Chris Staniland was a professional pilot who raced Bugattis at Brooklands.

He was a talented engineer with access to the latest aircraft industry knowledge, materials and fuels.

His 37A lapped Brooklands at 122.07mph therefore must have had a maximum speed of at least 125mph. When he linered the engine down to 1092cc it lapped at 111.67mph therefore a top speed of at least 115mph. Has anyone made a 37A go quicker since ?

Intresting question and i dont know the answer , i know the car in question was sold by RM for $489,500 in 2007 the following was from there catalogue:

"The Ex-Chris Staniland, UK Speed Record-Setter

80hp, 1498cc single overhead camshaft inline four-cylinder engine, four-speed manual transmission, live axle suspension with semi-elliptic front and quarter-elliptic rear springs, four-wheel mechanical drum brakes.
Wheelbase: 2,400mm (94.5")

The original four-cylinder 1,327-1,496cc Bugatti Type 13, generally known as the Brescia, and its increasingly refined and developed single overhead camshaft successors were the basis upon which the Bugatti enterprise, the works at Molsheim, and Ettore Bugatti’s reputation and success were based. Some 2,000 of the diminutive four-cylinder cars were built in a sixteen year production run. The Bugatti Type 13 and its progeny were also the proving ground upon which Bugatti developed many of the features that would be seen in later Bugattis.

By the mid-twenties, however, the Brescia was no longer competitive and Bugatti moved on to design and build the legendary eight-cylinder Type 35 and its many variants. A new and more refined automobile, the Type 35 became the canvas upon which Ettore Bugatti executed his new ideas of form and function. The distinctive horseshoe radiator, finely tapered hood and body tail, narrow two-seat body, delicately curved front axle, eight-spoke aluminum alloy wheels and other distinctive features were instantly recognized as “Bugatti”. Under the hood, Bugatti devoted time and attention not only to the clean, refined layout of the engine but also to its meticulous finishing. Careful attention to details of fit and finish was evident throughout the Type 35 and came to distinguish all subsequent Bugattis.

The 2.3-liter Type 35 was, however, a complicated, high strung supercharged grand prix racer, intricately assembled with abundant ball and roller bearings with scant regard to cost. Even the unblown Type 35T, thinly disguised as a sports car, was in a league to which few sportsmen could aspire.

The Type 35’s success, aesthetically, functionally and commercially, presented an opportunity for Bugatti to design a reasonably priced, easily maintained successor to the Brescia. It was designated the Bugatti Type 37, and for it Bugatti designed an elegant and refined but mechanically simple 11/2 liter four-cylinder engine. The Type 37 combined the elegance of the Type 35 engine’s “carved from a single block of metal” presentation, skillfully machined on all surfaces, with the simplicity of four cylinders, a one-piece crankshaft, plain bearings and a two-piece aluminum crankcase. It retained Bugatti’s simple and effective three-valve per cylinder breathing with two intake valves and a single exhaust valve, actuated by a shaft-driven single overhead camshaft.

The Type 37 fit neatly into Bugatti’s model range, replacing the dated Brescia with a new and attractive model that shared its visual identity and market appeal with the thoroughbred Type 35. Sharing designs and components, particularly the body, chassis and suspension, with the Type 35 also conferred welcome economies on both the grand prix cars and the less expensive sports models. Only a few were built in the Type 37’s first year, 1925, but the following year saw 120 Type 37’s built, followed by 87 in 1927 and 45 in 1928. Production continued until 1933.

As successful as the Type 37 was, however, its performance with only 50-60 horsepower was more boulevardier than racer so in 1927 Bugatti added a shortened version of the Type 35’s Roots supercharger, creating the Type 37A, still with 1,498cc but now making 80+ horsepower. The Type 37A’s competition purpose was also evident in magneto ignition and the optional availability of Bugatti’s signature aluminum wheels in place of the Type 37’s more ordinary wire wheels. Eventually, 77 Type 37As were built before production ended in 1930.

With 1,498cc, the Type 37A fit a different competition category from its faster two and two-plus liter eight-cylinder counterparts, creating an important opportunity for Bugatti clients to compete successfully. One who recognized the Type 37A’s potential was a Fairey Aviation test pilot, Chris Staniland. Staniland already owned a naturally aspirated two-liter eight-cylinder Bugatti Type 35A but in September 1927 he replaced it with Bugatti Type 37A chassis number 37290, the car offered here, fitted from the very beginning with Bugatti’s distinctive eight-spoke aluminum wheels.

Staniland then began an active racing campaign with this Type 37A, starting at Brooklands just a couple months after taking delivery. Over the next four years Staniland raced regularly and successfully at Brooklands on both the oval and the Mountain course. In 1928, the Staniland/Type 37A combination recorded four outright wins and two second places.

Also in 1928, at the end of the season in September, Staniland set out to capture the British Class-F 11/2-liter speed record for distances and times up to one hour. The existing records had been set a year earlier by land speed record specialist George Eyston in a supercharged, two-liter, eight-cylinder Type 39A Grand Prix Bugatti. Staniland’s four-cylinder Type 37A set out strong, breaking Eyston’s records for the standing start mile, 50 and 100 kilometers but ultimately fell just short of Eyston’s one hour record of 115.55 mph, retiring from the attempt after averaging 115.82 mph for 52 minutes while setting the 100 kilometer record. Staniland also lapped Brooklands at 122.07 mph in 1929, an accomplishment which is cited as evidence of the Type 37A’s extraordinary performance in all the standard Bugatti reference works.

