Many of us dream of owning and driving an original 1920’s Bugatti Type 35, but it is a dream that is out of reach because of the collector value of the original cars. But Argentine company Pur Sang make re-creations of these classics – cars that can be driven – and driven just as hard as you desire to go.
Fast Facts
- Pur Sang are based in Argentina and specialize in making accurate reproductions of some of the most iconic automobiles of the Golden Age of automobiles – the 1920’s and 1930’s.
- Pur Sang cars are made using the original designs, and craftsmanship methods as the original cars.
- A Pur Sang re-creation of a Bugatti Type 35B is for sale on Bring a Trailer at time of publication.
When you’re out driving your new car – or the car you’ve just invested a lot of time and money into making it all you want it to be – its that first stone chip that’s the hardest to bear.
In our logical mind we might think “shoes are meant to be worn”, but that first bit of “road rash” that disfigures the previously perfect paintwork tends to be a source of irritation.
How much worse then is the damage to a car whose value is pegged not in tens of thousands – but in millions of dollars. A car whose monetary value – and museum scarcity – are near certain to relegate it to museum quality preservation.
So if you want a Bugatti Type 35 worth millions so you can drive it hard and fast just as it was created to be driven – how do you fulfill that dream? You either need a bank account of rather vast depth – or you need a more affordable alternative.
In the past there have been “replica” classic cars that mostly have not really been “replicas”, but rather made to look a bit like a classic – but which have not been faithful to an original design. Many of these “replica” classic cars were built on the old Volkswagen platform chassis with their air-cooled horizontally opposed four cylinder engine sounding and performing the way Volkswagen “Beetles” do.
But way down south in Argentina a group of enthusiasts got together with the intention of building some of the most outstanding classic cars of the golden age of the 1920’s and 1930’s: and to build them faithful to the original design, and to the original construction methods.
The company name chosen was “Pur Sang” which translates as “Pure Blood” or “Thoroughbred”, and they set about living up to that name in every sense.
The company began making parts for original classic cars and progressed to the point where they could fulfill their ambition to build replicas of selected classics using the same design and manufacturing methods as were used back in the 1920’s and 1930’s when the originals were in production.
One of the automobiles that Pur Sang tooled up to re-create has been the Type 35 Bugatti which was made between 1924-1930.
The original Bugatti Type 35 as made by Bugatti beginning in 1924 was to become the iconic Bugatti of that era. It was an amazing race winning champion that made the name Bugatti a household name.
The Type 35’s heart was a straight eight 1,991 cc (121.5 cu.in.) SOHC engine with three valves per cylinder. The engine capacity was kept below 2.0 liters to enable the car to fit with the then racing rules. This engine was state of the art for the 1920’s and featured a five roller bearing crankshaft making it capable of 6,000 rpm.
The chassis had the unusual Bugatti method of mounting the front leaf springs through the hollow axle rather than bolted to it. Brakes were mechanical cable-actuated (Ettore Bugatti did not trust hydraulic brakes.)
The wheels gave the car a unique Bugatti look. These wheels were of cast aluminum alloy and were both lighter and more durable than the wire wheels common on automobiles of the time.
The Type 35 was made in a number of variant models culminating in the Type 35B (aka Type 35TC – “Targa Compressor” supercharged model).
The Type 35B’s engine was of 2.3 liters capacity 2,262 cc (138.0 cu. in.) and generated 138 bhp, a substantial upgrade over the original Type 35 naturally aspirated engine that developed around 90 bhp.
Pur Sang replica cars are made to customer specifications and while they are nowhere near an original Bugatti in terms of collector value they command a very substantial price. But that being said these are cars that can be made to agree with the original Bugatti Type 35 variants, and for which spare parts are available from Pur Sang. These are cars that can be driven, and used for hard driving on the track: cars that provide the sort of straight eight 1920’s road experience that can’t be had except in an original Type 35, or a Pur Sang Type 35.
One of these Type 35 replicas is for sale on Bring a Trailer at time of publication. The sale car is painted in the beautiful Lyonaisse Blue so often associated with the 1920’s Bugattis, complimented by Walnut mid-tan seats.
Type 35 Bugattis were made with either roller-bearing or plain bearing crankshafts and the sale car is fitted with plain bearings, which are more durable and lower-maintenance.
The sale car fits Type 35B specification and has the Roots type supercharger with single updraft carburetor.
Faithful to the original the car is equipped with a straight cut four speed gearbox. Clutch is a dry multi-plate.
Ignition is by distributor and the brakes, just as on the original, are cable operated drums. Lights are in the style of 1920’s Marchal (Marchal being the lights used on James Bond’s Bentley in Ian Fleming’s novels).
In a concession to modernity the sale car is fitted with an electric fuel pump and a carefully concealed electric cooling fan to guard against repeated “hot laps” causing fun pausing engine overheating.
You will find the sale page for this very pretty Pur Sang “Bugatti” Type 35B if you click here.
This is an opportunity to obtain a quite remarkable automobile that you can drive and enjoy: one that offers a unique driving experience.
The Pur Sang website is well worth spending some time looking at. There are a number of classic car reproductions on offer based on French, Italian and German originals.
You will find the Pur Sang website if you click here.
Picture Credits: All pictures courtesy Bring a Trailer.
Jon Branch is the founder and senior editor of Revivaler and has written a significant number of articles for various publications including official Buying Guides for eBay, classic car articles for Hagerty, magazine articles for both the Australian Shooters Journal and the Australian Shooter, and he’s a long time contributor to Silodrome.
Jon has done radio, television, magazine and newspaper interviews on various issues, and has traveled extensively, having lived in Britain, Australia, China and Hong Kong. His travels have taken him to Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Japan and a number of other countries. He has studied the Japanese sword arts and has a long history of involvement in the shooting sports, which has included authoring submissions to government on various firearms related issues and assisting in the design and establishment of shooting ranges.
