Description

The Crossley Bugatti Touring was a rare variant of the Crossley-assembled Bugatti Type 23 Brescia, produced in limited numbers between 1923 and 1925. This version retained the key engineering of the original Bugatti but was finished by Crossley Motors in the United Kingdom with British market preferences in mind. While the standard Brescia often appeared as a two-seat sports car, the Touring version was more oriented towards longer-distance motoring with modest weather protection and additional space.

The vehicle was based on components supplied by Bugatti in Molsheim, France, and assembled at Crossley’s Manchester factory. Roughly 24 chassis sets were imported in total, all assigned serial numbers beginning with the prefix “CM.” The Touring bodywork was likely crafted by British coachbuilders under Crossley’s supervision, giving the car a more traditional, upright appearance compared to the racier Continental versions. These bodies provided seating for two or more passengers, a windscreen, and occasionally a fold-down hood, making them suitable for a wider range of driving conditions.

Mechanically, the Crossley Bugatti Touring shared the same underpinnings as the Bugatti Type 23 Brescia. This included a 1.5-litre inline four-cylinder engine with a 16-valve configuration, producing up to 50 horsepower. The engine was renowned for its liveliness and reliability. Mated to a four-speed manual gearbox and weighing in at under 800 kg, the car offered excellent handling and acceleration for its time. While slightly less powerful and a bit slower than the French-built Brescias, the Crossley versions were known for their smoother gearboxes and more refined road manners.

The Touring models were priced competitively at around £350 when new, significantly undercutting the imported versions and making them more accessible to British buyers. Despite the lower price, the cars maintained the performance character associated with the Bugatti name and quickly became admired among sporting drivers in Britain.

Very few Crossley Bugatti Touring cars are known to survive today. Most of the original batch of 24 cars were either bodied differently or have not remained intact over the decades. Among collectors, these vehicles are prized not only for their rarity but also for their unique Anglo-French heritage, blending British assembly standards with legendary Bugatti engineering.

The Crossley Bugatti Touring model stands as a testament to a brief but fascinating partnership between two respected manufacturers. It offered British enthusiasts access to cutting-edge Continental performance with local craftsmanship, and today it remains a highly collectible and historically significant piece of early motoring history.