It is said that the first two Bugatti Type 54s were put together in just 13 days, using Type 45 chassis frames and Type 50 motors, prior to the 1931 Italian Grand Prix at Monza.

The Type 50 straight 8 motor has a capacity of 4.972 litre / 303 cui and is fitted with twin carburetors and a supercharger to produce around 300hp.

Archille Varzi drove chassis #54201 to a third place finish in that event and it was later sold to Czech Republic Prince Jiri Lobcowicz.

The Prince was killed racing #54201 at Avus Germany in 1932 and the remains of #54201 were acquired by his friend and fellow competitor Zdenek Pohl.

Zdenek had Prague coach builder O Uhlik fit the Roadster ‘Praha’ body seen here, to the repaired chassis #54201.

In the 1970’s the ‘Praha’ body was removed from #54201 in favour of a body better suited to competition on the track.

Skip Berg a California car dealer later still found the Uhlik ‘Praha’ roadster body, and had it fitted to a chassis built up by Uwe Hucke given the chassis number BC-70 by the Bugatti Owners Club.

My thanks to Geoffrey Horton for kindly sharing today’s photographs taken at last years Quail Concours d’Elegance.

Thanks for joining me on this “Uhlik ‘Praha’ Roadster” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !