Boattail Racer
Chassis number: 4884

The Bugatti Type 35B marked the introduction of a supercharger to the Type 35 line of Grand Prix cars. The Type 35B was built alongside the Type 39, which was designed in accordance with updated 1926 Grand Prix regulations imposing an engine capacity of 1.5-liters. Bugatti reduced the bore of the existing Type 35 engine and, to compensate for the smaller displacement, a Roots supercharger was added. The 35B began an era of blown Bugattis that would last until the Type 57.

This vehicle is a 1927 Bugatti Type 35B with chassis number 4884. It was originally delivered by the factory in April 1927 to Matarazzo in Sao Paulo, where it was extensively raced in South America prior to World War II.

After a series of owners in South America, including being run as a dirt track speed car, the car came to Australia where it was restored in the early 1990s. It has participated in historic racing and rallies in Australia, Europe, and the USA.

Boattail Racer
Chassis number: 4849

Formerly owned by Le Mans winner Duncan Hamilton.

An excerpt from Duncan Hamilton's autobiography Touch Wood. where he recounts a particularly challenging preparation session for a hill climb:

'We worked all weekend to get it ready for a meeting at Shelsley. I was so anxious to road test her when we had finished that I did not take into account the fact that we had fitted twin-rears in readiness for the hill climbs. I arrived at the exit doing perhaps fifty miles an hour, only to find that though my front wheels passed through safely enough, the gap was too narrow to accommodate twin-rears, and I left the entire back axle assembly behind. There was nothing for it but to begin all over again. We worked all day-various odd friends lending a hand from time to time -- and then right through the night; it was not until ten-thirty the next morning that she was ready for the road once again. I was so tired that I completely forgot about the twin-rears and proceeded to execute a repeat performance of the previous day's happenings. Once again the back axle assembly and the car parted company, to the astonishment, not only of myself, but of all the well-wishers who had gathered to lend a hand and to offer encouragement.

Ownership History

This Bugatti Type 35B has led a long and active life spanning nearly 80 years. It served its first owner as a road car and then began an active racing career that endured into the 1950s. It was most notably driven by Jaguar LeMans winner, Duncan Hamilton, in the mid-1940s and remained competitive even during that period. It later found a home at the Harrah's Automobile Museum in Reno, Nevada where it was restored to its former glory. Since the mid-1980s it has been in the William Lyon Family Collection. It is as much a piece of automotive history as art.

Bugatti Chassis No 4849 was one of only two Type 35B's imported new to England. It was unusually delivered by road under its own power from Molsheim to London. No 4849 was received in May of 1927 by Alexander Keiller, a member of the Scottish family business famous for jams and marmalades. Keiller was not a racing driver but rather an enthusiastic owner who enjoyed driving his cars on the public highway, notably in his native Scotland. Like the Type 35 he owned previously, Keiller had No 4849 painted black. He kept this car for no less than seven years before trading it to Thomson & Taylor's the Brooklands-based racing car specialists. After years of road use No 4849's racing career would begin in earnest when it was purchased by CEC (Charlie) Martin in 1934.

Martin was an active racer, having campaigned a Type 37 throughout 1932 and 1933. He recalled the car fondly in the January 1937 issue of Bugantics, the Bugatti Owner's Club Magazine, where Martin provided a very detailed account of the modifications he made to the car and his racing successes. At some point during Martin's ownership, he repainted No 4849 blue. Having ordered a new Type 59 from the factory, Martin sold No. 4849 at the end of the 1935 season to the Hon. Jack Leith. Leith raced the car with a fair degree of success throughout 1935 and the start of the 1936 season, like Martin, principally at Brooklands and Donington, then the only two English racing circuits. He also entered events at other venues, notable at Shelsley Walsh and in Ireland for the Mannin Moar race where he unavoidably collided with an errant Alfa Romeo on the second lap. At some point during his ownership of the car, No 4849 was repainted red. Though it appears possible that No 4849 may have had another owner briefly, in 1936, it passed to Andrew Leitch who made his debut appearance with it at the Brooklands Whitsun meeting held on June 1, 1936, when he also drove the Type 37 in which he had competed during the previous season.

Boattail Racer
Chassis number: 4817
Engine number: 194T

This 1927 Bugatti Type 35B Grand Prix car has its original body and chassis. Mounted under the bonnet is a factory-works-prepared 35B racing engine formerly in chassis number 4939. This car is chassis number 4817, though it is currently badged and titled as chassis number 4939. This assignment was based upon the chassis number originally associated with the engine.

