Nostalgic Edition 35B
What is the brand Nostalgic Edition, and what kind of cars are they? Why are they part of the Samohýl family’s historic car collection and hold such a significant place?
When JUDr. Ing. Ladislav Samohýl purchased two original Bugatti GP cars, they needed to be restored and made roadworthy again. Original period parts are very rare, extremely expensive, and often worn out. The most well-known manufacturer and supplier of such parts—and entire replicas—is the Argentine company Pur Sang. Missing parts were ordered from there. However, after paying for and receiving the parts, there was great disappointment: the parts were of poor quality and ultimately unusable. What now? Classic Czech traits prevailed—flexibility, skill, craftsmanship, and ingenuity. The first idea was to produce the parts ourselves. But preparing the production was very expensive and complicated. So why cast just 2 engine blocks in the foundry, when we could make more? In the end, a 20-piece production series of these beautiful and legendary cars was planned and is now being realized. Everything was made according to original parts with original tolerances. Thus, parts from the Nostalgic Edition are fully interchangeable with original ones, and the finished cars are indistinguishable from original Bugatti 35 GP models.
Why the name Nostalgic Edition? It is well known that the Bugatti trademark and name, including the famous red-and-white radiator badge, were purchased years ago by Volkswagen for their own use—most notably in the Veyron. However, the industrial design of the legendary Bugatti cars is freely available. The Bugatti family did not renew it. Therefore, anyone can build replicas of these cars, but they can no longer use the Bugatti name or badge. For this reason, these cars are called Nostalgic Edition. They do not pretend to be originals but are faithful and dignified replicas of the famous cars.
And which model were the replicas based on?
On the most famous one—the Bugatti T35 type.
The fame of this model dates back to August 1924, when Bugatti introduced the racing T35 at the GP in Lyon. The Bugatti T35 later achieved phenomenal success, winning over 2,000 races, including 21 Grand Prix events. Among the notable winners were Tazio Nuvolari, Louis Chiron, William Grover-Williams, and René Dreyfus. We mustn’t forget our own Eliška Junková. Her greatest success was a fifth-place overall finish at the Sicilian Targa Florio in 1928. Tragically, her husband Čeněk Junek died in a T35B on July 15, 1928, at the Nürburgring.
Visually unmistakable, the Bugattis featured radiators shaped like a narrow horseshoe. Once retired from racing, they were often rebuilt with sporty touring bodies.
The Bugatti 35 was born at a time when Grand Prix regulations required two-liter engines. The patron drew a sleek inline eight-cylinder engine from scratch. It first appeared in the prototype T28 (1921) and more prominently in the racing T30 (1922–1926). It featured OHC valve timing with three valves per cylinder (two intake, one exhaust). The lightweight engine was a mechanical gem requiring precision manufacturing. Numerous plain bearings required accurate spray lubrication, yet suffered significant wear and needed frequent replacement. Compared to its predecessors, the T35 reached up to 30% higher RPMs. This necessitated changes to the camshaft, crankshaft, connecting rods, bearings, and lubrication. Also characteristic were factory-supplied eight-spoke aluminum alloy wheels with integrated brake drums, giving the car its distinct Bugatti appearance. Its wheelbase measured 2400 mm.
As can be seen, the Samohýl company has every reason to be proud. To create a flawless and fully functional replica of perhaps the most famous race car of all time is an impressive accomplishment by everyone who contributed—and continues to contribute—to the Nostalgic Edition project.