Bugatti Type 53

The 5.0 L (4972 cc/303 in³) engine from the Bugatti Type 50 road car was fitted to the chassis of the Type 51 racer to create the 1931 Type 53. This model was historically significant in that it used four wheel drive. The Type 53 was one of the first racing cars to attempt to drive all four wheels, though Ettore Bugatti himself had designed multi-engine all wheel drive vehicles early in his career. It was originally conceived by Giulio Cappa, who created a front wheel drive Grand Prix car in 1926. Cappa's associate, Antonio Pichetto, handled the development of the car while working at Bugatti.

The Type 53 is said to have not used universal joints, and steering difficulty was legendary. Jean Bugatti even crashed a Type 53 at Shelsley Walsh in June, 1932. Modern tests, however, have shown the car to be quite tractable at speed, and Bugatti's drawings for the Type 53 do show "Tracta" u-joints fitted in front.

The Type 53 was an adept hill-climber. Louis Chiron broke the records at La Turbie and Mont Ventoux in 1932. René Dreyfus reclaimed the La Turbie record from Count Carlo Felcie Trossi in a Type 53 in 1934.

Output was over 300 hp (223 kW). Just three left the factory.

See also

• Bugatti Type 50
• Bugatti Type 51

Prototypes	Racing Cars	Road Cars
1900–1901 Type 2 1903 Type 5 1908 Type 10 1925 Type 36 1929 Type 40 1929 Type 41 1929–1930 Type 45/47 Type 56 (electric car) 1939 Type 64 (coupe) 1943/1947 Type 73C	1910–1914 Type 13/Type 15/17/22 1922–1926 Type 29 1923 Type 32 "Tank" 1924–1930 Type 35/35A/35B/35T/35C/37/39 1927–1930 Type 52 (electric racer for children) 1936–1939 Type 57G "Tank" 1937–1939 Type 50B 1931–1936 Type 53 1931–1936 Type 51/51A/54GP/59 1955–1956 Type 251	1910 Bugatti Type 13 1912–1914 Type 18 "Garros" 1913–1914 Type 23/Brescia Tourer (roadster) 1922–1934 Type 30/38/40/43/44/49 (touring car) 1927–1933 Type 41 "Royale" (limousine) 1929–1939 Type 46/50/50T (touring car) 1932–1935 Type 55 (roadster) 1934–1940 Type 57/57S/Type 57SC (touring car) 1951–1956 Type 101 (coupe) 1957–1962 Type 252 (2-seater sports convertible)

Bugatti, a division of the Volkswagen Group since 1998, roadcar timeline 1910-Present
Type	1910s										1920s										1930s										1940s										1950s										1960s			1970s	1980s			1990s										2000s
	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	0	1	2		7	8	9	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9
Owner	Ettore Bugatti/Roland Bugatti																																																						Romano Artioli											Volkswagen AG
Touring													Type 30/Type 49													Type 57
																				Type 46
Limousine																		Type 41 Royale
Roadster					Type 13/Brescia Tourer																			Type 55
Coupe																																										Type 101
Sports	Type 13		Type 18 Garros																																													Type 252
Super car																																																											EB110														Veyron