1931 BUGATTI Type 43 A 2.3

Vehicle Overview

Bugatti introduced the Type 43 in 1927 as the first production car that could reach 100 mph (161 kph) and offered it as a high-performance roadster.

The Type 43 had the heart of the Type 35B race car that provided enough power to stir any owner’s soul. It was an addicting vehicle, and it was timed, unofficially, with a 0-60 mph (0-97 kph) time of 12 seconds. Moreover, it could go from 20 mph (32 kph) in top gear to its maximum speed.

The Type 43 was produced between 1927 and 1932 as a roadster and shared the same horse-shoe radiator at the front with the Type 38. It was built on top of a longer Type 35/30 chassis. The carmaker drilled a wider hole for the supercharger’s blow-off valve on the hood’s right side. Bugatti built the 43 A with a similarly-shaped bodywork as the Type 43 but without running boards on the sides. To enter the car, the driver had to climb on a side step, which was only on the vehicle’s right side. The other passengers had to use the door, which was mounted on the left. The French carmaker installed cast-alloy wheels carried over from the race cars.

From the factory, the 43 A featured four seats in the cockpit and a soft top. There were two individual seats at the front and a bench in the rear. Its floor-mounted gear-stick was easy to reach but prevented the driver from entering the car from the left side.

Technically, the 43 and the 43 A were spectacular cars for their era. Under the hood, Bugatti installed an inline-eight engine with one overhead camshaft and three valves per cylinder. Thanks to its Roots supercharger, the 2.3-liter engine produced over 120 hp. Considering that the car weighed just 1,100 kg (2425 lbs), it was easy to be the fastest car on the road. To stop it, the carmaker installed cable-operated drum brakes in all corners. Depending on the use (race or road), the Type 43 A was fed through either a Solex 46 or a Zenith 48 carburetor.