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The Bugatti Type 55 was a road-going version of the Type 51 Grand Prix car. A roadster, it had a short 108.3 in (2750 mm) wheelbase and light 1800 lb (816 kg) weight.

Power came from the Type 51's 2.3 L (2262 cc/138 in³) straight-8 engine. This 2-valve DOHC unit produced 130 hp (96 kW) and could rev to 5000 rpm. A Roots-type supercharger was used.

The car's 4-speed manual transmission came from the Type 49 touring car. 38 examples were produced from 1932 through 1935 and they produced a racing version later on.

Specifications

Supersport

Identifying Features:
Grand Sport or coupé body with cast alloy wheels; long sweeping wings

Years Made
(approx): 1932-35

Number Made:
38

Engine:
No of cylinders: 8
Bore x stroke: 60 x 100mm
Capacity: 2262cc
BHP (approx): 130
RPM Limit (prudent): 5000
Camshafts: dohc
Valves (per cylinder): 2
Camshaft drive: Front bevel and spur train
Crankshaft bearings: 3 + 1 Ball, 2 roller, roller rods
Supercharger: Roots
Carburettor: Zenith
Ignition: Magneto
Plugs per cylinder: 1
Firing Order: 1, 5, 2, 6, 3, 7, 4, 8

Clutch:
Type: Dry, multi-plate

Gearbox:
Location: Separate, central, 4-speed and reverse
Gear change lever: Central, ball type

Rear Axle:
Normal Ratio: 13/54 = 4.15

Dimensions:
Wheelbase: 108.3in (2.75m)
Track: 49.2in (1.25m)
Chassis Weight (approx): 1800lb (800kg)

Brakes:
Location and Type: 4-wheel, cable operated
Brake drum diameter: 330mm

Wheels:
Type: Cast alloy, integral rim
Tyre size: Original 28 x 4.95; modern fitment 5.00 x 19

Crossbreeding with Other Types:
T54 chassis; T51 engine and wheels; T49 gearbox in special casing

History

By the early 1930s Ettore Bugatti had established an unrivalled reputation for building cars with outstanding performance on road or track; the world’s greatest racing drivers enjoying countless successes aboard the Molsheim factory’s products and often choosing them for their everyday transport. In 1927 Bugatti had produced the Type 43 Grand Sport - the first 100mph Grand Prix-engined sporting chassis suitable for everyday road use. It was in effect a close-coupled four-seater touring model powered by the supercharged Type 35B Grand Prix engine. Because of its lengthy run of success, Ettore Bugatti remained stubbornly committed to this single-cam engine, only adopting the more advanced double-overhead-camshaft method of valve actuation, after much prompting by his eldest son Jean, on the Type 50 of 1930. From then on Jean Bugatti took greater responsibility for design, his first car being the exquisite Type 55 roadster, a model ranking among the finest sports cars of the 1930s. 

The Type 55’s 2,262cc, supercharged, twin-cam, straight-eight engine was carried over in slightly de-tuned form from the successful Type 51 Grand Prix car - successor to the legendary Type 35 - and fitted in the Grand Prix Type 54’s ladder frame chassis. The precocious Jean Bugatti added his own individual touch, designing a sublime two-seat roadster body that is universally acknowledged as one of the finest ever to grace an automobile. Unlike the Type 43, this new model was invariably a two-seater that was often referred to, quite justifiably, as the ‘Super Sport’. Aimed at only the wealthiest clientele, the Type 55 sold in commensurately limited numbers, a mere 38 being built between 1932 and 1935, the vast majority of these in the first year of production. Indeed, it truly was the ultimate exclusive supercar of the early 1930s. Even its closest rival, the 8C Alfa Romeo, was produced in far greater numbers, the majority of which were in long-chassis form and often fitted with four-seater coachwork. In contrast, almost half of the 38 Type 55 Bugattis built were fitted with Jean Bugatti-designed roadster or closed coupé coachwork, the classic roadster being considered by many cognoscenti to be by far the most outstandingly attractive sports car ever offered to the motoring public. 

There are some people who believe the Type 55 Bugatti was the most beautiful sports car ever built.
They are not necessarily all confirmed Bugattistes. From the trademark horseshoe radiator in front to the
neatly truncated rear deck, the car is perfectly proportioned and elegant in its simplicity. And that fender line
is pure poetry.

Verses have been penned about the Type 55’s performance too. Road tests of the era tell of 0 to 60
times of less than 13 seconds. One tester was still accelerating at 98.9 mph at the quarter mile, and yet
another held his foot to the floorboard for 115.

In essence, the Type 55 was the twin-cam supercharged 2.3 liter engine of the Grand Prix Type 51,
fitted into the foot-longer chassis of the 4.9-liter Grand Prix Type 54. It was clothed in a breathtaking new
body designed by Jean Bugatti, son of Le Patron and fitted with the familiar aluminum wheels.

Speaking of the man, the eminent Charles Faroux commented in the thirties “Bugatti is Bugatti,
which is saying everything.” Imperious to a fault, Ettore Bugatti wore his arrogance as a banner, and most
certainly insofar as his cars were concerned. When a customer complained that his Type 55 was a balky
starter in cold weather, Le Patron replied that surely if the man could afford the car, he could also afford a
heated garage.

Purchasers of the Type 55 during the thirties paid approximately $7500 for the car. Twenty-eight
were produced, twenty-eight survived. The Type 55 supplies demonstrable evidence of the pity it is that
sports automobiles can no longer be built out of Grand Prix cars.
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