Bugatti Type 53
Encyclopedia
The 5.0 L engine from the Bugatti
Type 50 road car was fitted to the chassis of the Type 51
racer to create the 1931 Type 53. This model was historically significant in that it used four wheel drive
. The Type 53 was one of the first racing cars to attempt to drive all four wheels, though Ettore Bugatti
himself had designed multi-engine all wheel drive vehicles early in his career. It was originally conceived by Giulio Cappa, who created a front wheel drive Grand Prix car in 1926. Cappa's associate, Antonio Pichetto, handled the development of the car while working at Bugatti.
The Type 53 is said to have not used universal joint
s, and steering difficulty was legendary. Jean Bugatti
even crashed a Type 53 at Shelsley Walsh
in June, 1932. Modern tests, however, have shown the car to be quite tractable at speed, and Bugatti's drawings for the Type 53 do show "Tracta
" u-joints fitted in front.
The Type 53 was an adept hill-climber. Louis Chiron
broke the records at La Turbie
and Mont Ventoux
in 1932. René Dreyfus
reclaimed the La Turbie record from Count Carlo Felice Trossi
in a Type 53 in 1934.
Output was over 300 hp (223 kW). Just three left the factory.
Bugatti
Automobiles E. Bugatti was a French car manufacturer founded in 1909 in Molsheim, Alsace, as a manufacturer of high-performance automobiles by Italian-born Ettore Bugatti....
Type 50 road car was fitted to the chassis of the Type 51
Bugatti Type 51
The Type 51 series succeeded the famous Type 35 as Bugatti's premier racing car for the 1930s. Unlike the dominant Type 35s of the prior decade, the Type 51 were unable to compete with the government-supported German and Italian offerings.-Type 51:The original Type 51 bowed in 1931...
racer to create the 1931 Type 53. This model was historically significant in that it used four wheel drive
Four Wheel Drive
The Four Wheel Drive Auto Company, more often known as Four Wheel Drive or just FWD, was founded in 1909 in Clintonville, Wisconsin, as the Badger Four-Wheel Drive Auto Company by Otto Zachow and William Besserdich.-History:...
. The Type 53 was one of the first racing cars to attempt to drive all four wheels, though Ettore Bugatti
Ettore Bugatti
right|thumb|Ettore Bugatti in 1932Ettore Arco Isidoro Bugatti was an Italian-born and French naturalized citizen automobile designer and manufacturer....
himself had designed multi-engine all wheel drive vehicles early in his career. It was originally conceived by Giulio Cappa, who created a front wheel drive Grand Prix car in 1926. Cappa's associate, Antonio Pichetto, handled the development of the car while working at Bugatti.
The Type 53 is said to have not used universal joint
Universal joint
A universal joint, universal coupling, U joint, Cardan joint, Hardy-Spicer joint, or Hooke's joint is a joint or coupling in a rigid rod that allows the rod to 'bend' in any direction, and is commonly used in shafts that transmit rotary motion...
s, and steering difficulty was legendary. Jean Bugatti
Jean Bugatti
Jean Bugatti was an French/Italian automotive designer and test engineer.Born Gianoberto Maria Carlo Bugatti in Cologne, Germany, he was the eldest son of Ettore Bugatti. Soon after his birth the family moved to the village of Dorlisheim near Molsheim in Alsace where his father built the new...
even crashed a Type 53 at Shelsley Walsh
Shelsley Walsh
Shelsley Walsh is a small village in Worcestershire, England at the top of a the western valley side of the River Teme.Its population at the time of the 2001 Census was just 31, but the village's name is widely known among motorsport enthusiasts because of its association with the Shelsley Walsh...
in June, 1932. Modern tests, however, have shown the car to be quite tractable at speed, and Bugatti's drawings for the Type 53 do show "Tracta
Tracta
Tracta was a French car maker based in Asnières, Seine, that was active between 1926 and 1934 . They were pioneers of front wheel drive vehicles....
" u-joints fitted in front.
The Type 53 was an adept hill-climber. Louis Chiron
Louis Chiron
Louis Alexandre Chiron was a Grand Prix driver.-Career:As a teenager, Louis Chiron fell in love with cars and racing. He learned to drive at a young age and joined the Grand Prix circuit after World War I where he had been requisitioned from the artillery section to serve as a chauffeur...
broke the records at La Turbie
La Turbie
La Turbie is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France.-History:...
and Mont Ventoux
Mont Ventoux
Mont Ventoux is a mountain in the Provence region of southern France, located some 20 km northeast of Carpentras, Vaucluse. On the north side, the mountain borders the Drôme département. It is the largest mountain in the region and has been nicknamed the "Giant of Provence", or "The Bald...
in 1932. René Dreyfus
René Dreyfus
René Dreyfus was a French driver who raced automobiles for 14 years in the 1920s and 1930s, the Golden Era of Grand Prix motor racing.-Early life:...
reclaimed the La Turbie record from Count Carlo Felice Trossi
Carlo Felice Trossi
Count Carlo Felice Trossi was an Italian racecar driver and auto constructor. During his career, he raced for two teams, Mercedes-Benz and Alfa Romeo. He won the 1947 Italian Grand Prix and the 1948 Swiss Grand Prix...
in a Type 53 in 1934.
Output was over 300 hp (223 kW). Just three left the factory.