1927 Bugatti Type 37A
Lent by The Phaeton Motors Collection
The Bugatti Type 35 & 37’s raced at Monaco, between 1925 and 1930, winning in 1929 & 1930
Chassis 37920, one of only about 67 Type 37A’s ever built, using a small but potent supercharged engine
This car set the 100-kilometer record at Brooklands in the late 1920’s
Between 1911 and 1939, there were few cars that could compete with the legendary creations of Ettore Bugatti in the automotive world. In a small factory in Molsheim, France, Bugatti produced some of the world's fastest and most elegant racing and touring cars.
The innovative 1927 Type 37A Grand Prix racing car combined the chassis from the speedy Type 35 and the four-cylinder engine from the slick Type 40. The rectangular engine, made with a cast iron cylinder block, features three valves per cylinder (one exhaust and two inlet) and is operated by an overhead camshaft driven through a vertical rod from the crankshaft (a design frequently seen in racing cars).
This Type 37A is fitted with a Roots-Type supercharger capable of creating 80 plus horsepower. Fitted with a magneto ignition and Bugatti's signature aluminum wheels, it is one of only 77 Type 37A's ever built and is still being driven in historic racing.
In 1928, well documented racer Chris Staniland, the first owner, successfully raced the car at Brooklands racetrack on both the oval and mountain course where the car recorded four outright wins and two second places. Furthermore, while running at 115.82 miles per hour for 52 minutes, Staniland and the Type 37A set the 100-kilometer record. Then, in 1929, Staniland lapped Brooklands at a startling 122.67 miles per hour only to further confirm Type 37A's extraordinary performance.
Specifications:
Produced: July 1927, chassis 37290, engine 188 (now 375 ex-40470)
Engine: 1496cc SOHC 4-cylinders, 3 valves per cylinder
Transmission: Manual 4-speed gearbox
Power: Supercharged 90 bhp
Top speed 125 mph
Brakes: 4-wheel drums
Weight: 1543.5 lbs