Bugatti Type 57

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Bugatti
Bugatti Type 57 Coach Guilloré (1938)
Bugatti Type 57 Coach Guilloré (1938)
Type 57
Production period: 1934-1940
Class : Upper class
Body versions : Sedan , coupé , cabriolet , roadster
Engines: Petrol engines :
3.25 liters
(101–147 kW)
Length: approx. 4020-4370 mm
Width: approx. 1500 mm
Height:
Wheelbase : 2890-3300 mm
Empty weight : 1400-1600 kg; Chassis 950 kg
Previous model Bugatti Type 44 , 46 , 49 , 50 , 55
successor Bugatti Type 64 , 101
Bugatti Type 57 Cabriolet Graber (1936; # 57444)

Bugatti Type 57 is a series of the former French automaker Bugatti (1910–1956). Officially responsible for the project was Jean Bugatti (1909–1939), the son of the company's founder Ettore Bugatti (1881–1947). He also contributed essential design elements, which were implemented together with the draftsman Joseph Walter.

A total of 630, 680, 710, 750 (including 41 Type 57 S and 4 Atlantic ) or 830 vehicles of the Type 57 series were produced in three series from 1934 to 1940, depending on the source .

Regardless of the exact number, the Type 57 is the longest built model in the largest quantities and one of the most important of the brand. A 1938 Type 57 SC Atlantic has been the most expensive used car in the world for several years (as of 2013) with an auction price of an estimated 30–40 million US dollars.

environment

Ettore Bugatti drew his first designs for automobiles at the end of the 19th century. At that time he worked for de Dietrich and Deutz, among others . In 1910 he founded his own company in Molsheim in Alsace , which at the time was part of the German Empire . Bugatti became known primarily for its light and fast sports cars and in racing, for example with the Brescia series and the legendary Type 35 , which was available in numerous versions as a sports and as a Grand Prix vehicle and is considered the most successful racing car.

At the other extreme was the Type 41 "Royale" , one of the most luxurious automobiles ever made. Only seven copies including the prototype were built. The engine was built according to the typical Bugatti principles, but with gigantic dimensions; the prototype had a displacement of 11.7 liters, the others 12.8 liters each.

The types 44 , 46 , 49 , 50 and 55 , which were produced for the road immediately before the Type 57 , received good reviews from experts, but did not sell in sufficient numbers. By 1932 at the latest, the company found itself in a serious crisis, with sales falling from 622 vehicles in 1930 to just 156 in 1932, each spread across a large number of models and variants; the workforce fell from 622 to only 61 between 1930 and 1933 Employee.

Ettore Bugatti had entrusted the management of the project to his son Jean, who was already responsible for the testing department and soon also for the racing team. Since 1930, Jean had taken on more and more responsibility. At the height of a labor dispute against the background of political unrest in France, and also with strikes against the plant in June 1936, he also took over the operational management of the company in 1936, while Ettore was negotiating with banks in Paris and working on projects such as the Bugatti railcar .

The Type 57 was the brand's last pre-war model and became its most successful.

Model history

Bugatti Type 57 C Series 1 Cabriolet Vanvooren (1935)

In contrast to Talbot-Lago , however, Bugatti no longer found it expedient to develop a single model for road and racing. This meant that mainly Jean Bugatti prepared the Grand Tourisme Type 57 together with the new Bugatti Type 59 racing car . One thing they have in common is the Bugatti Type 49 engine as the starting point. At the time, Ettore Bugatti was heavily influenced by the designs of the American engineer Harold Arminius Miller .

The factory continuously introduced improvements to the Type 57 into production. There were major changes in 1936 and 1938, which is why there are three model series. The Type 57 was available from the factory in four versions for the road: 57 (basic version or also called “normal”), 57 C (compressor), 57 S (sports model) and 57 SC. The latter two were only offered from 1936 to 1938 (2nd series) and had modified engines and chassis. The Type 57 SC in particular is considered to be one of the first super sports cars .

Both the concept of the series as a sporty, comfortable Grandes Routières as well as the design of the factory bodies bear Jean Bugatti's signature. Whoever ultimately made the decision shows that there was an early but serious intervention in the design of the two prototypes: Jean Bugatti had provided a modern independent wheel suspension at the front . Ettore found out about this on the occasion of a visit to the factory and, without consulting, ordered it to be replaced with a technically outdated rigid front axle. It was retained in an adapted form over the entire construction period and even the successors Type 64 and Type 101 still had to make do with it.

Series 1

External distinguishing features of the first series are the free-standing headlights mounted on a strut and the long, vertical ventilation slots on the bonnet.

