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VINTAGE: Jean Bugatti’s Sports Roadster
The Type 55 Super Sports advanced the French automaker with racecar performance and a superb two-seat body designed by Ettore Bugatti’s son.
This Bugatti Type 55 Super Sport, shown at Concorso d'Elegance Villa d’Este, was built in 1932 and formerly owned by Ralph Lauren. (Photo: Wouter Melissen)
Bugatti was the most successful racing-car manufacturer of the 1920s and early 1930s. The French manufacturer also brought that racing pedigree to the road with production models based very closely on their Grand Prix winners.
The finest of these racers for the road is undoubtedly the Type 55, also known as the Super Sport. Launched at the 1931 Paris Auto Salon, it combined the new twin-cam engine of the Type 51 racer with a slightly larger chassis to seat two in some comfort.
What really set the Type 55 apart from its predecessors and rivals was the fabulous Roadster bodywork penned by Jean Bugatti. Amazingly, the son of Ettore Bugatti was just 22-years old at the time. Although other bodies were also available for the race-bred chassis, the Roadster was the most popular for obvious reasons.
Available for several years, only three dozen examples were ultimately built of the striking machine. Today they are highly sought after and many reside in the world's finest collections.
This is certainly the case of the two examples featured today, including the prototype Roadster. Among their previous owners were the likes of Ralph Lauren and the late Peter Williamson. The two Bugatti Type 55 Roadsters are pictured in an 18-shot gallery at the Pebble Beach Concours and Tour d’Elegance and Concorso Villa d'Este in Italy.
In the mid 1920s, the straight-eight powered Bugatti Type 35 dominated motor racing by scoring literally thousands of victories. Simple, but very effective, the Type 35 was available with a number of engine displacements, either naturally aspirated or supercharged, making it eligible for almost every class.
Capitalizing on the motor racing success, Bugatti decided to launch a road going version of the racer in 1927. Dubbed the Type 43 Grand Sport, the road car featured a 2.3-liter Type 35B supercharged engine, installed in a lengthened and widened chassis to accommodate four passengers. Despite its high price, the suitably named Grand Sport was quite successful with 160 cars being produced between 1927 and 1932.
By 1930, the competition had finally caught up with the small French racer, so it was time for a replacement for the aging Type 35 and its derivatives. A new engine was designed to meet the increased demands, although it was very similar to two twin-cam Miller units Ettore Bugatti had acquired a few years earlier.
The finest of these racers for the road is undoubtedly the Type 55, also known as the Super Sport. Launched at the 1931 Paris Auto Salon, it combined the new twin-cam engine of the Type 51 racer with a slightly larger chassis to seat two in some comfort.
What really set the Type 55 apart from its predecessors and rivals was the fabulous Roadster bodywork penned by Jean Bugatti. Amazingly, the son of Ettore Bugatti was just 22-years old at the time. Although other bodies were also available for the race-bred chassis, the Roadster was the most popular for obvious reasons.
Available for several years, only three dozen examples were ultimately built of the striking machine. Today they are highly sought after and many reside in the world's finest collections.
This is certainly the case of the two examples featured today, including the prototype Roadster. Among their previous owners were the likes of Ralph Lauren and the late Peter Williamson. The two Bugatti Type 55 Roadsters are pictured in an 18-shot gallery at the Pebble Beach Concours and Tour d’Elegance and Concorso Villa d'Este in Italy.
In the mid 1920s, the straight-eight powered Bugatti Type 35 dominated motor racing by scoring literally thousands of victories. Simple, but very effective, the Type 35 was available with a number of engine displacements, either naturally aspirated or supercharged, making it eligible for almost every class.
Capitalizing on the motor racing success, Bugatti decided to launch a road going version of the racer in 1927. Dubbed the Type 43 Grand Sport, the road car featured a 2.3-liter Type 35B supercharged engine, installed in a lengthened and widened chassis to accommodate four passengers. Despite its high price, the suitably named Grand Sport was quite successful with 160 cars being produced between 1927 and 1932.
By 1930, the competition had finally caught up with the small French racer, so it was time for a replacement for the aging Type 35 and its derivatives. A new engine was designed to meet the increased demands, although it was very similar to two twin-cam Miller units Ettore Bugatti had acquired a few years earlier.
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