Alright, before anyone has a heart attack, there’s no way this is a real 1927 Bugatti Type 35B! It has to be a replica, especially with an asking price of just $1,800. Reader Jerry V spotted it in Grain Valley, Missouri and stopped to snap some photos to share with us. He didn’t offer any more info than that, but he did take photos of the seller’s phone number and asking price. So take a closer look at this curious roadside sighting and let us know if you happen to buy it!
Here’s the seller’s phone number. For the sake of the seller’s privacy, I won’t type it out, but if you can’t read it from this photo let us know and we will send it to you. There’s another photo that show’s their asking price of $1,800 or best offer, so perhaps you could score this one on the cheap.
As soon as you see the front, you can tell that this isn’t a real Bugatti. The front suspension looks like it might be from a VW Beetle, so it’s likely that the rest of the car is composed of VW components. It appears to be well built, although I would do something different with that bumper bar. It has all the necessary lights and indicators to be street legal, but it’s going to need a ton of work to get it back on the road.
Our only detailed view of the inside reveals rusty floors and plenty of other issues. It will take a closer inspection to know for sure what the floor pans are from, but they sure look like they are out of a Beetle. On the upside, it means finding parts should be easy. While it might not be all that valuable, this could actually be a fun project to take on. Having owned and driven a kit car, I can tell you that build quality is dependent almost entirely on the builder and how much they spent on it. This one looks like it was put together by someone who took pride in their work so it might actually be a good place to start.
Special thanks to Jerry for sending in his Roadside Sighting! If you spot something interesting parked on the side of the road, be sure to stop and take some photos to share with us!
Wow!
A neighbor of mine has this VW kit car, and I have to say that it is incredibly fun to drive! Though you can’t be much taller than 5’10” and fit in it comfortably.
Ettore is spinning like a pinwheel in his grave.
“It appears to be well built”
Thank you I needed that laugh lol.
I’ve driven one, and for what it is I have to say it isn’t too bad.
Dig that Home Depot dashboard and amusement park ride steering wheel.
I have a slightly “shop soiled” Bugatti Veyron for sale for $2000 if anyone is interested. Actually, this wouldn’t make a bad little project. If the underpinnings are VW and it has the standard VW trans-axle, those can handle a reasonable amount of power. Maybe a 12A Mazda rotary would make it some serious fun.
I like the air conditioning fan ( :
I remember this VW-based kit car, along with its companion Alf-Romeo kit, back in the mid 1970s.
Somewhere in my archives I still have original brochures for both. It looked like a fun concept, at the time.
Fan Air Conditioning is a nice touch
No L.H.D Bugattis ever built
Somebody needs to save that vintage license plate,let the rest set right where it is.
That plate could (seriously) be worth more than the rest of the car…
My Dad had the Alfa version of this. Cool lil car and always turned heads. Its all Bug under there thats for sure. Front suspension looks like a 68+. Pans are $150-$195 each side for stock repro parts. To me, the Alfa looked more like the original car than the Bugatti did. But there were a bunch more “Bug”gatti’s made than Alfas from what I remember reading.
I’m a gambler. A Bugatti? For me? It would go well with my McBurnie 365GTB and my my accompanying Armani sport coat. And no socks.
Two too many zeroes in the price
Is that a genuine 1927 Illinois licence plate tacked on the front of it ?
If a buyer puts another $15,000 or more into “restoring” this VW “Bug”atti, they will have a great little fun car to use in Shriner’s parades, etc. and it will likely be worth about $5,000. Or they can buy a very nice one for about $5K.
And I love the windshield header cross piece with the wiper motor mounted thru it — it’s a piece of steel fence post!
And the headlight bar is a piece of copper water pipe. At least it will never rust.
I wonder if the boat propeller is included for that price or is it extra.
If you want to get a good laugh just look at what I found in a apartment parking lot on Wheaton, Illinois.
And the owner is quite proud of it and has no plans to sell it either
I wonder if the boat propeller is included for that price or is it extra?
If you want to get a good laugh just look at what I found in a apartment parking lot in Wheaton, Illinois.
And the owner is quite proud of it and has no plans to sell it either?
And not one, but two — count ’em, two — aaogah horns!
yuk !!
Would like a full scale replica of Bugatti’s airplane. One was handmade but unfortunately crashed last year.
Hiow much money have you got…someone will build you one. You will need plans and some photos.
LOL that money thing is a problem or else I would be driving something other then a $500 97 Monte Carlo Z34. Kind of why I call my web sites and car mags dream sources.
Get a grip. how can you drive a plane on a road?
Websites are inspirational.
How about you get some flying lessons to assess if you are cut out for aviation??
You have to have good physical health too to pass.
No harm in buying some old lumber to make some strut parts from ( :
Wood and canvas assembly I assume or alloy?
Looks like a plastic toy. Probably get one out of your Quaker Oats one day ( :
Unfortunately Peter it’s dreams now. my flying time ended a long time ago but at least I got up there for a time. My job driving commercially is over now too due to diabetes.
I too have stopped and looked at this “car” It is built on a pre 1968 VW chassis and was not in my eyes well built at all. If I were to restore it I would only use a few fiberglass parts so for me it wasn’t worth dragging it home for free.