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1926 Bugatti Brescia Chassis No. BC 154 (Frame No.174)Engine No. 921 (Ex-2537) • Beautifully restored, over ten year period, from 1996, by a well known and highly regarded member of both the

Bugatti Owners Club and the VSCC. Rebuilt using all original Molsheim components, bar the body, and importantly recently signed off by both the DVLA.

• The culmination of a great many years of collecting, all of the major components have come from some of the most respected names in the Bugatti world.

• A very usable car with the owner and his wife have completed some 9,000 km of rallies in the car, in recent years, as well as being campaigned in the VSCC.

• Accompanied by its current UK V5, letter of conformation from the DVLA and VSCC Buff log book. This is an ever increasingly rare opportunity to acquire such a well proportioned, twin-ignition example of the desirable ‘short chassis’ Bugatti Brescia, compromising of so many significant original factory parts.

• Having followed this car on the open road and seen it in action, it is guaranteed to put a smile on your face!

The Bugatti Brescia has to be one of the most exhilarating and usable Bugatti of all time. Derived from the 8-valve model introduced in 1910 and uprated to carry Bugatti’s characteristic reversed quarter-elliptical springs in 1913. The 16-valve version of this model was designed and built for an important international Voiturette race scheduled to be held at Le Mans on the 16th of August 1914, but canceled due to the outbreak of war. With the war thankfully behind them production began alongside the 8-valve model in February 1920.

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Production built up slowly, but as would become characteristic of the great marque, it was bolstered by racing success. On the 29th of August 1920, Works driver Ernst Fridrich took victory at the Coupe des Voiturettes at Le Mans. On the 8th of September 1921 Bugatti entered a team of four cars into the Voiturette Grand Prix held at Brescia in Italy. They took the first four places with Fridrich taking overall victory at an impressive average speed of over 70mph. From this point on these fabulous little racing cars have been affectionately known as the Brescia.

These early race cars with their 2m wheelbase were designated the Type 13. Although the Type 13 was the most famous, the majority of the models were either the Type 22 with its 2.4m wheelbase or the Type 23 with a 2.55m wheelbase. Fitted with a variety of striking and elegant sports as well as more conventional touring bodies they were a huge success. When production of the 16 valve model came to an end in mid 1926 a total of just over 2000 examples had been built.

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With their potent and remarkably torquey 1,496cc four cylinder, single overhead camshaft, 16-valve engine, Zenith updraft carburettor, Bosch magneto, wet multi-plate clutch and wonderful 4-speed gearbox, the performance is quite astounding. Over the years the Brescia have stunned and excelled on hill climbs, the circuit, fast open road touring and remain unmatched on the very popular VSCC trials circuit.

This stunningly presented example has been beautifully restored over a ten year period, from 1996, by a well known and highly regarded member of both the Bugatti Owners Club and the VSCC. Rebuilt using all original Molsheim components, bar the body, and importantly recently signed off by both the DVLA and Bugatti Owners Club; this is very much what is known as a ‘five out of five’ example of the ever popular short chassis Bugati Brescia.

The culmination of a great many years of collecting, all of the major components have come from some of the most respected names in the Bugatti world. The chassis is a shortened Type 40 chassis. This early T40 chassis is identical to the Brescia chassis, but has extended gear box landings. Frame number 174 is stamped inside the rear cross member. It is listed in the 2000 Bugatti Owners Club Register as formally being the property of Mr. Charlap. It is important to note that the Type 40 chassis were almost identical to the late Brescia chassis, with the only real difference being in the gearbox mounting. A great deal of effort has gone into the shortening of this frame so as not to try and disguise its heritage.

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The engine, No. 921, came from well known early Bugatti collector Peter Hampton. Fitted with a new Brineton Engineering crankshaft, Type 37 rods (with direct white metalling), Herald pistons (37.5 compression height), new banana tappets (into old bodies), new valves and valve guides and a new cylinder block to standard 69 dia. bore. The wet-clutch also has new Brineton Engineering clutch plates. Finally it is ignited through the desirable twin SEV magneto ignition, mounted in the dash board.

The gearbox is a correct late Breascia gearbox that came from Bruno Venierse in France. The drive shaft is in the more practical Hardy Spicer configuration, leading to the original back axle, that was ex-Don Fielding, with new trumpets, new brake shoes and drums and a 12x45 ratio crown-wheel and pinion. The radiator is new from Star Engineering with an original badge and the beautifully proportioned body was taken from a buck of the owners making. The more one looks at this car the more you appreciate the attention to detail and experience that has gone into its restoration. The tool box, neatly fitted under the drivers seat carries all the necessary tools for tweaking out on the road including a correctly mixed tin of clutch lubricant. Even the front wing struts are in fact original left over Bugatti Factory Type 57 gear leavers.

A very usable car, since completion of its restoration in 2009 the owner and his wife have completed some 9,000 km in the car on rallies in both Spain, Provence and on the Solo Brescia rally in Alsace. On top of that it has been campaigned with the VSCC. Accompanied by its current UK V5, letter of conformation from the DVLA and VSCC Buff log book; this is an ever increasingly rare opportunity to acquire such as well proportioned, twin ignition example of the desirable ‘short chassis’ Bugatti Brescia compromising of so many significant original factory parts.

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