Bugatti

Type 35

Bugatti Type 35: The Legend

If you want to understand Bugatti, you have to understand the Type 35. It is the DNA of the brand. From 1924 to 1930, it was utterly dominant. It is the most successful racing car of all time, winning over 2,000 races. At its peak, it averaged 14 victories per week around the world. It won the grueling Targa Florio endurance race in Sicily five years in a row (1925–1929). It won the Grand Prix World Championship in 1926. It was driven by legends, amateurs, and royalty alike.

Engineering: “Weight is the Enemy”

Ettore Bugatti was obsessed with lightness and purity of design. He famously said, “Weight is the enemy.” The Type 35 is a masterclass in shedding pounds while maintaining strength.

  • Hollow Front Axle: The front axle is a single piece of forged steel, but it is hollow. To make it, Bugatti bored out a solid billet, then bent it to shape while hot. This made it incredibly light yet stronger than a solid beam.
  • Leaf Springs: The rear suspension used quarter-elliptic leaf springs that passed through the chassis rails rather than being bolted under them. This lowered the center of gravity and reduced unsprung weight.
  • Engine Mounts: The engine itself is a stressed member of the chassis, stiffening the frame without adding extra bracing.
  • Steering: The steering box was a worm-and-gear design, beautifully machined, providing razor-sharp feedback.

The Straight-Eight Engine: A Work of Art

The heart of the Type 35 is its 2.0-liter straight-eight engine. It is widely considered one of the most beautiful engines ever made.

  • Construction: The block and head were cast as a single unit (monobloc) to eliminate the need for a head gasket, which was the weak point of early engines. The machining tolerances were so precise that the metal surfaces sealed perfectly against each other without gaskets.
  • Crankshaft: It ran on roller bearings and ball bearings rather than plain bearings, allowing it to rev to an unheard-of 6,000 rpm.
  • Supercharger: A Roots-type supercharger force-fed the engine, boosting power to 135-140 hp in the Type 35B (2.3L version).
  • Firing Order: The firing order (1-5-2-6-3-7-4-8) produced a distinct, rhythmic exhaust note that became the soundtrack of 1920s racing.

The sound of a Type 35 at full chat is a distinctive, ripping howl—a mixture of supercharger whine and straight-eight bark.

The Wheels: An Innovation That Changed Racing

Before the Type 35, racing cars used wire-spoke wheels. These were heavy, prone to failure, and difficult to change during a pit stop. Bugatti introduced the world’s first aluminum alloy wheels.

  • Integrated Brake Drums: The brake drums were cast directly into the wheel spokes. This had two massive benefits:
    1. It saved weight by eliminating the separate drum assembly.
    2. The spinning wheel acted as a fan, pulling cool air over the brakes to prevent fade.
  • Detachable Rims: A mechanic could remove the entire wheel/brake assembly by undoing a single central nut, making tire changes lightning fast. This alone won Bugatti many races.

Driving: The Art of Slide

The Type 35 is tiny. The cockpit is narrow, designed for a jockey-sized driver and a mechanic.

  • Controls: The gear lever is outside the bodywork on the right. The pedals are tiny and close together (famously requiring narrow racing shoes). The steering wheel is huge and wood-rimmed.
  • Handling: It is renowned for its neutral balance. You steer the car with the throttle as much as the wheel. On the skinny tires of the 1920s, the Type 35 drifts beautifully through corners in a controlled four-wheel slide.
  • Brakes: Cable-operated drum brakes on all four wheels. By modern standards, they are terrifyingly ineffective. You have to plan your braking zones hundreds of meters in advance.

The Many Faces of Type 35

Bugatti built several variants of the Type 35, catering to different racers and budgets:

  • Type 35 (1924): The original 2.0L normally aspirated racer.
  • Type 35A “Tecla” (1925): A cheaper version for amateur racers (“gentleman drivers”). It used wire wheels and a simplified engine (from the Type 38 road car). It was nicknamed “Tecla” after a famous maker of imitation pearls.
  • Type 35C (1926): Supercharged 2.0L engine. Widely considered the best handling of the bunch due to its balance.
  • Type 35T (1926): A 2.3L naturally aspirated version specifically for the Targa Florio (hence the ‘T’).
  • Type 35B (1927): The ultimate evolution. Supercharged 2.3L engine, larger brakes/tires. This was the fastest and most powerful (140 hp).

Elisabeth Junek: The Queen of the Steering Wheel

One of the greatest drivers of the Type 35 was a woman: Eliška Junková (Elisabeth Junek). In the 1928 Targa Florio, she led the race against the factory teams of Alfa Romeo and Maserati. She was beating legends like Tazio Nuvolari and Louis Chiron on merit. Although mechanical trouble forced her to finish 5th, her performance is legendary. She proved the Type 35 was a car that responded to finesse, not just brute force.

The Cost of Speed

In the 1920s, a Type 35 cost roughly 100,000 Francs. It was the equivalent of buying a top-tier GT3 race car today. It was expensive, but it came ready to win. Privateers could literally drive it to the track (it was road legal, with headlights and fenders), race it, and drive it home.

The Pur Sang (Thoroughbred)

Ettore Bugatti called his creations “Pur Sang”—thoroughbreds. The Type 35 embodies this philosophy perfectly. It was fast, beautiful, and expensive. Today, an original Type 35 is worth millions. But its legacy is visible in every modern Bugatti:

  • The horseshoe grille comes directly from the Type 35.
  • The center line running down the spine of the Atlantic and Chiron mimics the finned joints of the Type 35’s bodywork.
  • The aluminum interior accents of the Veyron pay homage to the Type 35’s dashboard.

It is simply the most important car Bugatti ever made.