55235
Originally fitted with engine no. 35 and a Vanvooren body. It was delivered to Sorel’s London agency in October, 1933. Later fitted with engine no. 8 from car 55209. The car was reported to have been rebuilt on the original chassis frame by Hücke and it was isssued with a replacement chassis plate with the serial no. 113 in May, 1990. Referred to in the 1993 British Bugatti Register which lists Peter Agg as the owner. 2004 : USA. UK reg. nos. ALO 126 & BPK 1.

55237
UK reg. no. BPK 1 - 31st July, 1934. C.E.C. Martin, Allison. In March, 1936, re-registered as DPJ 4 ; Young. “55237 ; a type 55 (57) roadster. Bachelier, Craig, Monkhouse, Young, Crowley-Milling, then exported to Scher in USA. Then Mulhouse.

As far as I can tell it would seem that the Graig T55 is definitely 55237, Registration Number DPJ 4. There is a discrepancy between Legaleagle's entry for 55237 and that of Wiki, it concerns the first owner : To whom was 55237 first registered, Charlie Martin or M. Crowley-Milling? And did 55237 ever carry Reg BPK 1?

Was Peter Hampton's T55 (55235) first Registration Number BPK 1? If the answers are yes, it is worth pointing out that both T55's were owned (or merely sold?) by Bachelier. Perhaps he swapped the Registration Numbers? If so, it still does not explain why.

Final question, how original is the car claiming chassis number 55235?

Thanks
Johan

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I've certainly seen the bottom picture captioned as Hampton.

One of the 55s pictured at Lewes had the no. 3 the other had 32. Perhaps both Hampton and Craig competed at Lewes at the same event ?

I have never heard that 55235, best known by its second UK registration, "BPK 1" was ever anything but a Jean Bugatti roadster.

The chassis plate affixed to 55237 was over-stamped "55235" (perhaps this was done by Bachelier?) and I am told that the late Uwe Hucke convinced the Mulhouse authorities that the plate belonged to his T55, 55235, which he owned at the time. I do not know whether it is still with the car, now with Dean Meiling of Nevada.