Not only the example of the front suspension shows that the Type 57, which was built from 1934 to 1940 and in many respects very advanced, was hopelessly backward in some details. Jean Bugatti also secretly had a prototype tested with an engine with a modified camshaft drive, but was unable to implement such a conversion.

engine

View into the engine compartment of a Bugatti Type 57 SC (1937)
Parameters Data
Construction time: 1933-1939
Engine: In-line eight-cylinder monoblock engine
Displacement : 3257 cc
Valve control : two overhead camshafts
Power: from 101 kW (135 PS) at 5000 rpm

The engine was based on the 3.3-liter row eight-cylinder of the type 49 . It was made in typical Bugatti fashion with a crankcase made of light metal and a one-piece cylinder block with a cylinder head that could not be removed (" bag cylinder "). The displacement of 3257 cm³ ( bore × stroke = 72 × 100 mm) was taken over from Type 49, but not its valve control with only one overhead camshaft (OHC) . The Type 57 (and the similar Type 59 ) had two overhead camshafts (DOHC), which were driven via spur gears at the rear end of the block and operated the valves via rocker arms. They sat in two-part housings bolted to the cylinder block. The three-valve principle (two inlet valves and one outlet valve ) that Bugatti had pursued for years was no longer used. The combustion chambers were hemispherical and the crankshaft supported six times.

Engines in which the cylinder heads could not be removed were otherwise only used in motorsport at that time; because a cylinder head gasket that is not present cannot cause engine failure and therefore increases reliability. However, this advantage is at the expense of ease of maintenance. In the Bugatti engine, the valves could only be threaded in if the valve guides were not installed.

Even in the basic version, the output was around 135 hp (99 kW) at 5000 rpm. With a lightweight body, the vehicle accelerated from 0 to 100 km / h in just over 12 seconds. The Type 57 was also one of the few cars of its time that could go up to 160 km / h under normal road conditions.

However, sober numbers do not do justice to the light-alloy engines from Bugatti. Ettore Bugatti always attached great importance to the aesthetic appearance. For example, Bugatti's engine housings were decorated with a hand-worked pearl cut pattern.

The engine of the Type 59 Grand Prix racing car was also derived from the Type 49 .

The joint development of Types 57 and 59 saved development costs, resources and time and made it possible to use several common engine components.

Power transmission

The Type 57 is the first series of the brand in which the gearbox is flanged to the engine. Until then, Bugatti had used an outdated power transmission in which the gearbox was installed in the middle of the chassis, separate from the engine in front. This required two cardan shafts ; one from the engine to the transmission and another from the transmission to the rear axle. Many manufacturers had given up this type of construction before the First World War .

A four-speed transmission with reverse gear, the three upper gears of which were synchronized , was standard . It was not a strength of the type 57. This does not was particularly significant because most vehicles already with the electric Cotal - preselector gearbox were ordered. This system makes it possible to “preselect” a gear with a hand lever without immediately engaging it. This happens electrically as soon as the clutch is actuated, but then without any further action on the part of the driver. This allows him to keep his hands on the steering wheel before cornering and still downshift at the right time. Cotal transmissions have a small gear lever on the steering column. Types 57 and 57 C had single-plate dry clutches, similar to those used in some Type 49s.

Chassis and suspension

Detail of the front rigid axle of the Type 57 SC Series 2 - here with a hydraulically operated drum brake

The Type 57 had a conventional, lightweight ladder frame with cross members. In Series 1, the engine block was part of the frame and gave its front part stability. The chassis had a wheelbase of 3.3 m, the front and rear track was 1.35 m.

Very early Type 57 normals had a two-part front axle, which was soon replaced by a one-part.

The car had front Halbelliptik- leaf springs and rear a pedestrian axis with pushed Viertelelliptikfedern and De-Ram - or Hartford - snubbers . The Type 57 received Rudge wire-spoke wheels in the dimensions 5.50 × 18 with central locking as standard .

Bugatti continued to operate the large drum brakes with cable actuation until 1938.

Series 2

Bugatti Type 57 C Atalante Series 2 (1938)

The Series 2, introduced at the end of 1936, received a more heavily dimensioned chassis. The engine block no longer had a load-bearing function because it was stored in rubber in the chassis, instead there were more cross struts. In addition, there was a new exhaust manifold and more modern and cheaper telescopic shock absorbers from Allinquant , which were retrofitted to Series 1 vehicles on request. The dashboard has also been redesigned.

The changes went hand in hand with a revision of the bodywork. The Stelvio , Ventoux and Galibier variants in particular benefited from improved lines.