The history of Chris Staniland’s Type 37A after it was retired from competition has been traced by Bugatti expert David Sewell in a report that accompanies the car. It continued to be entered occasionally by subsequent owners, even racing in several European Grand Prix in 1934 and being successfully hillclimbed by Gordon Lind-Walker before and after World War II. It was acquired by Mrs. Averil Scott-Moncrieff, wife of famous driver/dealer/writer David “Bunty” Scott-Moncrieff in 1947. She raced it several times during the 1950 season, achieving one first place in the hillclimb at Bo’Ness, one second, three thirds and one fourth.

After one intervening owner, 37290 came into the possession of Fitzroy Somerset, later to inherit the title Lord Raglan. Raglan owned it for several years, using it as a parts car for another Type 37A, chassis 37298, which he had acquired earlier. Finally, in 1967, 37290 was acquired by Lord Raglan’s neighbor, Martin Dean, who completed a three-year restoration in 1970. Dean’s restoration included building a new engine based on Type 40 parts and 37290’s original supercharger. In 1974, Dean acquired an eight-cylinder Type 43A, selling this Type 37A to pay for it. A year later, the Type 37A was acquired by the famous collector Bob Sutherland via Joel Finn and it remained in Sutherland’s care where it was sympathetically maintained and carefully but enthusiastically used until it was acquired from his estate by the present owner.

The engine, driveline and chassis were already in excellent condition, so as part of the purchase agreement, the Type 37A was completely cosmetically freshened in Sutherland’s shop. It has been carefully maintained since acquisition in the present owner’s own shop and today is in outstanding, sharp condition both cosmetically and mechanically.

Rarely does a record setting Bugatti become available, particularly one with such a clear, well-documented history. The ex-Chris Staniland Bugatti Type 37A continues the history of dedicated, enthusiastic owners like Staniland and Bob Sutherland. It is eligible for the most important, enjoyable and satisfying events throughout the world, where it will be a valued and welcome participant. "

37290

A type 37A with engine 188 which was fitted with alloy wheels from new. It was referred to by the factory as a 37C (C for Compresseur) and was delivered to Sorel's London agency in September 1927. There were 77 supercharged type 37s manufactured, starting in the spring of 1927 with a batch of ten, followed by another batch of ten delivered in the late summer.

Car 37290 was the last of the second batch and went to a promising driver called Christopehr Staniland who had already cut his teeth at Brooklands on an unsupercharged 2 litre type 35A (?). He reportedly used the new car at Brooklands in late 1927. In 1928 he raced on the outer and Mountain circuits and is said to have scored four wins and two second places. At the end of the season he attempted the 1500cc one hour Class F record held by George Eyston. The attempt failed but he did take the 100 mile record at 115.82 mph (186.23kmh). He had become a test pilot with Fairey Aviation and part of his success is attributed to his access to high quality fuel. In 1929 he lapped Brooklands at 122.07 mph, and then, in an attempt to outwit the handicapper, he reduced the car's capacity to 1,092cc with a 58.85mm bore liner and entered the car for an August meeting. He won on handicap with a best lap of 111.67 mph.

In 1934 an unknown driver is said to have used in in "several European Grand Prix" and around 1935, presumably after its retirement from racing, the car was given the UK registration CLG 707 (which also later appeared on a 43A with chassis no. 43278 – see below).

The car passed to Gordon E. Lind Walker who used it at Prescott pre-war and, post-war, until 23rd June 1946. An excellent picture of the car on this occasion appears on page 1 of "Bugattis at Prescott". Now on wire wheels, it carried full road equipment including a Klaxon horn, a near horizontal spare wheel mounted on top of the tail, unpainted alloy mudguards suported at the front by non-original stays with "modern" headlamps fitted. The main distinguishing feature was a high-level exhaust.

The next owner was Averil Scott-Moncrieff who acquired it after the birth of her first son, Humphrey and used it in competition in the late forties. In 1950 she competed with the car at different venues and joined the UK BOC in March allowing her to drive it at Prescott in May with a best run of 66.47 secs. It was fitted with a 12 x 52 crown-wheel and pinion to replace the original of 14 x 54. The car was offered for sale in Motor Sport in January 1951 when it was described as being first registered in 1935, to have had only two previous owners and to have only been modified with the approval of Molsheim.

In 1954 Martin L. Brewer drove the car at the May meeting at Prescott and achieved a best run of 55.89 seconds. The following year he ran the car in the VSCC Itala Trophy at Silversone. See pictures in "Bugantics" 17/2/43 and 18/2/4.

The car then passed to Fitzroy Somerset (later Lord Raglan) who chose to ignore its historic significance and use it as a source of spares for car 37298.

In 1967 he sold the remains of the car to his neighbour Martin Dean who built a new engine for the car based on type 40 parts but utilising the original supercharger, and fitted it to the rebuilt chassis. In 1974 Dean acquired a type 43A and in 1975 sold the 37A to American Joel Finn who was acting as agent for the collector Bob Sutherland who retained it until his death in November 1999.

In the UK BOC register published in Summer 1974 the engine from car 37290 (no. 188) was listed fitted to car 37171 rebuilt by Hugh Conway to 37A specifications and at that time still in his ownership.

In 2004 it was listed in “Grand Prix Bugatti” in the USA. In January, 2007 it was offered for sale at the RM auction in Arizona. It is now fitted with alloy wheels and is in immaculate condition painted sky blue. It sold for $489,500 (USD). The car would undoubtedly have reached a much higher figure if its original engine (the component which made the car so special) was still in place.

It is currently listed in the ownership of Alan Rosenblum. See pictures on the Bugatti Pages and bugattibuilder websites.