1928 Bugatti Type 37A Boattail Racer

The Bugatti Type 37 was introduced in November 1925, and like its predecessor, the Type 35, the Type 37 offered both performance and a level of practicality for road-based events and rallies. The Type 35 was powered by an eight-cylinder engine, while the Type 37 was fitted with a very reliable four-cylinder engine. The four-cylinder had a lightweight design. Instead of relying on over-engineered brute force, the engine relied on finesse and simplicity. The 1.5-liter unit was capable of carrying the Type 37 to 90 mph.

The Type 37 was competitive and successful on the international racing scene, but more horsepower was sought from its inline four-cylinder engine to keep it competitive. About 18 months after the Type 37's initial introduction, Bugatti introduced the Type 37A, with the addition of a Roots-Type supercharger. Performance was immediately evident over the naturally aspirated model, and the car was capable of reaching a top speed of 122 mph. In this guise, the models raced in some of the world's greatest endurance races at the time, including the Mille Miglia, the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and the Targa Florio.

In total, Bugatti produced 286 Type 37 models and just 76 were supercharged from the factory.

This example, chassis number 37343, was first delivered new to Belgium in June of 1928. The early history is not documented. It is believed to have been sold by Dr. Suzanne Lentz, of Luxembourg, to Jean Timmermans, of Limburg, Holland in June of 1961. The car was restored in 1964 under the ownership of Tim Honig, who was living in Amsterdam, before it was sent to the United States. Ownership passed through two individuals before being purchased by Gordon Barrett, of Indianapolis, Indiana, who displayed the car in the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Museum in Auburn, Indiana. By this point in history, the original engine had been replaced with the engine from chassis number 37319, another original 37A engine, wearing number 218CP, and a supercharger from chassis 37318. The transmission was also found to not be original to the car, but it was of the correct type for a Type 37A.

A short period later, 37343 was purchased by an Englishman who brought the car to the United Kingdom in the mid-1990s. In June of 2000, the Type 37A was sold by Peter McKay Rae, of Hampshire, to Mr. Hidekazu Arita, of Yokohama, Japan. The car left England via the port of Southampton in August of 2000.

The car is currently in the ownership of an American individual. Recently, a modern dynamo and radiator fan was installed to help prevent overheating on long rallies in warm climates.

By Daniel Vaughan | Apr 2014