A heavily modified variant in the second series was the Type 57 S described below.

Type 57 and 57 C Series 2 can be recognized by the bonnet with vertical ventilation slots arranged in three horizontal rows. The radiator has thermostat-controlled fins and the headlights are lower and attached to the fender without a strut.

Series 3

Bugatti Type 57 C; 3rd series; Cabriolet Stelvio (1939)

With the Series 3, the Type 57 received hydraulically operated brakes from 1938 . The Bugatti technicians adapted the widespread Lockheed system to the Type 57 and gave it two master brake cylinders . The system could be retrofitted to older Type 57s.

Outwardly, the headlights that were now integrated in the fenders and two chrome elements that replaced the front bumper were noticeable. They were in the form of elongated drops that tapered outward. The horn was also integrated into it.

The modernization was attractive and aerodynamic and also suited the older series. Quite a few Type 57s were modernized in the factory or in authorized workshops. This made sense in view of the high vehicle prices and taxes on new cars, but makes identification more difficult today.

The versions of the Type 57

Bugatti Type 57 "T" with tourer body from Corsica (1935)

Bugatti Type 57, 57 T and "Normale"

Even in the basic version, the Type 57 was a very sporty car that was also suitable for long journeys. Officially only called Type 57 , the suffix Normal or the designation Type 57 T is occasionally used to better distinguish it from other versions. In earlier Bugatti, which were actually designed for racing, "T" stood for the road version Tourisme with reduced power.

Bugatti Type 57 C

Bugatti Type 57 or 57 C Coach Profilée with Labourdette "Vutotal" windshield (1936)
Parameters Data
Construction time: 1937-1940
Engine: In-line eight-cylinder monoblock engine with compressor
Displacement: 3257 cc
Valve control: two overhead camshafts
Power: 119 kW (160 PS) at 5500 rpm

A compressor version of the Type 57 was planned from the start, but the official introduction of the Type 57 C (C for "compresseur") did not take place until February 1937. The engine was largely taken over from the base model. With the Roots blower , it developed 160 hp (118 kW).

The testing took a very long time. The prototype (# 57452, later # 57308; see illustration), painted red at the time, was already available for test drives to particularly good customers on the fringes of the Paris Motor Show in February 1936. It was presented by Jean Bugatti, Jules Goux and ex-world champion Robert Benoist , who ran the Bugatti branch on Avenue Montaigne in Paris. No Type 57 C was shown at the Bugatti stand itself; The star of the fair was the Atlantic , which was presented for the first time . After an engine failure, the prototype came in for repairs in September 1937 with a little over 20,000 km and stayed with Benoist for some time. Then he was sold to the Comte Aymar Antoine de la Rochefoucauld (1914-1991). The vehicle is preserved. The next two Type 57 Cs, two Gangloff convertibles, went to their new owners in mid and late February 1937. Sales continued to be sluggish; only five vehicles were built in 1937 and delivered between June and August: numbers 7517 / 7C, 57506 / 8C, 57526 / 10C, 57496 / 11C and 57576 / 12C. The next sale was not made until January 1938. In total, only 95 copies of this version were made between 1937 and 1940.

As usual, the compressor could be retrofitted. The plant in Molsheim also carried out such work. The conversion has been possible on all Type 57s since the start of production and could also be reversed.

The racing version “Tank” (Type 57 G) from 1936 is derived from the 57 C, whereas the “Tank” with which Jean-Pierre Wimille and Pierre Veyron won Le Mans in 1939 was a “normal”, specially bodied Type 57 C Jean Bugatti had a fatal accident on August 11, 1939 with this vehicle. Ettore Bugatti had the wreckage of the accident car buried in an undisclosed location near the plant.

Bugatti Type 57 S.

Front view of a Type 57 S (1936) The rigid front axle is cranked downwards. Left in the picture the handlebar
"Rolling chassis" of a Type 57 S from 1936. The wheelbase is shorter, the driver sits lower and further back; the steering column is attached at a correspondingly flatter angle.
Bugatti Type 57 SC Atalante
Parameters Data
Construction time: 1936–1938 (Series 2)
Number of pieces: approx. 60
Engine: In-line eight-cylinder
Displacement: 3257 cc
Power: 130 kW (175 PS) at 5500 rpm

The "S" in the name stands for much more than an equipment package. It was only available in the 2nd series (1936–1938), and comprised a whole catalog of deviations and changes with deep changes in vehicle technology. As a result, the additional price of 30% on the basic model, which is already very expensive with FF 43800 (193x). For this the customer received

