1926 Bugatti Type 35

To Be OFFERED AT AUCTION at RM Sothebys Hershey event, 9 - 10 October 2024.
$300,000 - $375,000 USD

• An ideal drivers Type 35A, in nicely presented condition
• Overhead-cam eight-cylinder engine with three valves per cylinder a superb powerhouse
• One of the most iconic vintage racing automobiles of all time

From its first appearance at the 1924 French Grand Prix, held at Lyon, there was no doubt to anyone who saw the Bugatti Type 35 run that this was an automobile that had it all: durability, mechanical functionality, and a wonderfully sporting exterior design. The Type 35s best finish for that race was a respectable 7th overall, but it was clear that the car had the potential for greater success following future tuning and refinement. Indeed, this model would eventually become the most successful racing automobile, by number of victories, of all time.

Terence E. Adderley was a longtime Bugatti enthusiast, who indeed purchased a Type 57 as an early acquisition in his decades of collecting, and would gradually add other remarkable specimens to his private stable in the years to come. He had long craved a competition Bugatti, and in 2015 purchased the Type 35A offered here from a seller in the United Kingdom. It has remained in the collection now for nearly a decade, and is, significantly, the last Bugatti to be sold from the Adderley fleet.

The car bears an assigned chassis number, BC 167, from the Bugatti Owners Club in the United Kingdom, which is not uncommon for examples that have been restored using a combination of original and reproduction parts and are in need of an identity outside of the original production run. Recent inspection of the car shows that no number is legible on the crankcase, which has been welded where the mounting arm joins the case, and thus it cannot be confirmed to be an original Type 35 engine. The rear axle has also been restamped 277 the only visible number without the usual ratio stamping, while the steering box is believed to be an original unit.

In good usable cosmetic order, the Bugatti would be ideal for further sorting, after which it could be enjoyed as an entertaining drivers automobile and potent vintage rally entrant in the hands of a new caretaker.
To view this car and others currently consigned to this auction, please visit the RM website at rmsothebys.com/auctions/hf24/.