This is one of the earliest Type 59s, which was internally referred to as 'Voiture Moteur No 3.' It served the Works team from late 1933 until Bugatti ended their Grand Prix program. This Bugatti Type 59 was first raced by Achille Varzi at the Spanish Grand Prix in September 1933, and it was driven by Tazio Nuvolari at Monaco in 1934. It was then sold by the factory to the amateur racer Lindsay Eccles, who entered the car in speed and hill climb events throughout 1935 before enlarging the engine to nearly 3.8 liters for a race at the 1936 Whitsun meeting at Brooklands.