Elizabeth Junek, Helle Nice, and Miranda Seymour weren’t the only women to enjoy the power, speed and ecstasy of a Bugatti. Once upon a time, VeloceToday’s Office Manager Mary Decker Vack had a chance to become intimately friendly with a Type 35. Like others who have experienced Ettore’s masterpiece, the adventure was not easily forgotten. But how did our brave (in retrospect) come to catch a track ride in a magnificent unrestored Bugatti T 35?
Bugatti
Eight Cylinders for the Type 40 Bugatti
By Frank Studstrup
In the summer of 1926 Ettore Bugatti presented his new type 40, which replaced the old ‘Brescia’ sports car. In the mid-1920s, with the type 35 racing car of 1924, Bugatti was setting new standards for his effective and refined automobile designs, both in regard of engines, chassis and bodywork.
The type 40 incorporated many of the unique design features presented in the Bugatti racing cars, but of course offered in a less expensive and more versatile package aimed at customers for both daily and sporty driving.
Why Mess With History? Sandy Leith’s Type 37
From the VeloceToday Archives, July, 2017
Story by Sean Smith
Color images taken at Lime Rock by Sean Smith
Historic photos courtesy Sandy Leith
If anyone was born to the VSCCA it is the current President, Sandy Leith—his father Bill Leith was a founding member. At a very young age Sandy was in the paddock watching his father race his Type 35B Bugatti against others in the fledgling club. Formed in 1958, the Vintage Sports Car Club of America was seen as a kinder, gentler version of the growing Sports Car Club of America. It was a place where their pre-war cars could shine. Then as now it was a place for racing, rallying and good old fashion socializing, but the prime focus was racing. “Isn’t this what all parents do on the weekend… zoom around in old race cars?” Sandy thought so! Classic cars, especially Bugattis, were ingrained in Sandy’s soul. At 17, there would be no snarling muscle car or modern sports car for him.
A Distinctly Different Recreation
By Pete Vack
Phil Friday is always full of ideas, many of which take years to be realized. But he’s got a lot of patience and imagination which often result in some startling projects. Like his version of an Auto Union Grand Prix car, perhaps inspired by the VW-Bugatti replicas of yore. “My Auto Union type C/D hillclimb replica is built on a 1963 Auto Union 1000S (DKW) chassis and running gear. I always thought it was demeaning to replicate a Bugatti Type 35 on a VW platform, so I thought I would replicate an Auto Union on an Auto Union platform.”
1923 French Grand Prix at Tours: Bugatti T32
And now for the real thing…
By Gijsbert-Paul Berk
In 1913 Ettore Bugatti (1881 -1947) began working on the design of an eight-cylinder engine at the suggestion of his friend, the pilot Roland Garros. Early in 1914 he sent his collaborator Ernest Friderich to the US with a four-cylinder car of 5.655 liters capacity to participate in the Indianapolis 500. When later that year WWI started, Ettore had to leave his factory in Molsheim, situated in the German occupied Alsace.
Discovering a Bugatti Atlantic
From the VeloceToday Archives, July 2017
In 1949 Strother MacMinn took these photos of the Bugatti Atlantic/Aérolithe (S/N 57374) when owned by Bob Oliver. The photos were supplied by Dale LaFollette at Vintage Motorphoto and published here with the permission of Bob Ames. Below, comments from Jim Sitz.
Bugatti Before the Cars
From the Archives, April, 2010
Larry Crane takes us on an exclusive tour of the furniture of Carlo Bugatti.
Photos by author except as noted.
Peter Mullin is a gifted artist, at least equal to his talents as a businessman. In spite of his new museum’s name, he wants the public home of his collections to be seen as an art museum, celebrating the art of the first half of the Twentieth Century with a focus on the decorative arts movement universally known as “Art Deco.” [Read more…] about Bugatti Before the Cars
A Visit to See the Bugatti Automotrice
By John Waterhouse
Hot on the heels of last week’s review of the new Bugatti Automotrice book came an email from VeloceToday contributor and resident Renault expert John Waterhouse, who said he once visited the
Driving Us Bananas: The Brescia Bugatti
From our Archives, October, 2018
By Vince Johnson and Pete Vack
Photos by Vince Johnson
A Bit on the Brescia
Vince Johnson will detail the ‘Butterfly’ Bugatti below, but first a few interesting facts about Ettore’s most successful model in terms of sales. The Brescia Bugatti was an evolution of Bugatti’s first production car from 1910, the Type 10 and Type 13. During that period, Bugatti model nomenclature was based on the length of the wheelbase, in general, the T 13 being the shortest, and the T23 the longest. But in 1921, after the total domination of an event in Italy, Ettore Bugatti decided to name his most recent model after the race.
Bugatti Type 57 G Tank: What Lies Beneath
By Alan Yankolonis
In addition to winning two French Sports Car Grand Prix and setting land speed records in 1936 which stood for 29 years, the Simeone Foundation’s Bugatti T57 G Tank was the first Bugatti to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Initially the car was built for the 1936 French Sports Car Grand Prix that was established and later to set speed records in 1936. Of three, perhaps four built, this is the only Bugatti Tank known to survive.*
In 2013, Audi was introducing the new limited-edition Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse, and Audi USA approached Dr. Fredrick Simeone to obtain color samples from the 1936 Bugatti T57G, and to discuss the possibility of displaying that car at the Quail Lodge during the 2013 Pebble Beach Concourse in Monterey, California. The idea was to paint the show car in the same color scheme as the 1937 Le Mans winner. Their request to Dr. Simeone was to conduct color matching tests on the Le Mans winner and explore the opportunity to have the museum car displayed side by side with the new Vitesse at the Quail Lodge. After much discussion an agreement was made to copy the color of the Le Mans winner, and make arrangements to have the museum car transported to California for display alongside the Vitesse.
Baby Bugatti Part 2
Read Part I.
In Part II, the mystery of “The Type That Never Was” deepens. Our intrepid model builder also tells us about chassis numbers, specs, and how to buy a Baby Bugatti.
By Marshall Buck
The very first Baby Bugatti was built for Roland Bugatti, Ettore’s five year old son. Proof again that it’s good to be born with a “silver spoon” or in Roland’s case, more like a silver steering wheel. The Baby made its public debut at the 1927 Milan Automobile show, and was priced at 3,900 FF, which seems to be the price most were sold for, though some were delivered at higher prices.
Baby Bugattis and the T52 Mystery
From the VeloceToday Archives, March, 2011
Part I
By Marshall Buck
I can’t believe that the answer has been in front of me all these years. The answer to what you ask? The answer to the question I often ask myself: How am I ever going to afford a genuine vintage Bugatti? Simple answer…buy a ‘Baby’ Bugatti; a child’s car to be precise. I’m not talking about one of those cheapy Toys R Us plastic jobs. No sir, the one I have in mind is very special….one of the authentic half scale renditions of a Type 35.