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Tony Haycock , 30 Mar 2011
So, what is the Bugatti experience really like? Let me put it this way... many people criticise modern grand prix racing as being totally unrelated to the cars we drive. In 1926, the situation was the same. Apart from having four wheels and a steering wheel, the GP Bugatti equally bears no resemblance in performance, handling or the technique required to get the best from it, to the ordinary road car of the time - think Chevrolet 4, Austin 12/4 or Citroen B12.
To start it, firstly undo the straps, open the bonnet on the drivers side ( the passenger side cannot be opened without removing the spare wheel. Remember touring equipment - mudguards, lights and the spare wheel are accessories) reach across the back of the engine and turn on the tap for the supercharger oil. Close and strap down the bonnet. Walk around to the car to the passengers side, preferably before the lucky passenger has take up the riding mechanic's seat, and with the dash mounted pump, pressurize the fuel tank . Keep pumping until the gauge registers around 100 (psi?). Back to the drivers side, lean into the cockpit and turn the on fuel tap which lives down by the chassis rail. We are now ready to enter the car.
One does not so much get into a GP Bugatti, as put it on. Left leg over the side, thread it around the steering wheel, right leg in and the same on the other side, and lower yourself into the very comfortable red leather seat. Now it is time to talk of clothing and footwear. The gearbox sits happily between driver and mechanic. While it may sit there looking innocent at rest , once warmed up and in use, it does tend toward incontinence, and wearing trousers, socks or shoes which need to be kept in a presentable condition need not apply for the position of Bugatti crew attire. Shoes also have another issue to face. In the 1920's, Grand Prix drivers must have had feet of equivalent size to Chinese ballerinas. Wearing anything resembling a normal shoe, you have absolutely zero chance of getting at the clutch or the throttle. Mine are small, but wearing my usual thin soled leather shoes I was in difficulty, and in the end found it easier to take them off. Realistically, racing boots are needed if you want to work everything comfortably.
Right, now we are seated, and ready for the next step. In 1926, one would get one's riding mechanic to use the starting handle. Sadly, good mechanics seem hard to find these days, so luckily the Bugatti Owners Club make new gearbox tops which allow the fitting of a self-starter. Turn on the key in the Bosch switchbox. Lift the lever protruding from the centre of the dash just under the S.E.V. magneto to retard the spark, unscrew the Ki-gass pump and give it a couple of squirts to feed raw fuel into the intake manifold, and then press the brass button alongside the key. I am guessing that in this particular case, 12 volts are being fed to a 6 volts starter, as thing all sound very excited in front and you will be rewarded with a bark from the exhaust and life from the mechanical Jaeger tachometer located in front of the drivers eyes.
After giving it a couple of minutes to warm up it is time to move away. Being a race car, the hand brake has no ratchet - I assume its original purpose was more for enabling rapid changes of direction than parking. Hence it is held on by the insertion of a wooden wedge slipped between the lever and the stop. So you pull the lever back, pull the thin leather strop attached to the wedge and drop it inside the cockpit. Depress the clutch pedal and hopefully (but not necessarily) the wet multi-plate device has released sufficiently to allow the silent selection of low gear. Reach out of the cockpit and move the nickel plated lever left and back. The lever starts inside the car with an very small exposed gate, and disappears out via a slot in the bodywork covered with a leather flap. As the gearing is quite high, give it a couple of clicks of retard on the manual control to ease driveline shunt, and with a little throttle from the right hand pedal you are in motion.
One of the magical things about cars built to race is that there is no need to make things quiet for the sake of comfort. The gearbox wails in the lower ratios, the engine makes 101 noises from the valve gear, blower, and goodness know what else, and from the rear the rasp from the exhaust is one of the mechanical worlds most wondrous things! Unlike your usual vintage gearbox, the Bugatti does not respond to slow shifting. Double declutch quickly and gearshifts go well. Hesitate and all is lost!
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