This car, chassis number 4817, was sent to Louis Chiron and first registered in the name of Marius Giraud. By 1929, the third owner, Roger Morand, was in possession of the car. It would be in his care until 1936, a period of time that was recorded in history as having many racing adventures. One of the races was the 1933 Grand Prix Lwowa in Poland. History does not record that this was the car that raced; what is known is that a Type 35B was raced by Roger Morand during this period of time. There is record of chassis 4817 being driven in the Klausenrennen Hillclimb in 1934.

Several other owners cared for this car over the years. It was acquired by Dr. Milton Roth and later brought to the US where it was purchased by Bob Hammel. Hammel had the car restored and used it regularly touring the Southern California countryside, making grocery runs and transporting the family from place-to-place.

In 1964, the car was purchased by Dr. Peter and Susan Williamson. During the 1970s, the car was carefully and accurately restored, and finished in black with a red leather interior. There are proper eight-spoke alloy wheels, large integral brake drums, full road equipment, cycle fenders, Marchal headlights, Scintilla taillight, dual aeroscreens, a single side-mounted spare wheel and tire, and an instrument-panel-mounted Jaeger clock.

The engine is a 2.3-liter inline eight-cylinder unit fitted with single overhead camshafts, a single Zenith carburetor, and a Roots supercharger.

In 2008, this Type 35B Grand Prix car was offered for sale at the Gooding & Company auction held in Pebble Beach, CA. The car was estimated to sell for $1,100,000 - $1,600,000 and was offered without reserve. As the gavel fell for the third and final time, the car had sold for $1,457,500, including the buyer's premium.

by Dan Vaughan

Boattail Racer
Chassis number: BC125

This vehicle is chassis number BC125 and was assigned by the Bugatti Owners Club in the UK. The car was made in Argentina some years ago and is an exact replica of a 1927 Grand Prix Car. The present owner purchased the car in Belgium in 2002 and has used it extensively ever since.

Boattail Racer
Chassis number: 4863

The Bugatti Type 35 was unveiled at the Grand Prix of Lyon in August 1924. It was given a roller-bearing overhead-cam engine and was capable of producing nearly 100 horsepower, a very impressive figure for a normally aspirated two-liter machine in the mid-1920s. The engine was installed into an extremely light chassis and featured the company's revolutionary hollow front axle and cast-aluminum wheels, with integrated drum brakes.

The Type 35 was very successful in racing, dominating the scene from the late 1920s to the early 1930s, with over 1,000 wins in a variety of competitions throughout Europe. Doing the math, this gave the Type 35 an average 14 race wins per week and, by the close of 1926, it had established 47 individual speed records. In 1926, it won the Grand Prix World Championship, won the Monaco Grand Prix three times, and the Targa Florio five times.

This Type 35 Grand Prix wears chassis number 4863. It was constructed in December 1926 and fitted with engine number 111. On July 2, 1927, 4863 was invoiced to Marco Andriesse of Amsterdam and then driven from Molsheim to Paris, where it was delivered to its first owner.

C.J. 'John' van Hulzen was the second owner of the Bugatti, taking delivery from Dutch Bugatti agent Herman Stam. On March 30, 1929, van Hulzen, having by then moved to Molsheim, registered 4863 in Strasbourg with number '2048 NV.' His first recorded outing in 4863 was an 11 km sprint between Toul and Nancy in July 1929, in which he finished 3rd. From there, he campaigned the Type 35 in the first Dieppe Grand Prix where he finished in 6th place after having a recorded average speed of 61.69 mph. Van Hulzen's third and last recorded race in 4863 took place at the Doullens circuit.

After the race, van Hulzen traded his two-year-old Type 35 for an ex-works Type 35B and 4863 returned to Molsheim from where it was sold, on March 29, 1930, to Helle Nice.

Mme. Nice drove 4863 in the Bugatti Grand Prix, held at Le Mans on June 1, 1930, where she finished in 3rd place. This would be her only outing with 4863 in 1930. Her first event in 1931 occurred at the Marne Grand Prix, a 50-lap race held at the fast Reims road circuit. There, she finished last, a full six laps behind winner Marcel Lehoux, who averaged 88.97 mph in his brand-new Type 51. In July, she raced 4863 at the four-hour Dieppe Grand Prix and placed 7th. In her last two races with 4863 – the Comminges Grand Prix and the Monza Grand Prix – she achieved back-to-back 9th-place results.

From that point in history, little is known about 4863 until London Bugatti dealer Jack Lemon Burton imported it into England from Holland in 1937 or 1938. On February 3, 1938, the Type 35 was sold by Burton to Tom S. Grimshaw of Yeadon, England. By this point, the car had been given a supercharger and was described as a Type 35C.

Grimshaw continued 4863's racing pedigree at several local events throughout 1938, winning on three occasions. In early 1939, he sold the Bugatti to R.S. Shapley, who continued to race it until the outbreak of World War II.

