1927 Bugatti Type 40 'Grand Sport' Roadster

• Delivered new in the UK
• Resident in Australia for most of its life
• Restored and re-bodied in the 1980s
• Well documented
• Requires recommissioning

"Bugattis encapsulate concepts of engineering which, once seen, change your ideas radically and definitively. Drive them, and you realise that each car is form and engineering in equilibrium, and a work of art." – William Stobbs, Les Grandes Routières.

By the early 1930s, Ettore Bugatti - 'Le Patron' - 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. Bugatti's origins, though, were a far cry from the glamorous world of Grands Prix.

Italian-born engineer Ettore Bugatti had learned his trade with De Dietrich, Mathis and Deutz before setting up his own factory in 1910 at Molsheim in Alsace, which was then part of Germany. While with Deutz he designed the Type 10, its number reflecting his nine previous designs, and this would serve as the prototype for the first Molsheim-built Bugatti: the Type 13. Introduced in 1910 and the first Bugatti production car, the Type 13 was powered by a four-cylinder, single-overhead-camshaft, 8-valve engine of 1,327cc, which drove via a four-speed gearbox and was mounted in a short-wheelbase chassis carrying a simple open two-seater body. Making its debut at the 1910 Paris Salon, the Type 13 was described by The Autocar as a "most delightful looking runabout".

Developed from the first Bugatti to be built at Molsheim - the aforementioned Type 13 of 1910 - the Type 13 Brescia took that name following the factory's first four places at the 1921 Italian Grand Prix for Voiturettes, held at the eponymous racetrack in Lombardy. Longer wheelbase Type 22 and Type 23 models were made, both of which used the single-overhead-camshaft 16-valve Brescia engine and were built alongside 8-valve Petit Pur Sang versions.

Introduced in 1926, the Type 40 Bugatti succeeded the Brescia types, being built on a longer wheelbase and equipped with a more powerful engine. Virtually identical to that used in the Type 37 Grand Prix car, the latter was a four-cylinder unit displacing 1,496cc and incorporating an all-plain-bearing bottom end with five mains. A single overhead camshaft operated three valves per cylinder (two inlets, one exhaust) and the Type 40's maximum power output of 45bhp or thereabouts was transmitted to the rear wheels via a separate four-speed gearbox. A total of 830 Type 40s had been made when production ceased in May 1931, with a further 40 Type 40As completed with the 1,627cc engine by the end of that year. It is estimated that fewer then 200 survive today.

This Bugatti Type 40, chassis number '40444', was first registered as a tourer in 1927 in London before being exported to Australia in 1936. The car's owners and early history are recorded in The Bugatti Book by Barry Eaglesfield published in 1954 (page 69) while a comprehensive history detailing all owners in Australia is given in Bugattis in Australasia by Bob King (pages 171-172).

'40444' was first registered in Australia on 26th August 1936 to one John M Hardie of South Yarra, and some years later was purchased from John Cocks by Ken Gillies, who also owned the Type 44 '44948'. Ken considered the body unusable and salvaged only the windscreen and pillars. He partially rebuilt the Bugatti and in 1958 sold it to Melbourne-based Ted Lobb, who had the car completely restored by Rod Warriner in the 1980s, including the construction of a new Grand Sport body.

In 2000 the Bugatti was purchased from Ted Lobb by Jonathan Proctor, who brought it back to the UK. The current owner purchased the car from Jonathan in 2001 (sales invoice on file). It was initially used frequently but in the past few years been driven occasionally by the owner up until a few years ago, since when it has been garaged at the owner's home. In the above mentioned publications the car's complete ownership history is documented as are various modifications such as the Type 51 front axle and brakes, believed to have come from '51142' (see file). The owner also undertook their own research and corresponded with Ted Lobb's wife Gwen (see accompanying correspondence).

The car has been inspected by Charles Knill-Jones of Tula Precision at their premises in May 2023 and he has determined that some minor remedial work should be undertaken in order to bring the car up to good roadworthy condition. The estimated cost of the remedial works including parts would be circa £5,000. The main areas of work identified are as follows:

Refinish brake cable ends to correct specification and adjust brakes
Dashboard switches need some attention and possibly replacing
Fuel tank and system needs complete flushing and filters changing
Convert oil filter to paper type
Check the clutch
Rebuild water pump to eliminate leak and fit hard chrome shaft

A rare opportunity to acquire a Bugatti Type 40 with known ownership history from new, offered in substantially original condition while benefiting from a new Grand Sport body and a few sensible upgrades.