Bugatti
Type 39 / 39A (1.5-litre Grand Prix)

Why it matters

The Type 39 was Bugatti's 1.5-litre Grand Prix car, essentially a Type 35 with a short-stroke engine; the 39A added a Roots supercharger. Only ten were made, making it one of the rarest members of the Type 35 family.

How rare is it?

Six separate kinds of rarity – never combined into one number.

Each kind of rarity is rated separately and never combined.

Production

Every figure says what it counts.

Independent counts (e.g. engine and colour) are never combined into a calculated figure. Surviving examples are never presented as original production.

History

Made from about 1926 to 1929, the Type 39 shared its chassis with the Type 35B and 35C but used a 1493 cc eight-cylinder engine with a 60 x 66 mm bore and stroke. The unsupercharged 39 produced about 80–90 bhp and the supercharged 39A about 110–120 bhp. Some 1925 1.5-litre cars with a longer 52 x 88 mm configuration are probably classified as Type 35s.

Technical specifications

Engine

Transmission & drivetrain

Chassis, body & dimensions

Performance

“Not yet verified” means no source has been checked for that value yet. Nothing is estimated to fill a gap.

Identification guide

How to tell an original from a replica or later conversion.

A genuine Type 39 has the short-stroke crankshaft (60 x 66 mm, 1493 cc); otherwise it is the same as a 35C. Cars with a 52 x 88 mm 1.5-litre engine are probably 1925 Type 35s rather than true 39s. Only the 39A has the Roots supercharger.

Sources

Each number links to the exact facts it supports.

1. 1
   The Bugatti Trust – Type 39, 39A data page Level A

   • 10 cars made (Type 39 and 39A)

   Accessed 2026-11-11
2. 2
   Bugatti Type 39, 39A Level A The Bugatti Trust

   • 8 cylinders; single overhead camshaft, 3 valves per cylinder
   • 8 cylinders, 1493cc
   • 60 x 66mm
   • Separate central 4-speed gearbox with reverse
   • Wheelbase: 94.5in (2.4m)

   Accessed 2026-11-11