  • higher engine output (175 HP / 130 kW) without compressor
  • higher compression
  • Stromberg carburetor
  • Dry sump lubrication
  • Scintilla Vertex ignition
  • Double disc clutch
  • Chassis shortened by 32 cm (wheelbase 2890 mm)
  • Lowering through modified front suspension and rear Underslung design
  • De-Ram friction shock absorbers
  • lower hood
  • V-shaped, aerodynamic radiator grille
  • lower seating position with more inclined steering column

Not all variants of the Type 57 could be ordered as "S". The package was only available for the Atalante and Aravis models and the bare chassis. The Atlantic took a special position , it was officially only available in the SC version; however, the first customer received his vehicle without it.

Bugatti Type 57 SC

Bugatti Type 57 SC Atlantic
Parameters Data
Construction time: 1937-1938
Number of pieces: 41-42
Engine: In-line eight-cylinder
Displacement: 3257 cc
Power: 147 kW (200 PS) at 5500 rpm
Top speed: ~ 225 km / h

The type SC corresponds to the "S", but also received a Roots compressor. This was adapted to the "tuned" engine of the "S" and increased the output from 175 PS (129 kW) at 5500 / min and 190 km / h top to (depending on the source) 200 PS (147 kW) to 210 hp ( 154 kW) at 5500 rpm and a top speed of 200–225 km / h. The latter values ​​in particular are of course always dependent on the selected gear and axle ratio, the body and the total weight.

The SC package was reserved for Atlantic , Atalante and Aravis . However, the factory was flexible enough to meet the needs of customers. The first of the four Atlantic built was delivered without a compressor.

The SC version was only in the range from 1936 to 1938 and naturally ended with the discontinuation of the "S" chassis. In total, only 41 vehicles left the factory with the SC specification; (42 according to another source), however, a number of 57 S were subsequently fitted with a compressor.

Bugatti Type 57 G "Tank"

Bugatti Type 57 G "Tank"
Parameters Data
Construction time: 1936
Number of pieces: 3
Engine: In-line eight-cylinder
Displacement: 3257 cc
Power: 150 kW (200 PS) at 5500 rpm
Top speed: ~ 225 km / h

The Type 57 G was a racing version that was made available in 1936. It was derived from the standard model (not from the 57 S) and received a "tuned" engine that did not correspond to that of the 57 S but also developed 200 HP (150 kW). The 57 G received the “piano strings” spoke wheels of the Type 59 Grand Prix racing car . Because the vehicle was intended for long-distance racing, it did not need a compressor. The nickname "Tank" was probably inevitable; the public had already given the similarly disguised Type 32 from 1923 this name. In comparison, the body of the 57 G was more balanced, better formally and offered more space. The structure was provided with numerous openings and ventilation slots for cooling, and by omitting the inner fender panels, weight was saved and engine cooling was improved. It is unclear why Bugatti relied on the Type 57 G and not on the Type 57 S Torpédo-Compétition , which was also previously developed for racing . This was at least available for the Le Mans 24-hour race. After this race was canceled, the Torpédo-Compétition saw no competition.

With the Type 57 G, Jean-Pierre Wimille won the 1936 Grand Prix de la Marne, which was advertised as a sports car race . and with Raymond Sommer the French Grand Prix in Montlhéry . The following year, Wimille and Benoist were also able to achieve a French triumph at Le Mans with the Type 57 G. These successes were attributed not least to the lower fuel consumption due to the better aerodynamics.

The development of the Type G was then abandoned in favor of the Type 57 C "Tank", in which of course the experience gained with aerodynamics was incorporated. One copy still exists; it is on display at the Simeone Automotive Museum in Philadelphia . This is the aforementioned Le Mans winning car from 1937 (chassis no. 57367).

Bugatti Type 57 S / 45

Type 50B engine (1938) in the Musée National de l'Automobile
Parameters Data
Construction time: 1936-1938
Engine: In-line eight-cylinder
Displacement: 4743 cc
Power: 300 PS (221 kW) to 350 PS (257 kW)
Number of pieces: 1-2

Although designated as Type 57 S / 45, this designation is misleading and probably has marketing reasons. This racing car and test vehicle has the chassis of the last pre-war Type 59 racing car and the engine of the Type 50B . Depending on the compression, the selected carburettor and any compressor, it produced up to 350 hp (257 kW) and was considered to be very stable. Because of the thin cylinder walls, valve seats and cylinder liners made of steel were used. The engines received a high-performance Scintilla Vertex ignition system . The Roots compressor ran at the same speed as the engine. In principle, it is a parallel development of the Type 50B.