In 1941, London dealer Jack Lawrence purchased 4863 and by 1944 it had passed to W.B. Hindes. After the War, E.V. Buck purchased the Bugatti and raced it once at Shelsley Walsh before selling it to Jack Perkins. During Mr. Perkins' ownership, the car was finished in a gray-green color and registered for the road as 'HUE 939.' Perkins competed with 4863 four times at Shelsley Walsh – twice in 1950, once in 1952, and once in 1956.

In 1974, the Bugatti was purchased by T.A. 'Bob' Roberts. During his ownership, the Type 35 was entrusted to Crosthwaite and Gardiner, who performed a comprehensive restoration over a period of four years. During the rebuild, the original crankshaft was replaced with a 100 mm-stroke crankshaft; thus, 4863 effectively became a Type 35B.

Ben Rose purchased 4863 in 1982 and remained with him for 15 years. During that time, it played a starring role in the film Ferris Bueller's Day Off.

In April 1997, Ben Rose consigned his collection to Christie's Tarrytown Auction. 4863 was the cover car and featured lot of the sale. It was sold to collector Oscar Davis of Elizabeth, New Jersey. In 2001, Brian Brunkhorst of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, purchased 4863 from Mr. Davis and actively campaigned the Bugatti throughout several seasons of vintage racing.

The current owner had the car treated to a comprehensive mechanical restoration.

by Dan Vaughan

The Bugatti Type 35 is regarded by many as one of the most beautiful pre-war racers from the legendary Bugatti Company. Its beauty is matched by its accomplishments, is one of the most successful pre-war racer winning over 1000 races and capturing the 1926 Grand Prix World Championship with 351 races. During that two-year period, it also claimed 47 records. From 1925 through 1929, the Bugatti Type 35 dominated the Targa Florio.

The first Bugatti Type 35 was introduced on August 3rd, 1924. It was powered by a modified engine used in the Type 29. The 3-valve 2-liter overhead cam straight-eight engine had five main bearings and produced around 90 horsepower. The suspension was comprised of leaf springs attached to solid axles. Stopping power was provided by drum brakes in the rear operated by cables which could be seen on the vehicle's exterior. In total, there were 96 examples produced.

There were multiple versions of the Type 35 which were specifically designed to accommodate many types of racers. The Type 35A, nicknamed 'Tecla' was an inexpensive version of the Type 35 and first appeared in May of 1925. Its nickname was given by the public after a maker of imitation jewelry. The engine was a reliable unit borrowed from the Type 30. It used three bearings, had smaller valves, coil ignition, and produced less horsepower than its Type 35 sibling. In total, 139 examples of the Type 35A were created.

Though Ettore Bugatti favored naturally aspirated engines, the Type 35C was given a Roots-Type supercharger which boosted power to an impressive 128 horsepower. Only fifty examples were created, with many providing historic victories for the company. The Type 35C won the 1928 and 1930 French Grand Prix, undoubtedly their greatest accomplishments.

The Bugatti Type 35T, commonly known as the Targa Florio, was specially prepared for the Targa Florio race. There were only thirteen examples produced. It was powered by a 2.3-liter engine. When Grand Prix rules changed, stating that engine displacement sizes of up to 2 liters were required, the Type 35T became obsolete and production ceased.

The Bugatti Type 35B was introduced in 1927 and was the final iteration of the Type 35 series. The name Type 35TC was pondered since it shared the same 2.3-liter engine as the Type 35T and a supercharger just like the Type 35C. The engine produced an astonishing 138 horsepower, by far the most of the Type 35 series. In total, there were only 45 examples produced, with one of their most significant accomplishments being the victory at the 1929 French Grand Prix.

The Type 39 was produced alongside the Type 35B but adhered to current Grand Prix regulations which limited engine capacities to 1.5 liters. Only ten examples of the Type 39 were produced.

by Dan Vaughan

THE LEGENDARY BUGATTI TYPE 35 – THE WORLD'S MOST SUCCESSFUL RACING CAR

Ettore Bugatti ushered in the golden years of the 1920s with the Type 35

Molsheim, 6 May 2019. Light, strong, fast and elegant. The Bugatti Type 35 is one of the most successful racing cars of all time. And deservedly so: the French manufacturer's open-top sports car secured over 2,000 victories between 1924 and 1930. Today, the Type 35 is a legend in international motor sport. And a whole lot more besides.

'The Bugatti Type 35 is one of the icons of Bugatti's rich history and tradition. Back in 1924, the sports car was unparalleled in its technology, design and performance and the same still goes today. It is both an inspiration and a commitment,' says Stephan Winkelmann, President of Bugatti. 'This makes the Type 35 one of the forefathers of our current hyper sports cars, the Chiron1, Chiron Sport2 and Divo3. Steeped in the Type 35's DNA, they are translating this tradition for the modern age.'

