Bugatti Type 59 1934
The final Bugatti race car of the 1930s was the Type 59 of 1934.
It used an enlarged 3.3 L (3257 cc/198 in³) version of the straight-eight Type 57's engine sitting in a modified Type 54 chassis. The engine was lowered for a better center of gravity, and the frame was lightened with a number of holes drilled in the chassis. The signature piano wire wheels used splines between the brake drum and rim, and relied on the radial spokes to handle cornering loads. 250 hp (186 kW) was on tap.
Somewhere between 6 and 8 Type 59s were made in total and only 5 survive to this day, this particular example lives in the impressive and jealousy inducing collection of Ralph Lauren.
Ettore Bugatti's Type 35 Grand Prix car is said to be the most successful GP car in history. Mind you, racing was different in the 1920s, not so revolutionary as today, but the number of race wins is staggering. It's been written that Type 35s won 351 races in 1924 and 1925 and yet the car was still so relevant in 1929 that William Grover-Williams drove one to victory in the first Monaco GP...and Rene Dreyfus did the same in the principality in 1930.
Bugatti Type 51s won at Monaco in 1931 and 1933 and then the factory built the Type 54, but time was running out. Italian automakers Alfa Romeo and Maserati were now hounding Bugatti, but that was only the beginning. Then Mercedes-Benz and Auto Union entered the fray, with all four firms backed by their governments.
Ettore Bugatti's last Grand Prix gasp was the Type 59. Based on the chassis of the Type 54, its frame cut with holes to lighten it, the design featured the 3.3-liter supercharged twincam straight-8 used in the Type 57, tuned to some 250 bhp. A 4-speed gearbox was located roughly midway between the engine and rear differential.
What sets the Type 59 apart, though, is its pure race car beauty. Some experts think of it as the most sublime of all GP cars. Consider the manner in which the body sits relative to the wheels, the radiator located back with the front wheel hubs before the body flows rearward to the tapering tail. And all the detailing along the way...louvers, brake cables, the long exhaust pipe. Then there are the famous piano wire wheels that seem to invite you to run your fingers over them like the strings of a harp.
There was one major victory for the Type 59, Rene Dreyfus in the 1934 Belgian Grand Prix, with other wins in lesser events.
The Type 59 in the Ralph Lauren collection is chassis 59122, the first of the eight 59s built in the Molsheim factory. As such, it was driven by many of the most prominent drivers of the time: Achille Varzi, Antonio Brivio, Jean-Pierre Wimille and one of the greatest of all time, Tazio Nuvolari. The best finish for 59122 was the 1934 Belgian GP when Brivio followed fellow Bugatti driver Rene Dreyfus to the flag to finish 2nd. Brivio also set a new lap record on the fast Spa circuit. Chassis 59122 scored 3rd places in the Spanish GP and the Coppa Acerbo that year.
In 1935, the car was sold to an Englishman, Lindsay Eccles, and it was used extensively in races and hill climbs in Britain.
Specifications
3.3-litre GP
Identifying Features:
Bugatti piano wire wheels; front springs sliding in blocks above cross tube at front; external multi-tube oil cooler; large lightening holes in frame; external brake compensating chain-work; full width rear springs; De Ram shock absorbers
Years Made
(approx): 1933-36
Number Made:
6 or 7
Engine:
No of cylinders: 8
Bore x stroke: 72 x 100mm (1933: 72 x 88mm)
Capacity: 3257cc (1933: 2866)
BHP (approx): 250
RPM Limit (prudent): 5500
Camshafts: dohc
Valves (per cylinder): 2
Camshaft drive: Rear, spur gears
Crankshaft bearings: 6 plain, plain rods
Supercharger: Roots
Carburettor: 2 Zenith, 52mm
Ignition: Scintilla Vertex magneto
Plugs per cylinder: 1
Firing Order: 1, 5, 3, 7, 4, 8, 2, 6
Clutch:
Type: Dry, multi-plate, all metal
Gearbox:
Location: Separate, central, 4-speed and reverse
Gear change lever: external
Rear Axle:
Normal Ratio: Double reduction, 2.9 to 4.5 available
Dimensions:
Wheelbase: 102.3in (2.60m)
Track: 49.2in (1.25m)
Weight (approx): 1650lb (750kg)
Brakes:
Location and Type: 4-wheel cable operated
Wheels:
Type: Bugatti piano wire
Tyre size: original and modern fitment, 5.25 to 6.00 x 19
Crossbreeding with Other Types:
Engine basically dry sump version of T57SC