See: http://www.racingdeal.com/Cars-For-Sale/Detail.aspx?offer=6155

The type 40 box wasn't very nice - I don't blame the owner for fitting the dog-box. It makes the driving experience much nicer. The car's engine is now said to give 75 bhp. (Craig Mycock's Brescia has now topped 100 bhp according to recent dyno tests).

The car's owner, who prefers to remain anonymous and prevented the type 40 being included in the 2000 British Register, also owns the ex-Clive Jones type 37 fitted with an eight cylinder engine which used to be painted a very attractive Junek yellow but has now succumbed to the standard Bugatti blue.

The M.S, type 40 still has the non-standard gearbox internals fitted and has an asking price of £250k and Charles Dean's type 51 has an asking price of offers over £1million. The latter car is listed in The British Bugatti Register as (51126) with the note that "the continuous history of 51126 became rather muddled when Chorlton used a Bugatti chassis for the Chorlton Special". There have been other "claimants" to this chassis number.

I remember having a very long and interesting letter from Mr. Riley some years ago when he lived at, from memory, Fairbairn House, Hartlebury. I think I have seen adverts subsequently with this address. Do you know whether he still owns the 51 and if not, what became of it. I don't think its mentioned in the 2000 British Register.

There is of course a nice-looking car running around called the Chorlton Special with a Bugatti badge on its nose. I think it is fitted with and HWM or Alta engine, or something from that era. I think it turned out at a Goodwood sprint a few years ago.

I have heard that there is strong interest in both the type 40 and type 51 which Martin Chisholm is selling.
Good news if you own one.

I'm getting more and more confused.

For what its worth here are my notes from my data-base :

(51126)
A type 51 with engine no. 7 invoiced to Friderich in Nice in April, 1931 for Czaykowski. Around 1934 the car was acquired by Genaro Leoz and subsequently imported into the UK by Jack Lemon Burton who raced it at Brooklands in 1938 where the officials queried whether it really was a 1496cc eight-cylinder car. Lemon Burton later sold it to Michael Chorlton. In “The Bugatti Book” originally published in 1954 under the “51A” heading more information is requested about a “single seater. M. Chorlton (engine sold to Beebee). Parts now in Day’s car. Martin Dean was issued with a replacement chassis plate with the serial no. 069 (identification not positive) on 22/7/79. Genral William H. Lyon, an Air Force General who was the owner, from Newport Beach, California of a type 35B, was reported in the late eighties to have the lower crankcase from the ex-Chorlton car; no. 51126. (See “Bugantics” 51/4/53). See letter from Jack Lemon Burton in “Bugantics” .39/2/60. The 2000 British Bugatti Register (p. 146) gives the UK registration as FHS 380. The 2004 edition of “Grand Prix Bugatti” does not list a current owner but gives the cars location as “(UK)” sic.

51127
A car fitted with engine no.20 and supplied through agent Friderich to Mlle. Saquier with a factory invoice dated April 1931.The car still exists having been owned by G.Coss in Italy (erroneously referred to in the 1989 British Bugatti Register as G. Goss) then Ray Jones in USA. then S. Galvin in Eire with reg. no. AI 7411 and was owned by Anthony Mayman in the UK from 1989 until his untimely death. Re-registered as EHB 432. Exported from UK to USA around 1993. A picture of the car on the Intenet shows it with large 51 competition numbers and carrying the registration (2UWS375)*. The 2004 edition of “Grand Prix Bugatti” does not list a current owner but gives the car’s location as Spain.

CHORLTON, Michael C. A competitor with a type 51A (51126) at the May 1948 Prescott meeting when he recorded a time of 56.55 secs. (comp. no. 63). The car had been imported by Jack Lemon Burton in 1937 and was raced by him before he sold the car to Chorlton. Obituary : “Bugantics” 15/1/44 (?) Chorlton is listed in the 1989 “British Bugatti Register” as a former owner of a type 51 “Built up from mostly new parts on a frame recovered from the extensively modified one previously on the Chorlton Special” this being the car assembled by Keith Butti and later owned by Alan Riley after it had passed throught the hands of Margulies and Hannen.

I have heard that there is strong interest in both the type 40 and type 51 which Martin Chisholm is selling.

I consider £250K a bit high for a modern bodied T40. The conversion to alloy wheels and matching brakes was done using new Brineton parts no doubt and could easily be modified if originality is wanted.
A dogbox in a T40 is a very nice thing to have. The T40/43/44 box is not Ettores best design. For the lower revving engines it is OK but if you are in a hurry with a T40 you need the revs and changing gear at 5k+ with the standard box is not a happy experience.
Bugwrench

oh dear,am I the only person who can still double de clutch?

Sorry wrong remark!
As a technician and knowledgable about the Bugatti technical matters I expected you to be aware of the design error made by Ettore in the T40/43/44 gearbox. Have a look and you will understand.
Bugwrench