Bugatti Type 43
Although it’s not obvious when looking at the long touring car body, the Bugatti 43 was an updated version of the Type 35 Grand Prix racer.
The car was even equipped with the same engine: a 2.3-litre supercharged eight-cylinder. This engine had three valves per cylinder, two intake and one exhaust valve, and had so much torque that the car could accelerate in fourth gear from standstill. In its time the Type 43 was the first production car to reach a top speed of 160 km/h.
The eight-spoke alloy wheels indicate the link to the racing Bugattis. An interesting detail to note is that the headlights swivel with the steering wheel.
The Type 35 was the most successful Bugatti racing car. The model made its debut at the Lyon Grand Prix in 1924. The car then came second in the Grand Prix at San Sebastian, followed by multiple triumphant Grand Prix wins, as well as five consecutive wins at the Targa Florio in Sicily.
Bugatti was one of the few car manufacturers to sell its racing cars to privateers. The Type 35 was very popular and could be considered the first series production racing car, which is why it has a good thousand wins against its name.