1928 Bugatti Type 44 Torpédo

This Bugatti Type 44 left the factory with engine 154 and was sent to Carrosserie Joseph Figoni in Boulogne-sur-Seine, west of Paris, in April 1928. It was given 'Jean de Vizcaya' open four-seat torpédo coachwork with a low-slung cowl, dual-cockpit design, and a single step for the rear passengers. After the work was completed, the car was shipped in August 1928 to John Wilson MacConell of Montreal.

D. Cameron Peck of Evanston, Illinois, acquired the Type 44 in the early 1950s, who later sold it to Tom Carstens of Tacoma, Washington, who, in turn, sold it to Ken Purdy of Greenwich, Connecticut. Purdy embarked on an extensive restoration of the Type 44, entrusting James Hoe and Bunny Phillips with the task. For unknown reasons, engine number 470 was installed at this time. By 1954, the Bugatti was painted gray with a red interior.

After Purdy passed away in 1972, the Bugatti was acquired by Dr. Theodore Waugh of Greenwich. Shortly after its acquisition, the car was given its current green paint scheme by Gus Reuter in Ridgefield, Connecticut, and the wood surrounding the seating compartments trimmed in Philippine mahogany. The Bugatti's original engine, no. 154, was in the possession of Ivan Dutton in England at this time, but it was reinstalled in 1994 in a trade for engine 470.

The engine in this Type 44 is a 2,991cc SOHC inline 8-cylinder unit fitted with a single Schebler Updraft carburetor and producing 80 horsepower at 4,000 RPM. There is a four-speed manual gearbox, four-wheel mechanical drum brakes, and a live rear axle with reversed quarter-elliptic leaf springs and shock absorbers.

By Daniel Vaughan | Oct 2024