The Type 37 Grand Prix – one of the most successful Bugatti models – was based on the famous Type 35, but was intended for voiturette racing. With plain bearings, the 37’s four-cylinder 1.5-liter engine was even tougher and more tractable than the 35, and featured a compact cylinder block, single overhead cam, and three-valve cylinder heads. Easily capable of 90 mph, they quickly became known as race-winning machines and were entered in all the great road races of the era including Le Mans, the 1000 Miglia, and the Targa Florio.

Chassis 37103 hails from the very inception of this model, being the third example by number to have been built. The Bugatti was constructed in October 1925, fitted with engine no. 7 and ordered by Magasin de Paris on December 21, being delivered shortly after on January 9, 1926. Its original owner is unknown, however, thanks to Pierre-Yves Laugier’s exceptionally thorough research, several early French owners have been documented. The trail begins with dealer Paul Hennegrave in Malo-les-Bains in September 1927, followed by Jean Merman in Tourcoing in 1930, an unnamed owner in Paris in 1934, then André Michaud of Rueil-Malmaison in 1935, and then it once again changed hands in 1937 to another unnamed owner, still in Paris.

Acquired by legendary UK Bugatti dealer Jack Lemon Burton in February 1938, it is believed that around this time the sump was replaced with the unnumbered unit it retains to this day. The upper half is thought to be the original, owing to its low assembly number (2), which is repeated on a number of internal components. With the onset of war and the introduction of fuel rationing, car prices fell significantly, requiring a 30% loss on its sale to its next owner, Thomas Blakiston O’Reilly in Hampshire, England. During the 1940s, it passed through the hands of Mr. Steadman and Mr. Jones, before arriving with Charles Gale of Ace Service Station in London. Under Gale’s ownership, the Type 37 received a sporty Brooklands guise with external side exhaust and a pair of aero screens.

In February 1950, 37103 migrated to the US and was sold to John Fritsche of Sports Cars Inc. in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. Retaining the car for two years, he eventually sold it to R.F. Willis and then Barry Rose, before it arrived in the long-term tenure of Grant Deahl of Morgantown, West Virginia in about 1973. Mr. Deahl used the car for a number of years, before laying it up. After his passing, the car was unearthed from a garage where it had been stored for decades. After a careful discovery period, it was clear that the car was remarkably complete and a genuinely unspoiled example.

It represented a perfect basis for restoration, and with considerable assistance by the respected Dutch Bugatti expert Bart Rosman, owner of a sister car (37102), a sensitive rebuild was carried out. Its engine was rebuilt by Rosman’s protégé Henny Lumens in Holland, with a new crankshaft, camshaft, rods, pistons, and block. Fascinated by the intricacies of these early cars, details from period images were carefully matched. The original color of these cars was believed to have been a very light blue, which was faithfully applied – including to the front axle and rubber gearshift gate – as clearly depicted in period images.

Under the hood, the correct Delco coil was sourced to complement its existing and correct Continsouza distributor. Importantly, the bodywork consisted almost entirely of original metal and carried hallmarks of the early Type 37, such as reversed louvres on the tail. To speak with its owner today, it is evident that the whole exercise was a rewarding and time-consuming labor of love.

Early in 2017, the Bugatti emerged once again looking as new. It has since been selectively shown at motoring events, including the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance in 2017, AACA Hershey Fall Meet Concours in 2019, and Audrain Newport Concours in 2019, among others.

Type 37s continue to be revered as great road cars with torquey power and good handling owing to the set-back location of the engine. With eligibility for a number of events, including the hallowed 1000 Miglia, which they campaigned in period, this is a very important and thoroughly usable Bugatti.