1927 Bugatti Type 38 1927 Bugatti Type 38 1927 Bugatti Type 38 1927 Bugatti Type 38
1927 Bugatti Type 38 1927 Bugatti Type 38 1927 Bugatti Type 38
1927 Bugatti Type 38 1927 Bugatti Type 38
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Touring Car
Coachwork: Lavocat and Marsaud
Chassis Num: 38240
Engine Num: 151
 
This 1927 Bugatti Type 38 Touring Car has coachwork by Lavocat & Marsaud of Boulogne-sur-Sein, France. It is a lightweight open, four-passenger body which it has carried all its life. Its list of early owners include Frank Willis and D.Rowe. Subsequent owners include noted collector/dealer Tiny Gould in the mid-1970s. It remained in Gould's care for only a short period of time as ownership changed to Wisconsin collector David Uihlein. While in Mr. Uihlein's care, the car was treated to a complete restoration.

In 2003 the car was sold at auction at which time it came into the care of the present owner. During that time it has seen very little use but properly maintained.

Since leaving the Molsheim factory it has been given several replacement electrical components, including the starter, generator and fuel pump. The original starter/generator is still with the car, in the current owners care.

It is chassis number 38240 and was brought to the 2007 Gooding & Company auction held in Pebble Beach, CA where it was estimated to sell for $130,000 - $170,000 and offered without reserve. Those estimates were shattered as bidding settled at $220,000 including buyer's premium. Needless to say, the lot was sold.
The Bugatti Type 38 was produced from 1926 through 1927. The Bugatti Type 38 had a straight-eight that displaced two-liters. Performance was further increased with the adoption of a supercharger, making the Type 38A. During its short production lifespan, 385 examples were produced with less than 40 being equipped with superchargers. They were replaced by the Type 43.

In comparison to the vehicles they replaced, the Type 30, the Type 38 sat atop a longer wheelbase with a wider track. The Type 30 was introduced in 1922 and was Bugatti's first eight-cylinder passenger car. The engine was very impressive; it was the first production engine to use the rectangular slab construction that would eventually become a Bugatti trademark. It featured an overhead camshaft, three valves per cylinder and a Brescia transmission.

The eight-cylinder engine was placed into a Type 23 chassis, dubbed the Type 30, would continue until 1926 with total production reaching around 600 units.

The Type 38 were similar to the Type 30 in many ways, however, they rested on a longer wheelbase and had a track that was two inches wider. Large, cable-operated drum brakes showed through the center-lock wire wheels. The suspension comprised of a standard rear Bugatti setup with a solid tubular front axle with slots through which the leaf springs passed.

Under the bonnet lurked a 2-liter, three-valve engine based on the Type 35, though the crankshaft - which was riding on ball bearings - was from the Type 30. The engine breathed through two Solex carburetors. There was coil ignition and a new four-speed manual gearbox which helped send the power to the rear wheels.

In keeping with Bugatti tradition, the cars were built at the Molsheim factory and delivered to coachbuilders as rolling chassis. From their, the artisans would create the elegant bodies for these magnificent vehicles.

1927 Bugatti Type 38

Year1927
MakeBugatti
ModelType 38
Body StyleTouring Car
Engine LocationFront
Drive TypeRear Wheel
Production Years for Series1926 - 1927
Coach WorkLavocat and Marsaud
Weight1900 lbs | 861.8 kg
Combined MPG0.00

Chassis / Engine Numbers Shown
Chassis Number38240
Engine Number151

Engine  
Engine ConfigurationI
Cylinders8
Aspiration/InductionNormal
Displacement1991.00 cc | 121.5 cu in. | 2 L.
Valves24 valves.
3 valves per cylinder.
ValvetrainSOHC
Horsepower140.00 BHP (103 KW)
HP to Weight Ratio13.6 LB / HP (Vehicles with similar ratio)
HP / Liter70.0 BHP / Liter
Fuel TypeGasoline - Petrol
Fuel FeedCarburetor
Vehicles with similar horsepower and weight

Standard Transmission
Gears4
TransmissionManual
ClutchWet, multi-plate clutch
Final Drive4.66:1


 
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Articles and Event Coverage
Gooding & Company

Additional Resources and Links
Gooding & Company Auction : Pebble Beach Official Website

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

Other Model Years
1926 Type 38
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