Behold the Bugatti Type 35—one of the most successful racing cars on the planet. Founder Ettore Bugatti’s open-top masterpiece won more than 2,000 races with a variety of Type 35 chassis in the Roaring 1920s—between 1924 and 1930.
“The Type 35 was the founding father of a family of pure-blooded racehorses from Molsheim—a true thoroughbred,” said Ettore Bugatti back in the day.
The Bugatti Type 35 is easily recognized as one of the forefathers of the Chiron, Chiron Sport, and Divo. Bugatti used a crankshaft supported by two roller bearings and three ball bearings, which allowed engine speeds up to 6,000 rpm—in a 2.0-liter straight-eight! Other innovations like using two carburetors instead of one helped boost power for its day. Early Type 35s were able to race at speeds over 118 mph.
A more affordable variant was the basic model, the 35A, which also packed a 2.0-liter eight-cylinder engine. Later, the Type 35B received a power upgrade with a 2.3-liter inline-eight and a top speed in excess of 134 mph.
The lightweight roadster weighed approximately 1,654 pounds and featured a hollow, forged front axle to help keep weight down and improve handling. It rolled on cast aluminum wheels with eight flat ribbon-style spokes with detachable rims, and a rim ring kept the tire on. An innovative brake drum for its time helped slow the beauty down. Bugatti built 340 Type 35s in all until 1931, when it was replaced by the Type 54.
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