitted with single overhead camshafts, a single Zenith carburetors and a Roots supercharger.

In 2008, this Type 35B Grand Prix car was offered for sale at the Gooding & Company auction held in Pebble Beach, CA. The car was estimated to sell for $1,100,000 - $1,600,000 and offered without reserve. As the gavel fell for the third and final time, the car had sold for $1,457,500, including buyer's premium.

Though it is personal preference the Bugatti Type 35 is regarded by many as one of the most beautiful pre-war racer from the legendary Bugatti Company. Its beauty is matched by its accomplishments, being one of the most successful pre-war racer winning over 1000 races and capturing the 1926 Grand Prix World Championship with 351 races. During that two year period it also claimed 47 records. From 1925 through 1929 the Bugatti Type 35 dominated the Targa Florio.

The first Bugatti Type 35 was introduced on August 3rd, 1924. It was powered by a modified engine used in the Type 29. The 3-valve 2-liter overhead cam straight-eight engine had five main bearings and producing around 90 horsepower. The suspension was comprised of leaf springs attached to solid axles. Stopping power was provided by drum brakes in the rear operated by cables which could be seen on the exterior of the vehicle. In total, there were 96 examples produced.

There were multiple versions of the Type 35 which were specifically designed to accommodate many types of racers. The Type 35A, nicknamed 'Tecla' was an inexpensive version of the Type 35 and made its first appeared in May of 1925. Its nickname was given by the public after a maker of imitation jewelry. The engine was a reliable unit borrowed from the Type 30. It used three bearings, had smaller valves, coil ignition, and produced less horsepower than its Type 35 sibling. In total 139 examples of the Type 35A were created.

Though Ettore Bugatti favored naturally aspirated engines, the Type 35C was given a Roots-Type supercharger which boosted power to an impressive 128 horsepower. There were only fifty examples created with many providing historic victories for the company. The Type 35C won the 1928 and 1930 French Grand Prix, undoubtedly their greatest accomplishments.

The Bugatti Type 35T, commonly known as the Targa Florio, was specially prepared for the Targa Florio race. There were only thirteen examples produced. It was powered by a 2.3 liter engine. When Grand Prix rules changed stating that engine displacement sizes of up to 2 liters were required, the Type 35T became obsolete and production ceased.

The Bugatti Type 35B was introduced in 1927 and was the final iteration of the Type 35 series. The name Type 35TC was pondered since it shared the same 2.3 liter engine as the Type 35T and a supercharger just like the Type 35C. The engine produced an astonishing 138 horsepower, by far the most of the Type 35 series. In total there were only 45 examples produced with one of their greatest accomplishments being the victory at the 1929 French Grand Prix.

The Type 39 was produced alongside the Type 35B but adhered to current Grand Prix regulations which limited engine capacities to 1.5 liters. Only ten examples of the Type 39 were produced.

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1927 Bugatti models
Bugatti Type 35C
Bugatti Type 37
Bugatti Type 37A
Bugatti Type 38
Bugatti Type 39/35B
Bugatti Type 40
Bugatti Type 44