1928 Bugatti Type 37A

Bugatti introduced the eight-cylinder Type 35 model at the Grand Prix of Lyon on August 3rd, 1924. It was powered by a three-valve 2.0-liter overhead cam engine first used on the Type 29. It had five main bearings with an unusual ball bearing system, allowing the engine to rev to 6,000 RPM. It had rear drum brakes operated by cables, solid axles with leaf springs, a hollow front axle, and alloy wheels. Several versions and configurations of the Type 35 were built, including the Type 35C, which used a Roots supercharger that brought horsepower to nearly 130 hp.

In November of 1925, Bugatti introduced the Type 37. It used the chassis and body from the Type 35 but with half the cylinders of its older sibling. The four-cylinder Type 37 relied on lightweight design and mechanical simplicity for its performance, rather than the over-engineered and complexity that was typical of racing cars of the period. The 1.5-liter engine was compact and powerful, and easily capable of 90 mph.

Eighteen months after the Type 37's initial introduction, Bugatti introduced the Type 37A, which came with a Roots-type supercharger. Top speed rose to 122 mph, and with the added performance, the car was raced in some of the world's greatest endurance races at the time, including the 24 Hours of LeMans, the Targa Florio, and the Mille Miglia.

The supercharged inline four-cylinder engine displaced 1,496cc and, with a single Zenith carburetor, produced 90 horsepower. It was paired with a four-speed manual transmission and four-wheel cable-operated drum brakes. The wheelbase measured 94.5 inches.

Of the 286 Type 37 models produced (some sources say 290), 75 were supercharged from the factory.

Notable victories achieved by the Type 37A include the 1928 Italian Grand Prix by Louis Chiron, the 1929 Australian Grand Prix by Arthur Terdich, the 1930 Australian Grand Prix by Bill Thompson, the 1931 Grand Prix des Frontières by Arthur Legat, and the 1932 Australian Grand Prix by Bill Thompson.

by Daniel Vaughan | Feb 2020