1929 Bugatti Type 35B Grand Prix Racer

One of the truly classic racing cars of any era was the Bugatti Type 35B, of which quite a number were produced in various forms between 1927 and 1930 by the much celebrated Italian-born Ettore Bugatti in his adopted hometown of Molsheim in northeastern France, not far from the borders of both Germany and Belgium. Both the Type 35B and 35C were very successful in Grand Prix events, examples of the 35B winning the Monaco, French and Spanish Grand Prix in 1930. Power was from a straight-eight supercharged 138 cubic-inch engine.

Many of Bugatti's cars were sold directly to wealthy independents, this one was delivered in the spring of 1930 to Georges Bouriano, a Romanian, who, after modest success, sold it in 1934 to the French driver Arthur Legat.

This Bugatti Type 35B was completed in the autumn of 1929 and sold in March 1930 to Romanian racing driver Georges Bouriano. He had the car registered on temporary plates '1656-WW5' and drove it away from Molsheim.

Bouriano raced the Type 35B in the 1930 Monaco Grand Prix where it was sidelined due to mechanical issues where sand from a sandbag got into the carburetor, causing the compressor to seize. At the Bordino Grand Prix, the car was damaged in an accident and was later repaired by the factory. Two more 'DNF''s occurred at the Dieppe and Comminges Grand Prixs due to mechanical issues.

The final race for the Type 35B during the 1930 season was the Bugatti Grand Prix at Le Mans - an event held from 1928 through 1930 and open to all Bugatti owners. Both amateur and professional drivers competed, however no factory-backed cars were permitted. At this event, Bouriano retired due to a bent steering arm after hitting an animal on the track.

It is unknown if Bouriano raced the car in 1931; he did compete in several events during 1932 with his Type 35B, including at the Grand Prix des Frontières held on May 15. He led the race in the first lap and set a lap record for the circuit at 125 km/h but was prematurely sidelined due to a carburetor fire.

In 1934, the Bugatti Type 35B was sold to Belgian racing driver Arthur Legat, who dubbed it La Boule II. The new owner raced the Bugatti at Chimay, Belgium until 1939, with the exception of 1936. During that time, he placed 2nd in 1937, 7th in 1938, and 2nd in the 1939 Grand Prix des Frontières. Additionally, Legat also competed with his Type 35B in hillclimb events, including a 2nd place finish at the 1934 hillclimb held at Opbrakel in Belgium and a 1st in both the Bomerée and Wavre hillclimbs (both in Belgium).

Pierre Vingerhoedts of Antwerp acquired the Bugatti during World War II and had it modified with an 'aerodynamic body'. The new owner allowed LeGat to use the car, and he did so for at least two years.

This Bugatti raced in the first post-war Grand Prix des Frontières in Chimay, Belgium, where Legat was forced to retire on lap 10 due to engine problems. It returned a year later with Legat but again retired early due to drive shaft issues. In June, the car was driven by Vingerhoedts to victory at the 1 km hillclimb at Huy, Belgium.

After an accident in 1948, the Bugatti was given a modern, Maserati-style single-seat racing body. It is not believed to have contested any race in this configuration.

By 1955, the Bugatti had been sold to the Dutch Bugatti dealer Jean de Dobbeleer, who sold it to Colonel George S. Felton of the United States. While in his care, the car was restored by Edgar Roy of Roxbury, Massachusetts. It is believed that the tail sections, hood, and belly pans may be original Molsheim-made components. The cowl area shows evidence of later fabrication.

The restoration was completed in the spring of 1957, and Colonel Felton raced the Bugatti once before passing away suddenly in November 1959. Edgar Roy sold the car on behalf of the estate to Anton 'Tony' Hulman Jr. for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum, which took receipt in 1960. The Bugatti has remained a fixture in the Indy Museum for 65 years before being offered for sale at auction in February 2025.

By Daniel Vaughan | Feb 2025