Sandy Leith pushing hard with his 1931 Type 37. Leith, who is the Registrar of the American Bugatti Club, tell us about his car: My car was the second-to-last T37 built. It was bought by a New York banker on vacation, Elgood Lufkin, in Paris who brought it home with him. After one or two more owners and an engine blow-up in early ARCA competition, it received the 4-cylinder, Ford B engine in 1935 and raced as the 'Scrambling Egg' Bugatti-Ford special with the ARCA until 1940 when it disappeared. I found it in 1995 and have kept it, essentially, as found.
Photos and Captions by Hugues Vanhoolandt
The best of the bugs from Monterey.
The Mullin stable with a 1925 Type 35C for Matthew Cobb and a 1936 Type 57SC for Peter Mullin himself.
Also from the Mullin team, a 1928 Type 37A.
...and this 1934 Type 51 driven by Brian Mullin.
There were a lot of nice examples in the paddock, this one a 1928 Type 44 roadster ..
… or this rare Type 55 replica roadster …
… or this Type 40 ‘Lidia’ Fiacre bodied drophead coupe, which was the first car designed by Jean Bugatti whose intention was to build a rather unique car for his sister Lidia.
... and another unique Bugatti, this 1938 Type 57.
Andrew Larson's 1927 Type 37A.
The photos show Anne Cécile Rose-Itier with the Larson Bugatti. According to the website Bugattibuilder.com. From 1931 to 1936 she raced Bugattis T37, T37A and T51A and a T46 sport and competed at Le Mans a record five times.
Type 59 Grand Prix Bugatti with the famous 'piano wire wheels'. Rene Dreyfus won at Spa with a Type 59 in 1934.
Bugatti-only races are extremely rare but began in the 1920s. According to the Bugatti Review site, from 1928 to 1930, Bugatti organized a special Bugatti race for his clients, the Grands Prix Bugatti. These of course were open only to Bugattis, and were held on the Le Mans circuit. The Monterey Reunion offered another.
This 1924 Type 13 came all the way from Luxemburg to take part …
This early T35 came from Holland and featured a very authentic appearing patina.
Charles McCabe from San Francisco finished 3rd with the piano wire wheel 1934 Type 59
Richard Longes, from Sydney, Australia, placed 4th with a Type 35B.
A semi-streamlined body shape for this 1938 Type 57.
Peter Mullin gets out of shape in the corkscrew.
Remember the Bugatti parked alongside the road in Wisconsin? Here back on track and placing second overall is the Type 35B of Peter Giddings.
Overall victory went to Charles Dean, from England, with his 1932 Type 51.
I still rather have an Alfa 8c2900B
Best,
Stu Schaller
“dretceterini”
It is fascinating to visit Peter Mullin’s racing car collection in his new Mullin Automobile Museum. Nearly every race car on display wears vintage race event tech stickers covering part of its windscreen and tires exhibiting lots of hard use. Peter has become a fine driver and uses his historic treasures as they were meant to be.
I was working turn 3, during the Reunion this year, what a magnificent site it was on lap 1 of the Bugatti GP to see 30 plus vintage Bugatti’s, three and four wide between the apex of turn 3 and the exit of turn 2 all at the same time. A mental photograph forever. Thank you to all who participated.