The wheelbase was 2850 mm, the "piano strings" spoke wheels of type 59 with cast brake drums were attached to the rigid axles (5.5 × 19 inches at the front and 6.5 × 19 inches at the rear). Streamlined Barchetta bodies were made for both vehicles .

One of the two vehicles exists, and a recreation was made around 2003.

According to one source, after World War II there was another Type 57 S / 45 that was derived from the 57 G and received a 4.9 liter version of the Type 50B. The vehicle is said to have produced 470 PS (346 kW) and. It was supposed to start at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1957 , but was only used in practice.

Bugatti Type 57 S / 40

Parameters Data
Construction time: 1957
Engine: In-line eight-cylinder
Displacement: 4000 cc
Power:
Number of pieces: 1-2

There are many uncertainties about the Type 57 S / 40, not least because important factory documents have not been preserved. What is certain is that such a version was planned . Possibly she saw Jean Bugatti as a potential driver for the planned successor to the Type 57, of which the aforementioned Prototype Type 64 exists.

After the Second World War, the factory still had unused Type 57 chassis. Probably for reasons of cost, Roland Bugatti (1922–1977), the younger of Ettore's two sons and the last boss of the company, resorted to such chassis to test a further development of the Type 101. Two such specimens were experimentally equipped with a Type 50B engine reduced to around four liters and tested as Type 57 S / 40.

It is not surprising that the combination of a chassis designed in 1933 and a significantly older engine was no longer satisfactory in 1957, especially since the Type 57 engine was a well-proven design.

If the time for this car was up, it was because of the political environment , the outdated chassis with rigid axles, the meanwhile inadequate price-performance ratio and the last series eight-cylinder engine in the western world. Logically, the Type 57 S / 40 did not get beyond the prototype stage.

Chassis numbers

The chassis numbers of the type 57 begin with the digits "57", followed without a space by the consecutive production number (starting with "101"). Neither the specification (standard, C, S or SC) nor the series can be derived directly from it. Occasionally the engine number is added, separated from the actual chassis number by a slash . This has two to four digits; S and C specifications are noted by a corresponding letter at the end. The low engine number indicates that the engine was not shipped with this chassis. He received a compressor ex works. The high production number indicates the third series. In fact, this chassis belongs to a Type 57 C Roadster (3rd series) made in 1938 with a body from Voll & Ruhrbeck .

One problem in determining the exact number of individual models - not just the Type 57 - is the Molsheim practice of only assigning a number to chassis after they have been sold. This was possibly due to tax law reasons and led to the fact that the factory always had “raw”, unmarked chassis.

Factory bodies (Bugatti and Gangloff bodies)

At that time it was common for exclusive car manufacturers to deliver a “rolling chassis”, i.e. a chassis with engine and radiator grille, as well as trim parts such as hubcaps etc. plus possibly fenders and bonnets, to a bodybuilder of the customer's choice. He then made the structure according to customer requirements. This could be a “full custom”, ie a version specially drawn for this customer and only built once, or the customer looked for the desired design from the catalog of the body builder, which was then individually detailed. This method cost significantly less than a completely redesigned body, but led to a similarly individual result and allowed an almost infinite number of options for responding to customer requests, from painting to upholstery, interior design and choice of materials to wheels, headlights and fittings and appliqués .

Bugatti mostly worked with Gangloff in Colmar, an offshoot of a prestigious Geneva coachbuilder. But there were also independent Gangloff designs - and Bugatti ran an in-house body department, headed by Ettore's son Jean and in which Lucien Schlatter, a very skilled draftsman, was employed. Jean Bugatti realized, for example, the Coupé Napoléon and the (now reproduced) "Esders" Roadster on the Royale chassis. He also produced the timelessly beautiful Type 55 coupés and convertibles (built by De la Chapelle in the 1980s and 1990s using BMW technology) and the “Profilée” and “Surprofilée” coupés on the Type 50.

All handwork

The Bugatti Type 57 was the longest built and most successful model of the brand. It was built according to the traditional method: the customer ordered one of the hand-made chassis, could make various requests and then had it clad by the bodybuilder of his choice. As a result, the manufacturer earned only part of the vehicle, an approximately equal amount went to the bodybuilder . This also created the structure by hand; occasionally as a one-off production, but more often in small series of five to 20 units, for which the customer could specify dozens of material, equipment and color specifications.

Bugatti bodywork

Bugatti Type 57 C Ventoux (factory body, 1st series (# 57452 / 1C or 57308 / 1C); 1936). This vehicle was the test vehicle for the Type 57 C (engine no. 1C) and was used as a demonstration vehicle.

