Bugatti tourer reg'd YX 9221.
Two photographs now of a pre-war Bugatti, seen on a vintage motoring event in the 1950s. A note on the rear of both photos says "Type 40", which I'm hoping is the correct identity of this Bugatti. If a marque expert can confirm or correct this, it would be appreciated. The first, slightly out-of-focus image, shows the Bugatti, registration number YX 9221, driving along an un-made road, with spectators huddled amongst the trees.
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The YX registration letter code lasted but a few months, from July 1928 to October of the same year, and was allocated to the London area. A look on the RAC site brings up a reference to the car, so happily the car still exists somewhere - either in the UK or perhaps overseas? This particular Bugatti is fitted with four-door touring coachwork - does anyone recognise the maker, or indeed the car itself? The colour is given as blue (French Blue presumably), and a registration date of September 1928. Engine size is given as 1479cc.
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The second (cropped) photo of the Type 40 Bugatti shows it parked in an assembly area, with various cars belonging to spectators in the background. Of these, I recognise (l-r) a Ford Prefect, Austin Devon, another E493A Prefect, and a rear view of a 2 Litre AC saloon car. Just visible, to the extreme right of shot, is the back wing of a Mk1 Consul.
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The Type 40 Bugatti.
The Type 40 was built from 1926 to 1930, and the twin-plug 40A in 1930 only. The 1500cc engine, based on that of the Type 37, produced 45bhp from its four cylinder SOHC engine. Whereas most 4 cyl engines had a firing order of 1-3-4-2, the Type 40 had an order of 1-2-4-3 (as also found on a sidevalve Ford's 10hp engine). Each cylinder was fed through a pair of inlet valves, the burnt gases exiting via a single large exhaust valve.
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Return to Old Motoring Photos Page No. 9.
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A 4.5 Litre Bentley competing in the same event can be seen here. Photos of a racing Bugatti at a post-war meeting can be found on the Type 35 page.
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