Lot details Registration No: SV 7765 Chassis No: 441052 Mot Expiry: April 2007
"This Bugatti is decidedly sporting; yet it is just as emphatically smooth and sweet, and the flexibility on fourth speed is remarkable. When I ran Bugattis for two and a half years, I thought myself quite lucky if I got more than 400 or 500 yards of fourth speed in London . . . This 3 litre straight eight could be driven from 'The Bear' at Esher to Aldgate Pump on fourth speed, using third only for restarting after traffic lights. It is just as refined as it is fast; just as amusing a car in the hands as ever the little beggars were . . . For what my judgement is worth, the 23.6hp Bugatti is one of the five best, most interesting, most friendly, companionable and altogether delightful motorcars that can be bought in London today" (Edgar Duffield in the Automotor Journal, 1928).
Introduced at the October 1927 Paris Salon, the Type 44 was heralded by Motorsport magazine as Bugatti's "first serious attempt at a Touring car". In the best Molsheim traditions, much of its exquisitely crafted running gear was common to other models. Thus, the new arrival's chassis was essentially carried over from the preceding Type 38, while its circular front axle, spiral-bevel back axle, four-speed manual gearbox and multi-plate clutch were derived from the Type 40 / Type 43 models. An acknowledged masterpiece, the Type 44's 2991cc straight-eight engine was based around two cast-iron cylinder blocks (complete with non-detachable heads) and boasted a centrally-driven single overhead camshaft that operated twenty-four valves (sixteen inlet / eight exhaust). Running in nine plain bearings (as opposed to the five roller ones used on the Type 35B etc), its finely balanced two-piece crankshaft endowed the unit with enviable smoothness and flexibility. Quoted as developing 80bhp, it was reputedly capable of running at anything from 125rpm to 4,500rpm. Praised for its pliant ride, taut handling and excellent refinement, the Type 44 rode on leaf-sprung suspension (semi-elliptic front / reversed quarter-elliptic rear) and benefited from self-compensating cable-operated 330mm drum brakes.
Bodied by the likes of Kellner, Weymann, James Young, and Molsheim itself, the Type 44's 3122mm wheelbase and 1250mm track played host to some wonderfully stylish coachwork. A typically strong performer - Motorsport magazine coaxed an indicated 95mph out of Colonel Sorel's fabric saloon - the model also proved to be Bugatti's most commercially successful car with some 1,095 rolling out of the factory gates between 1927 and 1930. Prized by enthusiasts worldwide, some led more adventurous lives than others (Norbert Jean Mahe drove his modified Type 44 to ninth overall but second in class at the 1934 Le Mans 24-hour race).
Finished in red over black with red leather upholstery, this particular example is variously described by the vendor as being in "sound" (engine, gearbox, electrical equipment) or "good" (interior trim, chassis, bodywork, paintwork) condition. Reportedly in the possession of its previous keeper - a prominent Bugatti enthusiast who apparently maintained that it had taken a class win on the 1931 Paris-Deauville Rally (an unsubstantiated claim) - for over three and a half decades, it entered the current ownership "several years ago". Said to retain "its original and unique 'Fiacre' style Weyman of Paris Three Position Drophead Coupe body", it is understood to have been treated to an engine rebuild (complete with two new Koux blocks) and front axle overhaul (approximately 1,500 miles ago) by its last custodian. While, more recent work has seen the Type 44 benefit from "the installation of a new petrol tank and Blockley tyres". An elegantly proportioned car with some lovely 'razor-edge' detailing, its touring capabilities are enhanced by running board lockers, a sizable trunk and twin rear-mounted spare wheels. A disarmingly pretty but thoroughly practical Bugatti, it is offered for sale with MOT certificate and historic class (free) road tax both valid until April 2007.
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