1934 Bugatti Type 59

This car competed in the Richard Seaman Memorial Historic Trophy Race and the Allcomers Scratch Race at the Vintage Sports Car Club’s meeting at Oulton Park in June 1963.

It’s a 1934 Bugatti Type 59, chassis 59123, originally sold to Earl Howe who kept it in his racing stable until 1936 by which time it was rarely raced as he preferred to use the ERA that he had subsequently purchased. At the end of that season it was sold to South Africa, where it remained until 1962 when it returned to England and into the hands of W.A. F. 'Doc' Taylor, who had the car restored, and it was he who brought the car to this meeting at Oulton Park. The car was driven in the Historic Trophy race by Ronnie Symondson and the owner drove it in the Allcomers race. The car was built with a modified Type 54 chassis and had a supercharged Type 57 straight-8 engine of 3,257cc.