A Bug's Eyes
Eye to Aye with a 1933 Bugatti Type 55 Roadster, basically Jean Bugatti's street version of the Type 51 Grand Prix Racing cars. The Type 55 showcased the twin-overhead camshaft technology that Jean Bugatti championed over his father Ettore's preferred single-cam engines. That exquisite engine, a detuned, supercharged 2.3-liter straight-eight engine taken from the Grand Prix car.
It offered 130 horsepower and a top speed exceeding 110 mph, making it a true supercar of its time.
Featuring Jean Bugatti's signature styling, the two-seat roadster body is considered one of the finest ever created. Only 38 chassis were built between 1932 and 1935, with many receiving custom, elegant coachwork.
The majority of Type 55s had factory bodywork designed by Jean Bugatti, with 16 of the 38 wearing 2-seater roadster bodies and another 7 wearing coupe bodies, both of his design. Of the other 15, 11 were bodied by outside coachbuilders and the other four are unidentified.[2] None of the factory bodied cars had doors which made them far less practical than the cars bodied by external coachbuilders, most of which did have doors. The Type 55 was often criticized by reviewers for its lack of practicality and for being deafening to ride in, due to a combination of noisy mechanicals and straight cut gears,,,,,,but the shear joy of driving in such a glorious piece of art, at godawful speeds for the roads of the day, would have made practicality a non issue.
I'll take 2, a roadster and a coupe' and damn the doors, and I am deaf anyway.......
A Bug's Eyes
Eye to Aye with a 1933 Bugatti Type 55 Roadster, basically Jean Bugatti's street version of the Type 51 Grand Prix Racing cars. The Type 55 showcased the twin-overhead camshaft technology that Jean Bugatti championed over his father Ettore's preferred single-cam engines. That exquisite engine, a detuned, supercharged 2.3-liter straight-eight engine taken from the Grand Prix car.
It offered 130 horsepower and a top speed exceeding 110 mph, making it a true supercar of its time.
Featuring Jean Bugatti's signature styling, the two-seat roadster body is considered one of the finest ever created. Only 38 chassis were built between 1932 and 1935, with many receiving custom, elegant coachwork.
The majority of Type 55s had factory bodywork designed by Jean Bugatti, with 16 of the 38 wearing 2-seater roadster bodies and another 7 wearing coupe bodies, both of his design. Of the other 15, 11 were bodied by outside coachbuilders and the other four are unidentified.[2] None of the factory bodied cars had doors which made them far less practical than the cars bodied by external coachbuilders, most of which did have doors. The Type 55 was often criticized by reviewers for its lack of practicality and for being deafening to ride in, due to a combination of noisy mechanicals and straight cut gears,,,,,,but the shear joy of driving in such a glorious piece of art, at godawful speeds for the roads of the day, would have made practicality a non issue.
I'll take 2, a roadster and a coupe' and damn the doors, and I am deaf anyway.......