What is referred to as “factory” or “catalog bodies” is based on the designs that Jean Bugatti had made for a total of six variants and which were listed in the sales catalog. Like many other car manufacturers, Bugatti set up its own body department, which from 1923 worked like a company within the company and with the highest quality standards.

In 1927, Joseph Walter , a draftsman, was hired to detail and work out Jean Bugatti's drafts.

Father and son Bugatti interpreted the term "factory body" widely. A special feature of Bugatti, and especially of the Type 57, was that the factory was generous with the drawings. If the customer liked a factory body, but wanted to hire a bodybuilder of his choice, then he could definitely get plan copies. This decision was undoubtedly made easier by the extraordinary success of the Type 57, which led to increasing overloading of the in-house bodywork department and thus to long delivery times.

Bugatti did not normally use a badge for its in-house bodies, as was customary with independent companies.

Gangloff body shop

Bugatti Type 57 "Grand Raid" Recreation Gangloff (1934)
Bugatti Type 57 Stelvio Cabriolet by Gangloff (1934)

As a result, Bugatti increasingly placed orders for the construction of such bodies with Carrosserie Gangloff in nearby Colmar . This company was originally founded in 1919 as a branch of a Swiss parent company. At peak times, this company, with whose management the Bugattis were on friendly terms, delivered five bodies to the plant every month. Gangloff contributed a total of around 180 bodies for the Type 57 and was thus by far the most important supplier of bodies for the Type 57 after Bugatti bodywork. Bugatti's trust was ultimately so great that they refrained from submitting construction plans to Gangloff. So it happens that the Gangloff creations follow the lines given by Jean Bugatti, but differ in details. The quality of the execution met the highest standards both in the factory and at Gangloff. Gangloff built most of the Stelvio convertibles. The young chief designer Louis Schlatter was responsible for a whole series of independent designs, often as one-offs.

The bare chassis were delivered to Colmar on their own by Bugatti employees. The Grand Prix legend René Dreyfus , who was employed as a works driver at Bugatti, also transferred such chassis, which he considered good driver training.

One particularly interesting vehicle is the “Grand Raid” roadster, which Gangloff built on his own initiative very early on. The vehicle was intended as the sporty top model of the series; Instead, Jean Bugatti gave preference to his own Aérolithe design , which was further developed into the Atlantic.

Other

Other bodybuilders were also based on factory bodies, although it is mostly not known whether Jean Bugatti's drawings were actually available to them and whether they took the liberty of implementing them. A Galibier with a different design of the window line and the door mechanism from the Swiss body shop Graber or convertibles Aravis and Stelvio from Letourneur et Marchand are known. A list of other coachbuilders can be found below.

Six variants

Initially there were three “factory bodies” for the Type 57: the 4-door, 4-seater Berline de Sport Galibier , its two-door version Ventoux (often referred to as Coach) and the 2-seater convertible Stelvio . More were added over time, so that a total of six body variants were offered ex works; however, not all were in the program throughout the entire production series and not all were available for every chassis version. The factory bodies were revised twice in line with the technical improvements so that the three series can also be visually differentiated. However, some older models were optically "upgraded" to a younger model in the factory. Subsequent changes were occasionally made by bodywork workshops without factory authorization. All of this makes it difficult to identify these vehicles if a chassis number is not available.

Galibier

Bugatti Type 57 C Galibier, Series 3 (1939)

Series 1, 2 and 3; Types 57 and 57 C

The Col du Galibier ( French for "Galibier Pass") is a mountain pass in the French part of the Alps . It is a well-known venue for both cycling and car races.

The four-door Galibier sedan was structurally related to the Ventoux . It is a typical representative of the sports sedans of this era and looks almost fragile, especially in the 1st series. The conservative shape conceals a structure with a lot of aluminum, executed in the highest quality. The special features include the very flat windscreen - a style element that Jean Bugatti first used in the Type 50 - and the design that managed without a B-pillar . The front doors were hinged at the front, the rear doors at the back. A clever mechanism secured the doors on each other and on the floor and roof. One disadvantage was that the front doors always had to be opened first to open the rear doors. This is probably why the Berline did not sell particularly well. Nevertheless, like the other two versions that were first introduced , the Galibier remained in the range until the end of production. At least one Galibier was built near Graber.

These sedans were fast. In 1939 a Type 57 C Galibier driven by Jean-Pierre Wimille reached 182.6 km / h on the Montlhéry race track .

