'Among racing cars it is the 1924 Type 35 Bugatti which tops the list of beautiful cars of the (1920s) period. Some would say it's the most beautiful racing car of all time. Although it underwent detail changes through the years and the radiator was enlarged, its lines were virtually unchanged from its appearance in the Grand Prix of the Automobile Club of France in July 1924, through to its final, 51 version of 1931-32.' - Autocar magazine.
By the early 1930s Ettore Bugatti had established an unrivalled reputation for building cars with outstanding performance on road or track, the world's greatest racing drivers enjoying countless successes aboard the Molsheim factory's products and often choosing them for their everyday transport. The principal building block of this success was the legendary Type 35, arguably the quintessential Vintage-era sports car, which made its debut in August 1924 at the Grand Prix de l'ACF at Lyon-Givors. The Type 35's 1,991cc straight-eight engine was derived from that of the Type 30 but incorporated five roller/ball main bearings instead of three together with an improved lubrication system. In line with Bugatti's established practice, each cylinder's three valves were actuated by a single overhead camshaft. This state-of-the-art engine went into a conventional chassis with leaf springs at the front and quarter elliptics at the rear, and which boasted a novel hollow front axle and alloy wheels.
The Type 35's debut gave little indication of what was to come, as the factory team of five cars was plagued by tyre troubles and could achieve no better than 7th place at the finish. Despite this debacle the Type 35 in its various forms would go on to become arguably the most successful racing car of all time, commencing with winning the inaugural World Championship for Manufacturers in 1926 and securing countless victories for privateers.
For those who yearn for Bugatti-style motoring yet cannot afford the associated expense, a re-creation from Pur Sang is the obvious solution and for many years the classic Type 35 has inspired the construction of numerous copies. This beautiful and highly detailed re-creation represents the model in its ultimate, 2.3-litre supercharged Type 35B form of 1929. During the last 15 years, new radiator, front axle, starter and a rare SCINTILLA MAGNETO...
For much of the last decade the Bugatti has been regularly used for events, shows and touring, including a tour of Greece, Southern Calabria in 2008 , south of France, UK ....
French Document (carte grise)
