Motorsport
Bugatti Type 35: the most successful Grand Prix car of its era
The Bugatti Type 35 made its debut at Lyon in 1924 and won five straight Targa Florios and the first Monaco Grand Prix. Bugatti counts over 2,000 wins, a figure no one has audited.
By the My Hangar editorsPublished 5 min read
Key takeaways
- The Type 35 made its race debut at the French Grand Prix near Lyon on 3 August 1924, where faulty tyres left its best car seventh.
- Bugatti says the Type 35 scored over 2,000 wins between 1924 and 1930, but other counts differ and no audited tally exists.
- The Type 35 family won the Targa Florio five years running, from 1925 to 1929.
- William Grover-Williams won the first Monaco Grand Prix on 14 April 1929 in a Type 35B, in 3h56m11s.
- Bugatti puts production at 340 while stressing that exact figures are unclear, and Motor1 reaches about 340 only by including related models.
The Bugatti Type 35 is widely called the most successful Grand Prix car of its era, though nobody has an audited tally. It made its debut near Lyon on 3 August 1924 with a 2.0-litre straight-eight, then won five straight Targa Florios (1925–1929) and the first Monaco Grand Prix. Bugatti's own count runs past 2,000 wins.
How many races did the Bugatti Type 35 win?
Nobody knows exactly, and the published numbers do not agree. Bugatti's history of the car claims over 2,000 victories between 1924 and 1930, while Wikipedia's article says over 1,000 without a citation. Motor1 and a 2024 Bugatti release report over 2,500 "victories and podiums", which is a different measure.
Treat these as orders of magnitude. What explains the large number is that privateers could buy the car: after Lyon, ten Type 35s had been built and nearly all had gone to customers. So the count presumably includes many minor events alongside the great Grands Prix.
What happened at the Type 35's debut at Lyon in 1924?
It lost, because of its tyres. Five cars were entered for the French Grand Prix, run over 35 laps of a 23.1 km road circuit, with the prototype held in reserve. They had been quickest in practice, yet treads began to peel off during the race.
- Jean Chassagne was the best Bugatti, in seventh.
- Ernest Friderich came eighth and Leonico Garnier eleventh.
- Pierre de Vizcaya lost a tread early in the race and crashed out on lap 11.
- Bartolomeo Costantini retired when tread wrapped around his gear lever and damaged the gearbox. Bugatti credits him with the fastest lap, but race records give it to Henry Segrave's Sunbeam, at 11m19s on lap 29.
Giuseppe Campari won in an Alfa Romeo P2. An investigation found the tyres had not been properly vulcanised, while the new wheels had held up well. With another supplier, Costantini set the fastest lap and finished second in the next big race, at San Sebastián.
What made the Type 35 different from its rivals?
Light weight and careful detail, rather than sheer power. The car weighed about 750 kg ready to run, on a 2.4 m wheelbase.
- Wheels: cast aluminium with eight flat spokes, detachable rims and the brake drum integrated.
- Front axle: forged and hollow with sealed ends, at about 10 kg by Bugatti's figure.
- Engine: straight-eight with a single overhead camshaft and three valves per cylinder, its crankshaft running in roller and ball bearings.
Bugatti says the engine could turn up to 6,000 rpm. The Bugatti Trust, a heritage archive, gives 5,500 rpm as the prudent limit for the 2.0-litre cars and 5,000 rpm for the longer-stroke 2.3.
Which versions of the Type 35 were built?
There were five main versions, split by capacity and supercharging. Power varies by source, so the last column shows the basis.
| Version | From | Capacity | Supercharger | Output | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type 35 | 1924 | 1,991 cc | No | about 90–95 PS | Trust 90 bhp; Bugatti about 95 PS with two carburettors |
| Type 35A | 1925 | 2.0 litres | No | 75 PS | Bugatti figure |
| Type 35C | about 1926 | 1,991 cc | Roots | 120–130 bhp | Bugatti Trust |
| Type 35T | about 1926 | 2,262 cc | No | not confirmed | built for the Targa Florio |
| Type 35B | about 1926 | 2,262 cc | Roots | up to 140 PS | Bugatti; Trust says 120–130 bhp |
Production is just as hazy. Bugatti says 340 were built while conceding that exact figures are unclear, and Motor1 reaches about 340 only by including the 35A, 35B, 35C, 35T, 37, 37A and 39A. The Bugatti Trust lists 210 for the 35, 35B, 35C, 35T and Type 39 combined.
Which big races did the Type 35 win?
Its signature is the Targa Florio in Sicily, which the family won five years running. Bugattis filled the top three places in 1926, and the streak ended in 1930 when Achille Varzi won in an Alfa Romeo P2.
| Year | Winner | Car |
|---|---|---|
| 1925 | Bartolomeo Costantini | Type 35 |
| 1926 | Bartolomeo Costantini | Type 35T |
| 1927 | Emilio Materassi | Type 35C |
| 1928 | Albert Divo | Type 35B |
| 1929 | Albert Divo | Type 35C |
At the first Monaco Grand Prix, on 14 April 1929, William Grover-Williams, racing as "Williams", won in a green Type 35B. He covered the 100 laps and 318 km in 3h56m11s, an average of 80.8 km/h. Georges Bouriano's Type 35C came second and Rudolf Caracciola's Mercedes-Benz SSK third. René Dreyfus won there the next year in a Type 35B.
The 1926 manufacturers' title is a slightly different story. Motor Sport, writing in 1927, credited Bugatti with the championship, and Bugatti's own text calls it unofficial, although the Golden Era history says the sport's governing body, the AIACR, organised it. The French and Italian Grand Prix wins that year came from the 1.5-litre Type 39A, a close relative, with Jules Goux and Louis Charavel driving.
The Type 35 family also features in the daily Bugatti quiz and on the Bugatti timeline. For the road cars that followed it, see our guide to the Type 57SC Atlantic and the Royale.
FAQ
How many Bugatti Type 35s were built?
About 340 is the figure usually quoted, and Motor1 reaches it by counting related models such as the Type 37 and Type 39A. Bugatti itself says exact production numbers are unclear today.
Did the Bugatti Type 35 really win 2,000 races?
Bugatti claims over 2,000 wins, but no audited list backs that up. Other accounts say over 1,000, so treat the number as an estimate.
Who won the first Monaco Grand Prix?
William Grover-Williams, racing as "Williams", won on 14 April 1929 in a Bugatti Type 35B. He averaged 80.8 km/h over 100 laps.
Why did the Type 35 lose its first race?
Its tyres had not been properly vulcanised, so the treads came away at racing speed. The best car finished seventh at Lyon in 1924.
Sources
- Bugatti Type 35: the world's most successful racing car, Bugatti Newsroom
- Bugatti Type 35: the making of a champion, Bugatti Newsroom
- Bugatti Type 35 specifications, The Bugatti Trust
- 100 years ago the Bugatti Type 35 became a legend, Motor1
- 1924 French Grand Prix, The Golden Era of Grand Prix Racing
- 1929 Monaco Grand Prix, The Golden Era of Grand Prix Racing
- 1926 Grand Prix season, The Golden Era of Grand Prix Racing
- 1926 French Grand Prix, The Golden Era of Grand Prix Racing
- 1930 Monaco Grand Prix, The Golden Era of Grand Prix Racing
- Great racing marques: Bugatti, Motor Sport Magazine archive, May 1927
- Targa Florio winners, Wikipedia
- Bugatti Type 35, Wikipedia
Every figure here was checked against at least two independent sources, listed at the end.