In 2009, Bugatti Automobiles SAS commemorated the Type 57 Galibier with the Bugatti 16C Galibier concept car . The vehicle was to come onto the market as a four-door hatchback sedan in the top price segment 2014-2015. The project was canceled. The prototype had a W16 engine, derived from the Bugatti Veyron , with 8 liter displacement and twin turbochargers and permanent all-wheel drive .

Ventoux

Bugatti Type 57 or 57 C Ventoux, 1st series (1934–1935)
Rear view of the first Type 57 C Ventoux (# 57452 / 1C or 57308 / 1C; 1936)

Series 1, 2 and 3; Types 57 and 57 C

The Mont Ventoux is a mountain in the French Provence. It had a mystical meaning for the Celts and was the venue for a hill climb from 1902 to 1977, the obvious reason for Bugatti to name a factory body after it.

The Type 57 was offered during the entire production period of the Type 57 and proved to be the most popular variant. As a sporty 4-seater, it formed the backbone of the series. 57 S and SC were not offered as Ventoux .

The design by Jean Bugatti was a derivative of his classic "Coach profilée", which was introduced in 1932 for the Type 50 . The most striking feature was again a very flat windshield. The soft, flowing lines of fenders and running boards on the first series were also typical of Jean Bugatti. The “Ventoux” was available with 2 or 4 side windows and, on request, with the “Vutotal” front window with an extremely thin frame developed by Carrosserie Labourdette . Many customers underlined the rather heavy-looking body for a Bugatti with cladding on the rear fenders.

Stelvio

Bugatti Type 57 Series 1 Cabriolet Stelvio (1936)

Series 1, 2 and 3; Types 57 and 57 C

Stelvio is the Italian name for the Stilfser Joch .

This variant was a two to four-seater convertible. Its production was entrusted to Gangloff; only a few specimens were produced by other bodybuilders at the customer's request. A version by Letourneur et Marchand is known .

A special feature of the "Stelvio" was a convertible top compartment into which the roof was lowered when it was opened. The open roof did not disturb the line of the vehicle and the rear view was improved. In the first series it looked significantly heavier in the rear area, which was subsequently improved. On this model, the spare wheel was carried in the rear; in the 3 series under the trunk lid - one or two side-mounted spare wheels with or without casing were optionally available, so that a little more luggage space was available. Deviations are also possible with these vehicles, which are usually manufactured on customer request.

Atalante

Bugatti Type 57 SC Atalante with the front of the Series 3

Series 1 and 2; Types 57, C, S, SC

Atalante is a figure from Greek mythology and was therefore the fastest runner in Greece.

The Atalante was a two-seater, very sporty coupe with aerodynamic approaches, especially in the design of the fenders. There are no running boards. The model was introduced in April 1935. Again, there were plenty of choices that even included different color schemes. A fabric sliding roof was also available as an option, which, together with the rear window, could be opened up to the height of the trunk.

The Atalante was too expensive and impractical to be a commercial success. In 1938 it was removed from the program; only about 40 units with the “S” chassis (1936–1938) left the factory.

A Type 57 C Atalante from 1939 fetched US $ 880,000 at auction in 2008, an American record at the time.

  • Type 57 or 57 C Atalante , 2nd series

  • Type 57 or 57 C atalante ; 2nd series with retrofitted front of the 3rd series (1936)

  • Type 57 SC Atalante (1936)

  • Type 57 SC Atalante (1936)

Aravis

Bugatti Type 57 S Series 3 Cabriolet Aravis (1938–1940)

Series 3; Types Types 57, C, S, SC

The Aravis was a two-seater sports convertible and combined elements of the Stelvio and Atalante , of which it was the indirect successor. He appeared with the 3rd series; according to one source, it was only offered in 1939.

The name goes back to a mountain range in the French pre-Alps ( Savoy and Haute-Savoie ). The Aravis had long, flowing lines and modern, "teardrop" -style fenders. The base model was at least 10% more expensive than the Stelvio . This version was available as Type 57, 57 C, 57 S and 57 SC.

Gangloff built at least one Aravis Coupé in 1939 . In Letourneur & Marchand seven emerged Aravis , including the very first, which was also shown at the Paris Motor Show 1938th Three of them were Type 57 C.

The success for this model did not materialize, so that it was discontinued in 1939. As the Type 57 SC, the Aravis is the most popular model in the series after the Atlantic .

Another specialty is an Aravis that the Belgian coachbuilder Paul Nee built on the chassis of an early Standard 57 in 1937. This, probably one of the first, was delivered as a Galibier . The chassis improvements that were made at the same time brought the vehicle close to the Series 2 specification. The expensive conversion in the factory paid off for the owner, because he was able to avoid a high luxury tax and received a new car with improved technology and corresponding driving characteristics. This vehicle has a hood that, when open, is stowed invisibly under a metal cover.

