In 1927 Bugatti had produced, in the form of 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. When in 1931 the Type 35 range was superceded by the twin-camshaft engined but almost identical Type 51 a corresponding road version soon followed. This comprised a slightly detuned version of the new engine mounted in the concurrent Type 54 Grand Prix car's heavier chassis but, unlike the Type 43, this new model was invariably a two-seater which was often referred to, quite justifiably, as the Super Sport. Indeed it truly was the ultimate exclusive supercar of the early Thirties. ... Read More
