Bugatti Type 35
1924–1930 · Bugatti Type 35 — Competition, Inline-8 Supercharged, designed by Ettore Bugatti.
The Story
The Type 35 is, by a distance, the most successful racing car ever built. Introduced in 1924, it won — depending on the count — well over 1,000 races, with Bugatti itself claiming more than 2,000. It did so with engineering as beautiful as it was effective: a 2.0-litre (later 2.3, supercharged) straight-eight, a roller-bearing crankshaft, and those signature hollow cast-aluminium spoked wheels.
What made it revolutionary was that it was a true dual-purpose car — sold to wealthy privateers who drove to the circuit, won the Grand Prix, and drove home. In the hands of Nuvolari, Chiron, Varzi, Divo and ‘Williams,’ it defined Grand Prix racing in the late 1920s; a Type 35B won the first-ever Monaco Grand Prix in 1929.
For Studio Motors, the Type 35 is the cornerstone of the entire Bugatti legend and a blue-chip pre-war grail — the car that earned the marque its mystique.
The Numbers
Benchmarked against its class
Each dial ranks this car within its Competition class — fuller means higher, and the tick marks the class midpoint.
Signature Colors
The Designer
Ettore Bugatti
Founder of Bugatti; engineer-artist who designed both the cars and their engines (the Type 41 engine even powered France’s record-setting Autorail railcars). Born Milan 1881; founded Molsheim 1909; died 1947. Sources: Wikipedia (Bugatti).
Studio Motors POV
The foundation of Bugatti’s mystique and one of the great pre-war blue-chips — but here, more than anywhere, provenance is everything: a documented, genuine Molsheim car is the whole game.
The Engine
Bugatti Straight-8 (Type 35)
Lineage
Where it sits in the bloodline
Market & Value
Values on cars like this move monthly. Our brokers price from real transactions.
What Reviewers Said About Type 35
Worth Knowing About the Type 35
3 Things You Didn’t Know
- 1) It won over 1,000 races (Bugatti claims more than 2,000) — no other car comes close.
- 2) Its hollow cast-aluminium spoked wheels were a Bugatti first — light, strong, integrated with the brake drum.
- 3) It was a 'drive-to-the-race' car: privateers raced it on Sunday and drove it home.
5 Fast Facts
- • Built 1924–1930; ~640 across all variants.
- • 2.0L straight-8 (90 hp) to 2.3L supercharged 35B (138 hp).
- • Won the first Monaco GP (1929, Grover-Williams in a 35B).
- • Took the 1926 Grand Prix World Championship.
- • Drivers: Nuvolari, Chiron, Varzi, Divo, Dreyfus, 'Williams.'
Provenance
Owners & what to look for
Famous Owners
Campaigned in period by the greatest drivers of the age — Tazio Nuvolari, Louis Chiron, Achille Varzi, Albert Divo, René Dreyfus and William ‘Williams’ Grover-Williams. Genuine surviving examples are prized in the foremost collections (e.g. the Schlumpf Collection / Cité de l’Automobile, Mulhouse).
Studio Buyer’s Brief
A provenance-and-originality market: matching-numbers cars, documented period race history and known chassis command the strongest money. Beware the many replicas and continuation/recreation cars — genuine Molsheim-built examples with traceable history are a different asset class. The supercharged 35B/35C and cars with star-driver history sit at the top.
Full Specifications
- Make / Model
- Bugatti Type 35
- Class
- Competition
- Production years
- 1924–1930
- Units built
- ~640 (all variants); ~37 of supercharged 35B
- Variants
- 35, 35A, 35B, 35C, 35T
- Engine layout
- Front
- Engine
- Inline-8 Supercharged
- Engine family
- Bugatti Straight-8 (Type 35)
- Displacement
- 2.3 L (2,262 cc) SC straight-8 (35B/C); 2.0 L (1,991 cc) base
- Power
- 138 hp
- Torque
- lb-ft
- 0–60 mph
- s
- Top speed
- 125 mph
- Power-to-weight
- 184 hp/tonne · 12 lb/hp
- Transmission
- 4-speed manual
- Drivetrain
- Rear-wheel drive · Petrol
- Curb weight
- 1653 lb
Questions
Type 35 FAQ
How many races did the Bugatti Type 35 win?
Over 1,000 verified victories, with Bugatti claiming more than 2,000. In 1926 it won the Grand Prix World Championship, and between 1925 and 1929 it took five consecutive Targa Florio wins in Sicily.
Who designed the Bugatti Type 35?
Ettore Bugatti himself. The Type 35 debuted at the 1924 French Grand Prix at Lyon, with his signature engineering: a naturally-aspirated straight-eight, hollow cast-aluminium wheels, and a horseshoe radiator. Supercharged variants (35C, 35B) followed.
How much is a Bugatti Type 35 worth?
Genuine Molsheim-built examples with documented provenance have traded in the $2 to $3M range at recent auctions. Cars with works-team or championship race history command significantly more.
Is the Bugatti Type 35 a good collector car?
It is one of the most sought-after pre-war racing cars. Genuine examples with matching numbers and period race provenance are considered blue-chip assets, but many replicas exist, so authentication is critical.
What made the Bugatti Type 35 so successful?
It combined a lightweight chassis, a powerful supercharged straight-eight, and innovative hollow-spoke aluminium wheels. Crucially, Bugatti sold the car to privateers, who won races across Europe in large numbers.
The Bugatti Lineup
Explore every Bugatti
Type 35 ’24Type 41 Royale ’27
Type 55 ’32Type 57 ’34Type 57SC Atlantic ’36
Chiron ’16La Voiture Noire ’19
Divo ’20Centodieci ’22Bolide ’24W16 Mistral ’24Tourbillon ’26
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