This Type 51A Bugatti, built by the factory7 as a works race car, first appeared in May 1933 at the Grand Prix at Avus in Berlin, Germany. The Type 51A raced in the voiturette or 1500cc class in all the races listed below except for the Grand Prix of Monaco in 1934 where it raced as a2.3 liter GrandPrix car.
The Type 51A engine is a 1500cc, twin cam, supercharged, magneto-driven engine, which produced running on Eicosine, a doped fuel mixture of alcohol, benzol and acetone, around 160 to 180 hp. The power output per cc of the engine or horsepower-to- displacement ratio was the highest of any Bugatti engine built.
This particular Type 51A was campaigned by Pierre Veyron with factory support throughout Europe from 1933 to 1937 where it achieved over nine international records at Monterey in the 1500cc class. These records stood until 1951 or 1952 when broken by Colonel Goldie Gardner in the MG Liquid Silver Special. During it various successful attempts to break the world speed record; the car was driven by Pierre Veyron, Louis Villeneuve and Roger LaBric, the seller of the car in 1951/52 to Howard Keck of Superior Oil in California. Ettore Bugatti often gave his race cars to the drivers in lieu of monetary compensation.
This particular Type 51A Bugatti is the single most successful documented race car in the factory's history. Prior to May 1934, this car was known by the factory and recorded as such as simply Motor No. 22. About a week prior to the 1934 Monaco Grand Prix, three chassis numbers were issued to Bugattis which were entered in the Grand Prix at Monaco. This particular 51A was assigned Chassis Plate No. 54211, a cause for confusion for the next 40 to 45 years. When Howard Keck owned the car, the chassis number reported was 54211, thereby leaving Bugatti aficionados to believe that Keck owned a Type 54 when, indeed, he owned the world record Type 51A. At the same time that Chassis Plate No. 54211 was assigned to this Type 51A, Chassis Plate Nos. 54210 and 54212 were assigned to two Type 59 Bugatti Grand Prix cars, which also raced at Monaco. It is interesting to note that shortly before the Monaco Grand Prix in May 1934, the engine from 54211 was fitted with the 2.3 liter grand prix crankshaft thereby producing an engine stroke of 100mm. Until fairly recently, it was not known that 54211, driven by Pierre Veyron, raced in the grand prix class in 1934.