1927' Bugatti Type 35C

The car is substantially documented in Bob King’s book – Bugattis in Australia and New Zealand 1920 – 2012. The following is quoted from Bob’s book:

This is a built-up car using a Type 35 chassis and running gear purchased by Tom Roberts from Jack Lemon Burton in the 1960’s. It was Lemon Burton’s belief that the car is that which was registered in England as a DOL 2 and used extensively after the war by Rodney Clarke and his partner, RM (Mike) Oliver. In a letter dated 13 August, 1971 to the next owner after Roberts, Lance Dixon, Lemon Burton states: ‘I think the GP chassis was from a 2 litre GP car with the road number DOL 2. This car was used extensively just after the war by Rodney Clarke and his partner’. There have been other claimants to DOL 2 but these were thought unlikely by Hugh Conway. Other evidence in favour of this chassis being from DOL 2 is the presence of silver paint on the chassis – a subsequent owner to Mike Oliver, Gee, had the car sprayed ‘a horrible silver’. Further, at about the time that Roberts bought the chassis; Stuart Saunders found the chassis plate and firewall from 4903 at Lemon Burton’s. However, there are those that believe that the chassis frame number of this chassis is way too low for chassis number 4963, most definitely a mid-1927 chassis frame according to American Bugatti historian, Sandy Leith. Could the explanation of this be that it was a car retained at the factory and only given a chassis number when delivered at the late date of 1932 (for a Type 35)? The list of Grand Prix car deliveries in Conway’s Grand Prix Bugatti Book has the cryptic comment ‘Converted’ (Boucher, Limoges) against the next entry, 4964. Possibly this comment is intended for 4963, but the notation has slipped a line? We do know from factory records that the 4963 was delivered to L Boucher of Limoges on 14 April, 1932 for 55,000FF. If 4963 is not DOL 2, then where did DOL 2 go? It has not turned up subsequently, in spite of its number plates, also discovered at Lemon Burton’s, being attached to a well-known English 35B which has unknown chassis number. It is likely that this car is a DOL 2, but it may have had a change of chassis somewhere along the line to explain the seemingly early frame number, although we favour the theory that it was a car retained at the works and delivered with a later chassis number. There is no way to resolve the dilemma and for this reason the number 4963 will remain in brackets.

Its history after delivery to Boucher is unclear until it was imported to the UK by Jack Lemon Burton at a cost of £194 and sold to JM Kames of Parkwood Moor on 7 August, 1937 for £240. From James the car passed to other well-known Bugattistes, Robert Arbuthnot and Brian Finglass. It was at about this time that the car was first registered as DOL 2. The next owner was Rodney Clarke of “Continental Cars” and it was on-sold to Michael Oliver in 1945. As the registration had expired, DOL 2 was allowed to lapse, being replaced by KO 5128 from a dismantled Type 43. In 1947 Oliver was able to regain the original logbook and papers for DOL 2 and restored the number while KO 5128 was allowed to lapse. From Oliver the car passed to Gee of Crawley who painted the car silver and “ran it into the ground”. The car was featured in ‘Talking of sports cars’ (No. 313) in the Autocar, November 19, 1948. The car was dismantled at Lemon Burton’s in about 1951/52 and much of the engine ended in Type 51, 51145.

The car was beautifully restored by Stuart Anderson using new parts for the engine, but an original Bugatti cam box. Finished in gleaming black, the car was a familiar site at many historic race meetings in Stuart’s hands. For the past several years the car has been even more vigorously campaigned by its current owner; there is seldom an important historic meeting which does not have the now blue car in action. The car has been amazingly reliable apart from the gear box problems.

The current owner acquired the car in 1997 and has regularly campaigned it in historic motor sport events throughout Australia. The car has a CAMS log book and it is ready for its next custodian to use and enjoy.

Previous Owners:
L Boucher
Jack Lemon Burton
JM James
Robert Arbuthnot
Brian Fibreglass
Rodney Clarke
Michael Oliver
Gee
Jack Lemon Burton
Tom Roberts
Lance Dixon
Stuart Anderson
Current Owner

More information to follow soon.