1926 - Bugatti Type 38 | Autoworld 2026 | Auction & Motion | 10th Oct 2026

• Chassis No. 38219
• French classic car registration document
• Vehicle sold without a roadworthiness test

“An exceptional original chassis and engine combination, paired with a rare Grümmer body and powered by an 8-cylinder engine derived from the legendary Type 35”

 Produced between 1926 and 1927, the Bugatti Type 38 succeeded the Type 30 and formed part of Molsheim’s range of grand tourer models. It was fitted with the famous 2-litre straight-eight engine so dear to Ettore Bugatti, offering both smoothness and performance. Although less radical than a Type 35 racing car, it nevertheless benefited from a finely tuned chassis and a four-speed manual gearbox. With only 385 examples produced, it remains particularly rare today.

Chassis No. 38219 was delivered by the Parisian dealership on the Champs-Élysées on 10 September 1926. Sold as a bare chassis, it was fitted with engine No. 119, which is still in the car today. It left France bound for San Sebastián in Spain, where it was registered on 26 November. After four pre-war owners, it was converted into a two-seater utility vehicle during the Second World War, probably to avoid requisition. After the war, it had five Spanish owners before returning to France in the 1990s.

In the late 1990s, this Bugatti was fitted with a Grümmer body derived from the Type 30, chassis no. 4442. Of the sixty or so bodies produced by Grümmer for Bugatti, only five are known to exist today. Of the low-slung E.B.V. type, it utilises the Weymann process and a ‘flexible’ wooden structure covered in moleskin, thereby lightening the car and lowering its centre of gravity.

Acquired in 2010 by its current owner, the car has undergone a complete restoration. The bodywork has been repainted and the interior restored in an elegant Art Deco style. The specialist workshop Novo carried out a complete overhaul of the engine, revealing a five-bearing crankshaft and lightweight connecting rods, suggesting it had been prepared for competition. Over €100,000 will be spent on completing the restoration. Now in excellent condition, the car starts easily, but a mechanical service is recommended given its limited recent use.

Rare due to its limited production run, this Type 38 stands out for its original chassis and engine assembly and its straight-eight engine. It also features a rare Grümmer E.B.V.-type body, of which only a few examples are known to exist today. Carefully restored and boasting a well-documented history, it offers a rare opportunity for collectors seeking an authentic and unique Bugatti.