During the early days of automobile racing, Bugatti had already established itself as a world-dominating force. Their Type 35 and its twin-cam successor, the Type 51, proved near-unbeatable for a whole decade, but when state-funded rivals from Germany in the form of Mercedes and Auto Union began fighting back alongside increasingly rapid Italian machinery, Ettore Bugatti knew the time had come to re-establish themselves as the rightful occupants of the podium’s top step.
The Type 39 made its racing debut in 1933 at San Sebastián. It was instantly recognisable as a Bugatti with its horseshoe grille, but clear improvements had been made with its more powerful blown twin-overhead-cam engine, longer wheelbase, and lower body line. Let’s not forget the jewel-like ‘piano-wire’ wheels, nor the car’s pronounced riveted spine on the scuttle and tail section, completing a proportionally perfect and utterly gorgeous Grand Prix racer. The Type 59 matched its stunning looks with impressive race results, famously securing Bugatti their final Grand Prix win at the Belgian Grand Prix in 1934.
Now you can delve into the history of this incredible machine in The Type 59 Book, a masterpiece that was painstakingly researched, written, and designed over 10 years. Spanning three volumes, the Type 59 Book starts with a deep-dive into the Type 59’s development, followed by a comprehensive recount of its racing history, before finishing with the post-works history of the individual cars before and after the Second World War and up to the present day. More than 1,500 period photographs help bring the story to life, printed in a silver metallic colour reminiscent of art gallery prints.
The book is available now in the CD shop in three different versions, but we recommend making a beeline for the Ultimate Edition with its slipcase and matching stand, milled from a single piece of aluminium and designed by Type 59-owner Marc Newson. The stand itself is a work of art, painted in Bugatti’s iconic works light blue featuring numerous design nods to the Type 59. If you need the the perfect centrepiece to any pre-war Bugatti collection, don’t hesitate and head to the CD shop to secure your limited edition copy now.
