From its first appearance at the 1924 French Grand Prix, held at Lyon, there was no doubt to anyone who saw the Bugatti Type 35 run that this was an automobile that had it all: durability, mechanical functionality, and a wonderfully sporting exterior design. The Type 35’s best finish for that race was a respectable 7th overall, but it was clear that the car had the potential for greater success following future tuning and refinement. Indeed, this model would eventually become the most successful racing automobile, by number of victories, of all time.

Bugatti’s final iteration of the Type 35 would be the Type 35B. This new model, which bore the same 2.3-liter, eight-cylinder motor as the earlier Type 35T, was outfitted with a supercharger that was similar to the one in the Type 35C (though it was slightly larger and more powerful). In its day, the Type 35B boasted incredible performance figures, and these figures are still respectable today. It was capable of accelerating from 0 to 60 mph in just six seconds, and it had a top speed of 125 mph.

Pur Sang of Argentina builds truly extraordinary recreations of vintage Bugattis and Alfa Romeos, faithfully copying every detail of these cars with exacting handcraftsmanship and engineering equal to the originals. Each is carefully factory-built, with all components produced in Pur Sang’s own facility, and each is conceived as not merely a recreation but a literal “new” car that is true to the original in every important sense. The firm is most famous for their Bugatti Type 35, which is visually near-identical to, and has the same performance, exhaust note, and thrilling driving characteristics as, the original Molsheim-built cars.

Purchased for the Gene Ponder Collection directly from Pur Sang in September 2019, the example on offer features a number of modernizing upgrades to increase the level of usability. Under the hood, an electric radiator fan ensures much greater heat management than the genuine grand prix racers and an electric starter in the foot well eliminates the need to hand crank the engine for every start up.

In addition, this example was specified with the full complement of road equipment including cycle fenders, headlights, taillights, and turn signals. While the general design was intended for competitive use on a racetrack, these features allow for the car to be driven in modern traffic for an undoubtedly thrilling experience.

Finished in an attractive shade of dark blue, the color keeps within the tradition of France’s national racing color. The cockpit additionally features an engine-turned aluminum dashboard and dark brown leather seats with matching thigh supports around the driveline. Custom hood and tire straps imprinted with the Bugatti name complete the look.

The Pur Sang Bugatti, simply put, offers the best of all possible worlds—the exact experience of using a great vintage Bugatti, but with improved durability and ease of maintenance. This Type 35B recreation is the ideal example for those who seek to take his or her car out and actually use it as its designers intended, on road or circuit.