Following up on the brilliant Type 35, Bugatti’s definitive and dominant Grand Prix car of the 1920s, a 1.5L version designated Type 37 was unleashed for voiturette racing in 1926. The successor to the iconic Type 13 Brescia, the Type 37 featured much of the Type 35’s engineering yet cost considerably less to produce and was easier to maintain, making it an ideal and highly competitive choice for enthusiastic privateers or amateur racers. Displacing 1496cc, the 4-cylinder Type 37 engine was in essence half the inline 8-cylinder unit of the Type 35, featuring a compact cylinder block with small water passages, a single overhead camshaft and three-valve cylinder heads. Unlike the Type 35 powerplant, the 1.5L engine of the Type 37 utilized plain—rather than roller—bearings and a simpler one-piece crankshaft, yet it could be operated up to 5,000 RPM. Power output for the Type 37 was rated at 60 HP at 4,500 RPM, and in 1927, Bugatti released the Type 37A with a Roots-type supercharger, raising power by 20 HP. As with the Type 35, the Type 37 specification featured a low center of gravity, excellent directional control and strong braking. Underpinnings included Ettore Bugatti’s favored live front-axle suspension with friction-type dampers and characteristic reversed quarter-elliptic leaf springs with friction dampers to the rear. Brakes featured Bugatti’s proven cable-type system. Fitted with simple cycle-type fenders, the Type 37 and Type 37A contested and won at the greatest road races of the era, including the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the Mille Miglia and Targa Florio, with a litany of top drivers behind the wheel. Production spanned 1926-1933, with just 290 Type 37 and a mere 67 Type 37A models built. Bearing Chassis No. 37212 and powered by Engine No. 117, this compelling 1927 Bugatti Type 37 was delivered new in October 1927 to the original selling dealer in Paris, France. The rolling chassis and Engine No. 117 were acquired in 1958 by famous Bugatti dealer Jean De Dobbeleer of Belgium, who purchased a separate Grand Prix body from Seyfried at the factory at Molsheim and placed it on Chassis No. 37212. In 1959, this 1927 Bugatti Type 37 was acquired by Antonio A.N. Carvalho of Portugal from De Dobbeleer, and it then remained in the care of the Carvalho family for nearly 60 years. A restoration was completed in 1960, when the car was fitted with a fendered body and a Type 13 Brescia- type gearbox; a correct Type 37 unit will accompany the sale of the vehicle. Following that restoration, the car was put on display at the Museo do Caramulo in Portugal. The SOHC, water-cooled, 1496cc, inline 4-cylinder engine was recently rebuilt and is equipped with a Zenith carburetor and a proper one-piece crankshaft. Marchal headlamps, cycle fenders, blue paint and wire wheels, including the side-mounted spare, complete this wonderful Bugatti Type 37, which exudes Ettore Bugatti’s “Pur Sang” ethos in every possible way.
