Description
‘Bugattis encapsulate concepts of engineering which, once seen, change your ideas radically and definitively. Drive them, and you realise that each car is form and engineering in equilibrium, and a work of art.’ – William Stobbs, Les Grandes Routières. Introduced in 1922, the Type 30 Bugatti has a special place in motoring history, for it was the first small straight-eight to go into production and the first to use Bugatti’s classic single-overhead-cam engine, one of the most famous automobile power units of all time. Typical of the time, the Bugatti eight was a long-stroke design of 60x88mm bore/stroke for a capacity of 1,991cc. The three valves per cylinder were operated by single gear-driven overhead camshaft, while the crankshaft was carried in three roller bearings with plain big ends. Breathing via twin Solex carburettors, this jewel-like power unit produced approximately l00bhp at 4,500rpm. This engine was installed in what was essentially a Brescia type chassis, resulting in a car that was notably fast and powerful for its day, possessing many of the characteristics of the racing Bugattis. The eight-cylinder engine was very flexible and, once mastered, the Brescia-type gearbox a delight to use. Of some 600-or-so Type 30s produced, fewer than 50 are known to survive today. This car was once the property of the late C.W.P. Hampton.
Additional information
| Dimensions | 47.5 × 34.5 cm |
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