1925 Bugatti T39

This car competed in the Williams Trophy Race for Pre-1934 Grand Prix Cars and the Vintage Seaman Trophy Race at the VSCC's SeeRed meeting at Donington Park in May 2011.

It's the 1925 Bugatti T39 of David Hands which has a 1,493cc 8-cylinder inline engine. The Type 39 was based on the 2 litre Type 35 with a smaller engine to comply with the latest Grand Prix regulations. David Hands' car is chassis 4604 and one of the five works T39s that only raced in two major events before they were sold by the factory, and this is one of two that went to Australia. The car raced successfully there until the late 1930s and was eventually acquired by David Hands in 2005, being shipped to the UK to be restored by Tula Engineering.

Bugatti T39

Here's a car that I photographed at the VSCC's SeeRed meeting at Donington Park in June 2008.

It doesn't have a racing number and isn't listed in the programme of the event, but it's David Hands' 1926 Bugatti Type 39, one of five works cars, and is chassis number 4604. On 7 October 2013 I showed a photograph of the car in action at Donington Park in May 2011, You can read the history of the car in this extract from The Bugatti Review.

Bugattis at Donington Park

The second race at the SeeRed Richard Seaman Memorial Trophies meeting at Donington Park on 21st May 2011 was the 'Williams Trophy Race for Pre-1934 Grand Prix Cars'. Taking part in this race were several Bugattis and below are photographs of five of the cars taken at McLeans Corner.

Duncan Pittaway in a 1925 Type 35

Bruce Stops in a 1928 Type 35

Stephen Shoosmith in a 1931 Type 51

David Hands in a 1925 Type 39

John Horton in a 1930 Type 35B