1978 Bugatti Type 35

1978- “Teal” Bugatti “Tribute” Type 35 Evocation
Bugattis, themselves, need very little or no introduction, being automatically recognised, in the “car-world”, as the “crown-jewels” of “motoring-works-of- art”.
The “Type 35”, is considered as Ettore Bugatti’s, “masterpiece”, of engineering, and has hence often, prompted knowledgeable enthusiasts to call it his “crown-jewel”, such is its exquisitely designed and engineered “build- quality” and the fact, that it is still probably the most successful racing car in history, with some 2000 outright race victories to its eternal credit, in all its variants. The very first time the “Type 35” was seen to all these enthusiasts was now, exactly 100 years ago, at the “Lyon’s Grand Prix” in 1924, and they then went onto win outright race victories in the famous and very arduous Targa Florio endurance marathon, for 5 successive years, from 1925-1929, an incredible feat, for this very early pioneering motor -sports era.
About 290 Type 35’s were manufactured, between the years 1924-1931, so it’s hardly surprising, that if they ever do come up onto the open-market, that they tend to command enormous sums of money.
As such and as so often happens, with very rare and sought after “historic” race cars, a number of companies are formed and created to re-invent them.
Probably the very best of them is “pursang” in Argentina, but a fairly close second, is a company called “ Teal”, which manufactured, these glorious cars, for 20 years, between the years 1978-1998 and did end up producing a very similar amount of cars, to what Ettore Bugatti, himself produced at his “Molsheim” foundary works, these “Teals”, being produced in the U. K.
The really gorgeous example being now offered here , is in fact, one such car and now forms part of a “private” collection of “historic” cars, of which an “original Type 35, sits proudly present.
Looking not too diss-similar, from the “original” and now resplendent in its wonderful “patenated” correct colour shade of “period” Bugatti French Blue, is complete with its “date -related” number plate included, it will certainly turn heads, wherever and whenever it goes and be very welcome at classic -car events, up and down the country.
Their is also a very full and comprehensive “history” file and V5C Registration Document, confirming such it’s “historical status”, which is available to view on inspection, along with some such features as it’s “period” outside authentic polished chrome activated handbrake, lovely authentic “period” Jaeger instrumentation, 4-spoked Bugatti emblemed wood rimmed starring-wheel, lovely colour co-ordinated and now fully patenated, leather bench seat, “fire-extinguisher” and tool kit, wire-wheels, with polished chrome “sided” L. H. S./ R. H. S. Spinners, period Bugatti badging, twin “original” leather Bonnett straps, lovely “period-hooter” and “dummy” starting handle.
Powered by the very reliable and easy to maintain,“standard” engine used by “Teal” at the time, the B. M. C. 1800cc, as used in the M. G. B. GT, of which one is also here, in our private collection, it is certainly powerful enough to provide plenty of performance, to match our M. G. B. Roadster, with its 4 speed manual gearbox and twin SU carburettors, it can nearly reach 100 mph, with the correct gearing.
This really lovely car, took us an “awfully” long time to find, after many years of looking and when we finally did manage to track this one down, it then took us a while, to persuade the previous owner to part with it, who said that it was their favourite car, that they’ve ever owned and they’d loved and cherished it all these years, much as we do now.
So, if you too would like to own, what’s was once Louis Chiron’s, Achille Varzi’s or even the most famous of them all, Tazio Nuvolari’s mount in period, and what is probably the nearest that most of us, will ever get to owning a “Type 35” Bugatti, at a mere fraction of the price, of one of the “originals” or even a “Pursang” and with only similar numbers ever produced, to that of Bugattis Type 35 ever made, this is also surely a wonderful investment opportunity, not to be missed, as well as , being enormous summer fun too.