The Bugatti Type 37A was introduced in early 1927 as a further development of the successful Type 35 platform, adding supercharged induction to the Type 37’s 1.5-liter inline four-cylinder engine. Built in a modest quantity of just 75 examples, which were largely sold to preferred racing clients, the Type 37A was very successful in voiturette class competition, demonstrating the continued longevity of Ettorre Bugatti’s groundbreaking design.

Claiming a well-documented chain of dedicated caretakers, a short and accident-free competition career, and a very early position in the Type 37A build sequence, this extraordinary grand prix Bugatti is a particularly desirable example of Molsheim’s accomplished racing model. According to the research of marque expert Pierre-Yves Laugier, chassis number 37270 is just the second car built (by chassis number), being one of five examples ordered new by the Turin-based Bugatti agent Alberto Musy.

Further information from the respected American Bugatti Register confirms the Type 37A was built in April 1927, equipped with wire wheels and small drum brakes, and clothed in “2p carrosserie torpedo” grand prix-style racing coachwork. In June 1927 the Bugatti was delivered to its first owner, Edouard Garagnani of Milan, and was first registered on 8 June. As one of the earliest 37A examples delivered to Italy, it may have participated in racing events including the Bologna Grand Prix held later that month.

In July 1929 the Bugatti was re-registered in Sicily, and it was probably driven by Angelo Giusti in three local events between May 1928 and May 1929, including a class win and 2nd overall finish at the Coppa Etna. In November 1930 the Type 37A was registered to Salvatore Scuderi of Catania, and he campaigned the car at the 1929 Syracuse Grand Prix and the Catane-Zaferrana event in October 1931.

In May 1932 the Bugatti passed to Santi Di Pasquale, a shopkeeper in Messina. After briefly selling the roadster to Francesco La Rosa, Mr. Di Pasquale re-acquired the car in May 1934, and it remained with him in Sicily through December 1959, constituting a 25-year period of ownership.

In 1967 the Bugatti was discovered by Francesco Santoveti at Franco Venturi’s famed Alfa Romeo dealership in Rome, and the car was quickly sold to art collector and Bugattiste Adrien Maeght of Paris. The Type 37A then enjoyed a return to the limelight as a hero car in the critically acclaimed 1973 French-Italian satire La Grande Bouffe (La Grande Abbuffata), in which it was driven by the renowned actor Marcello Mastroianni.

In 1986 the Molsheim speed machine was sold to California resident Tom Perkins, and he commissioned a full restoration by the renowned specialists Crosthwaite & Gardiner in Buxted, UK. This work included replacement of the wire wheels with racing-style aluminum wheels with larger drum brakes. Traded 10 years later to David Clark in exchange for a McLaren F1, the Type 37A was enjoyed at the 1997 Monaco Historic races. Briefly acquired then by Michael Johnson of Northern Ireland, the car was next sold to Robert Marceca of New York City.

In August 2001 the Bugatti was offered at RM Auctions’ flagship Monterey sale, where it was acquired by a well-known marque collector based in New Jersey. Following the owner’s untimely passing just a month later, the Type 37A passed to his widow, who has dutifully domiciled the car ever since. During this extended ownership, the Bugatti has experienced very little use or exhibition, notably being presented at the 2017 Greenwich Concours d’Elegance, and being driven in a small handful of rallies.

According to Mr. Laugier, this Type 37A remains overwhelming original, with a vast majority of the factory mechanical components still being equipped, including the matching-numbers engine, frame number, gearbox casing, rear axle, crankcases, and blower. While small portions of the coachwork have been faithfully re-created, the bonnet and tail are believed to be entirely original, as is the brass chassis plate. Noting how rare it is for the original mechanical components to be in place and in such good condition, Laugier further stresses that 37270 is the oldest, most original example of a Type 37A remaining in existence.

Sure to make a smashing addition to any collection of Bugattis or pre-war racecars, this incredibly authentic Type 37A exudes the purest essence of Molsheim’s racing DNA, standing as an exquisite exemplar of Le Pur Sang.