A technical masterpiece

The Type 35 was not just a racing car. It was a technical masterpiece: For the first time ever, the company's founder Ettore Bugatti used a crankshaft supported by two roller bearings and three ball bearings – and this crankshaft is still seen as a feat of engineering to this day. It could run at speeds of up to 6,000 rpm to power the eight pistons in the engine, which started out with a capacity of just 2.0 litres. At the time, it was one of the only car capable of achieving such power. Thanks to other changes – such as using two carburettors instead of one – the car's power increased to around 95 PS, which was transmitted by a wet multi-plate clutch. The drive system in the first versions of the Type 35 was able to achieve speeds of over 190 km/h. The less expensive basic model, the 35A, was based on a 2.0-litre eight-cylinder engine with 75 PS. In its later iteration, the Type 35 B (which had a 2.3-litre eight-cylinder engine and compressor), the Bugatti's power increased to up to 140 PS and its top speeds exceeded 215 km/h. As well as their incredible performance, the engines were primarily renowned for their reliability and endurance.

Even in the early 1920s, Ettore Bugatti had come to realise that, while plenty of power may be helpful, it has little effect in a heavy car. That's why he relentlessly pursued lightweight construction and the best driveability possible in his cars – more than any other engineer in the world of motor sport. Bugatti was the first to develop special smooth-running wheels to reduce the unsprung masses and, as a result, improve the response of the suspension. The wheels – made from cast aluminium with eight flat ribbon-style spokes, detachable rims and an integral brake drum – were an innovation. A rim ring stopped the tyre from popping off.

Lightweight front axle for better vehicle handling

To achieve this, Bugatti developed a new hollow, forged front axle with sealed ends. Weighing around ten kilograms, the axle was incredibly light but still stable. Unlike with its competitors, broken axles were quite rare. The unsprung masses were decreased even further and the Type 35 was able to take corners at higher speeds. The ready-to-run racing car weighed around 750 kilograms. Bugatti designed all models as pure racing vehicles, but also mounted wings and lighting at customer request to make them roadworthy.

Then came the sleek and elegant design – sculpture-like, just like the vehicle as a whole. The elegant, well-proportioned body with its slim, lightweight shell and pointed back end were made from a self-developed special alloy. Thanks to the wider radiator (the first radiator to have a flat bottom), the Type 35 had a more powerful road presence. The Type 35 was not regarded as the most beautiful racing vehicle of its time for nothing.

However, the newly developed Type 35's first race was not particularly successful. At the end of July 1924, Bugatti entered five Type 35s into the French Grand Prix in Lyon. Despite recording the quickest laps during training, the racing cars were defeated by their competitors in the race itself. Later on, however, it was discovered that it was not the engines or mechanics to blame for the poor result but the tyres – they had not been vulcanised properly and were unable to withstand the high speeds. At the next race in San Sebastian, the Type 35 managed to finish in second place, marking the start of an incredible career.

With the addition of a three-lobe Roots-type supercharger in 1926, the Type 35's power increased to a maximum of 140 PS. As a result, the racing car was not just light and agile, but also unbelievably powerful. To make sure the new supercharger fitted in with the overall aesthetics of the engine compartment, Bugatti had it designed especially. Beauty comes from within – Ettore Bugatti was already well aware of this over 90 years ago.

The new feature had a positive impact on the car's success, too. The supercharged variant, the Type 35 C, and its derivatives, the Type 35 T and Type 35 B, won countless Grand Prix races up to 1930, as well as the unofficial World Championship title in 1926 and five consecutive victories in the world's most famous road race, the Targa Florio. Renowned drivers like Alberto Divo, Tazio Nuvolari, Louis Chiron and Williams all took to the wheel of the Type 35. Even female racing drivers such as Hellé Nice and Eliska Junkova chose to drive the Type 35. Junkova achieved a legendary performance in the 1928 Targa Florio, leading the field for a considerable period before eventually finishing in fifth. In Germany, the Type 35 achieved its greatest triumph on the Nürburgring in 1929.

Bugatti built 340 Type 35s in total, though the exact production figures are now no longer clear. The Type 35 was replaced by its successor, the Type 54, in 1931. A large number of vehicles were still used in races and modified or converted for many years. Very few remain intact nowadays. The select few owners of a Type 35 can count themselves lucky. As Ettore Bugatti said himself: 'The Type 35 was the founding father of a family of pure-blooded racehorses from Molsheim – a true thoroughbred.' Its DNA lives on to this day in the French luxury brand's current model range.

by Bugatti