Bugatti Type 32 "Tank"

The Bugatti Type 32, commonly called the Tank de Tours, was a streamlined racing car built in 1923. Four examples were made, each with a 2.0 L (1991 cc/121 in³) straight-4 engine based on that in the Type 30. "The Tank" finished third in the ACF Grand Prix at Lyon that year driven by Bugatti mechanic and driver Ernest Friedrich. Due to the car's poor handling characteristics the vehicle was never entered in another race. This was the first Bugatti to be fitted with roller-bearing big ends in order to improve the bottom-end reliability (Bugatti was rather later than most manufacturers in the incorporation of a fully pressurized oil system, preferring a splash "spit and hope" delivery method). The Type 32 also broke new ground (for a racing Bugatti) by using a three-speed and reverse transaxle unit, the exceptionally short wheelbase and long straight-eight engine making a conventional gearbox difficult to accommodate. It also heralded an embryonic hydraulic front brake actuation.

Another tank-bodied Bugatti racer, the 1936 Type 57G, was much more successful.