Photo by John Sexton
By Pete Vack
Two weeks ago we ran a short article about a Bugatti that was left by the side of the road due to a breakdown. We were misinformed about the type of Bugatti (no one was about to open the hood on this, and we don’t blame them). So, what kind of a Bugatti is it, and who is the rightful and current owner?
After doing a bit of checking around, John Sexton learned that the Bugatti is owned by long time collector and vintage racer Peter Giddings. Peter sent us an email describing the event and what happened to his Bugatti:
I entered my Alfa Romeo Tipo B, #5006 for the races at Watkins Glen Vintage Grand Prix on September 7-9, and went on to win its Saturday race at Watkins Glen, and was then leading by a considerable distance in the Sunday race when one of its original half shafts cried “enough”.
I also had with me my 1926 Bugatti 35B, which I let a friend run. However, I could not resist qualifying it for him, albeit in the wet, and against a grouping of pre-war and post-war cars, including the always quick Peyote, a 1962 Elva, two Lotus 7s, a Lola Mk I, a couple of Corvettes, a Maserati 250S, and even one of the rare and ferocious 4.2 liter Maserati 151s.
Rain being the great equalizer, we managed to qualify first!
Subsequently I headed west, and ran my Bugatti at Elkhart Lake Fall Festival on September 19th, winning both races.
On the Friday, I took the opportunity of running in the always enjoyable Re-Enactment of the old Elkhart Lake race on public roads, but half way round the points closed up on the magneto, and as I did not have any tools with me, I simply abandoned her in the middle of nowhere by a field of sweetcorn, trusting that the locals would look, but not touch.
Sure enough, when I returned (having enjoyed the festivities with my friend and primo Bugatti fettler, Ben Bragg, in his Ford engined “Old Grey Mare” racer) my Bugatti was still there, complete with radiator cap/ calometer, etc.
In no time at all Ben had adjusted the points, and we were off once again successfully racing.
I did very much enjoy the photographs and the blogs. “Woody” (David M. Woodhouse) of course knows me and my Bug, etc. very well.
Our thanks to the many comments we received, to John Sexton for capturing the Bugatti, and especially to Peter Giddings.
F O R D = found on road dead.
> jack
It’s real easy to tell the difference from a T35 and T51 without opening the bonnet.
T51 has 2 fuel tanks (but) T35 sometimes did.
T51 has the ‘blow’ hole for the supercharger on the bonnet lower down the side of the bonnet than the T35..
The T51 will have a larger radiator as well.
Simple?