1926 Bugatti Type 35A Grand Prix

Offered by Osenat | Fontainebleau, France | June 21, 2021

Why is it every classic Grand Prix Bugatti looks like it just rolled out of a barn in the French countryside, ready for a 500-mile jaunt? The Bugatti Type 35/37/39 was possibly the most successful Bugatti racing car line, winning hundreds of races and the 1926 Grand Prix World Championship.

The Type 35 of 1924 was replaced by 1925’s Type 35A. It used a 2.0-liter inline-eight just like the regular 90-horsepower 35, but the engine was modified with fewer main bearings, smaller valves, and coil ignition. This made it more reliable, but less powerful. There were 139 35As built.

But was this one of them? Well, it appears that the body and chassis are replacements (and recreations at that). The engine is said to be a real 35A unit, so perhaps the whole car was built around that (it apparently was, circa 1990). So what’s the difference between this car built around an original 35A engine and a Type 35A that has been used, restored, and rebuilt with replacement parts over the years? I don’t have the answer to that.

The pre-sale estimate remains strong: $365,000-$485,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $298,997.