Tag Archives: Type 35A

Intimate Communication – Bugatti Type 32R

Last week I looked at a Bugatti Type 32, today’s featured car is a Replica built by Bob Sutherland who became so fascinated by the type in the mid 1970’s he ended up building one.

Bob’s big break came when the Schlumpf Museum first opened it’s doors in 1978 allowing him and British restorer Peter Shaw to visit the car featured in last weeks blog to get all of the correct measurements in the absence of any period drawings.

Bugatti Type 32R, Hillsborough Concours d'Elegance

Peter then built up the chassis and body in the UK while Bob in the USA bought a complete Type 35A motor and gave it to Bob Seiffert in Colorado to modify to Type 32 spec complete with a variant of the Type 30 crank case.

Bugatti Type 32R, Hillsborough Concours d'Elegance

Peter built up the chassis and body in the UK while Bob in the USA bought a complete Type 35A motor and gave it to Bob Seiffert in Colorado to modify to Type 32 spec complete with a variant of the Type 30 crank case.

The late British collector Paul Foulkes-Halbard helped out by having casts made of several Type 32 parts, from his own collection, that had once belonged to Elizabeth Junek who purchased a Type 32 from Ettore Bugatti.

Bugatti Type 32R, Hillsborough Concours d'Elegance

When the Replica type 32 was completed it was driven at Tours on the route of the 1923 French Grand Prix in 1981 shortly after the Centenary marking Ettore Bugatti’s birth.

More recently in 1995 this Replica was driven in a race at Lagunna Seca by Bob Sutherland against French Voisin collector Philip Moch who had built a copy of the peculiar 1923 Grand Prix Voisin that, like the Type 32, had failed to impress at Tours in 1923.

Bugatti Type 32R, Hillsborough Concours d'Elegance

By all accounts the two replica’s stole the race despite not being front runners and to this day the race announcer does not recall which replica crossed the line first.

Bob Sutherland described driving the Type 32 thus in the US Bugatti Club magazine Pur Sang thus :- “You can well imagine that with no firewall there is intimate communication between driver and machinery. The clutch whirrs dangerously close to one’s left leg, the pipes get hot, oil splatters all over you, and there is a lot of exhaust, hot water, steam, noise and danger. The exhaust glows, gas dribbles steadily on your feet, and backfires light up the universe. All very exciting.”

My thanks to Geoffrey Horton for sharing these photographs of the Type 32 Replica taken at Hillsborough Concours d’Elegance in 2011.

Thanks for joining me on this “Intimate Communication” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Crossbreeding – Bugatti Type 38 #38428

Like many vintage Bugatti models the Type 38 built from 1926 to 1927 shares many interchangeable parts with other models built since the original 2 litre 8 cylinder Bugatti Type 30.

Bugatti Type 38, Bugatti Trust, Prescott

For example the Type 38 chassis and radiator seen here are identical to that found on the 1927 supercharged Type 43’s among the earliest production cars capable of more than 100 mph.

Bugatti Type 38, Bugatti Trust, Prescott

This particular Type 38 scene in the Bugatti Trust at Prescott carries the chassis number #38428 and was sold to the London Bugatti agent Sorel in September 1927.

Bugatti Type 38, Bugatti Trust, Prescott

Type 38’s are powered by the same 60hp 2 litre straight 8 cylinder 24 valve motor as the replica racer Type 35A but with slightly wider mountings. A Type 38A had a supercharger fitted boosting the power to 100hp.

Bugatti Type 38, Bugatti Trust, Prescott

The prudent RPM limit is 4000, something the owners of #38428 would appear to have adhered to because it is still fitted with it’s original motor number #332.

Bugatti Type 38, Bugatti Trust, Prescott

Some of the fixtures and fittings on this Type 38 including this exquisite lamp appear to owe much to the fast disappearing age of the coach and horse.

Bugatti Type 38, Bugatti Trust, Prescott

The gearbox and cable operated front and rear brakes are shared with the Type 40, inside as to be expected of a vehicle of this age there is plenty of wood trim.

Bugatti Type 38, Bugatti Trust, Prescott

The cabin with it’s highlighted panels even looks like it was grafted on from a horse drawn coupé.

Bugatti Type 38, Bugatti Trust, Prescott

I particularly like the opulent cow hide trunk, not to sure how difficult it would be to keep this in pristine condition but if one could afford it one imagines one might leave ones chauffeur to deal with the trifling details.

Thanks for joining me on this “Crossbreeding” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

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