1937 Bugatti Type 57C 
 
				   Registration No.: TBA
                                   Chassis No.: 57484
                                   Engine No.: 46C
                                   Cylinders/Capacity: 8/3257cc
                                   (supercharged)
                                   Coachwork: Stelvio Cabriolet
                                   by Gangloff
                                                  

The Type 57 was a landmark car for Bugatti because it was engineered
specificially for road use. Most of the company's previous output had
consisted of dual-purpose road/competition cars, but the day for such a
machine was passing. There was more to be gained by engineering cars
primarily for the road, or for the track. The day of the monoposto racing
car had arrived and basically the road had forked.

In 1934 Bugatti announced the Type 57, the most celebrated of all
non-racing Bugattis. Jean Bugatti, who headed the project, concentrated
on refinement without losing sight of traditional Bugatti values. The 3.3
litre, twin-cam, straight-eight engine was completely new and it was first
offered in unblown form. Even in standard trim any Type 57 was good
for 95mph, including those with fairly heavy saloon bodies, and the
model revitalised the company's fortunes.

Instead of the compromises which are inevitable when designing a
dualpurpose car, the Type 57 was tailor-made for road use and was one
of the finest road cars of the period. It was, however, also used as the
basis for competition machinery and the streamlined Bugatti which won
Le Mans in 1937 was based on a Type 57S chassis and given the
designation 57G, while the winning car at Le Mans in 1939 was a
supercharged version.

The important thing, however, was that Bugatti had used Type 57
components to build bespoke competition machines. Jean Bugatti's
streamlined 'tank' bodywork was exclusive to the works cars which, in
1939, were capable of 150mph. The owner of a Type 57 could bask in
the fact that a similar car had won Le Mans, but he did not have to suffer
the harder suspension necessary on a competition model. Everyone was
satisfied.

The car we offer was originally unblown, but was subsequently
upgraded to 'C' specification by the fitting of an original supercharged
Type 57C engine. Since the supercharged version appeared in 1937,
when the car we offer was made, there is no historical conflict.

As a 1937 car, it has a 2nd Series chassis with extra cross-bracing and
the engine mounted in rubber blocks, which is correct for all
supercharged Type 57s. Further, we have had this car's history recorded
by Bugatti historian, David Sewell.

It was invoiced by the factory on 22nd March 1937 for delivery to the
Bugatti agent in Nice, former racing driver, Ernest Friderich. The
original owner, a M. Vial, specified a Stelvio cabriolet body which was
a factory-listed option built by Gangloff of Colmar and it bears the
unmistakable signature of Jean Bugatti.

What happened to the car for the next few years is unknown, which is
fairly usual for cars which spent the war in 0ccupied Europe. In 0ctober
1957 it was imported into the United States by Gene Cesari from Bugatti
dealer Jean de Dobbeleer in Brussels. Since then its continuous history is
known and documented, and for the past decade it has resided in one of
Japan's most famous collections.

Finished in Bordeaux over silver, wiffi Burgundy carpets and grey hide
upholstery, this is an excellent example of a great motor car. The Type
57 was an outstanding road car with no pretensions of being a racer, yet
it was so fundamentally sound that Bugatti was able to use its engine for
the Type 59 Grand Prix car and special Type 57s twice won Le Mans.