Bugatti Type 57 C "Aérolithe"

Bugatti Type 57 Aérolithe, front view (1934)
Bugatti Type 57 Aérolithe, rear view (1934)

Series 1, unique piece

The Aérolithe is a unique piece from 1934 (1st series). Developed on chassis no.57104 (the fourth produced) in the in-house body department, this coupé with factory-fitted supercharged engine anticipates some of the Atlantic's most important design elements and can therefore be regarded as its prototype .

Jean Bugatti designed a very low coupé body with doors that extend far into the roof and a steeply sloping window line. The body ends in a slight "humpback", in which the spare wheel is carried under a casing. With the exception of three narrow chrome strips running over the ventilation grille on the bonnet, there are no ornaments or trim on the vehicle. In addition, Jean Bugatti refrained from using one of his stylish and very effective two-tone paintwork; The Aérolithe, thus reduced to the pure lines, appears to be " all of a piece". The headlights integrated deep down on the fender, in a slightly higher position, became standard from the 3rd series.

The most striking feature, however, is the flange that runs centrally over the entire vehicle. Even the front and rear windows are split in two and this half-shell construction is repeated on the fenders. The reason for this is of a technical nature: Jean Bugatti used electron sheet metal for the body. This exotic material for a car is a lightweight, very expensive magnesium - aluminum - alloy , mainly engaged in aircraft is used and can not be welded. Electron has a low ignition temperature and cannot be extinguished with water. Therefore Jean Bugatti had the body parts riveted.

The car was shown at the Bugatti stand at the Paris Motor Show in October 1935, where the Torpédo Compétition was shown on the very first Type 57 S chassis, another vehicle with an electron body - both of which attracted considerable attention.

The name Aérolithe does not appear on any company documents; at Bugatti, the vehicle was referred to as Coupé Special or Coupé Aero .

The original vehicle no longer exists, but a replica was made on a different chassis using the same materials.

Bugatti Type 57 SC Atlantic

Bugatti Type 57 SC Atlantic, chassis No. 57591 (1938); the last of only four vehicles built. Here with hubcaps over the wire spoke wheels.
Bugatti Type 57 SC Atlantic (1936–1938) Recreation by EB Replicar in the ZeitHaus Wolfsburg .
The flight of the Couzinet "70" Arc-en-Ciel from 12. – 22. January 1933 inspired the model name Atlantic .

Series 2; Types 57 S (1 copy) and SC (3 copies)

The Atlantic (design no. 1076bis) is a further development of the previously described single Aérolithe . The model name refers to the first crossing of the South Atlantic with an airplane by the mail pilot Jean Mermoz (1901-1936). He was friends with Jean Bugatti and went missing with his crew on another South American flight. Only four Atlantic were built, two remained and a small number were subsequently converted from other Type 57s (recreation).

The differences to the Aérolithe are not noticeable, but large enough to be able to identify the only four actually realized vehicles. The exotic electron was not used in the choice of material. The most obvious difference to the Aérolithe is the front design. Bugatti used the typical “horseshoe” radiator of the Series 1 for the Aérolithe, while the Atlantic received the front end of the Type 57 S with a lower radiator and consequently a lower bonnet. This can be seen from the front fenders, which on the Aérolithe are clearly dominated by the bonnet, which on the Atlantic runs almost the same height. Another difference can be found at the rear, which on the Aérolithe is slightly more bulbous. The headlight housings, which have been changed compared to the Aérolithe and are mounted slightly higher, are also noticeable. Only the first two Atlantic were delivered with headlights integrated into the fenders. The other two received free-standing headlight housings. The first Atlantic was subsequently converted to it. The three chrome strips on the side of the Aérolithe's bonnet are not found on the Atlantic , and its air vents are also shaped differently.

At this time, Jean Bugatti also experimented with wing doors and was posthumously issued a patent for it. So it cannot be ruled out that the doors “cut” into the roof were originally intended to have another function than just to facilitate entry into the low vehicle.

Two Atlantic are largely original; a third (no. 57473) received a reconstructed body after an accident.

Chassis no.57374

Bugatti Type 57 SC Atlantic, Chassis No. 57374 (1936); the first of only four vehicles built
Rear view of the first Bugatti Type 57 SC Atlantic, chassis no.57374 (1936)

The first Atlantic was delivered on September 2, 1936 - without a compressor. The vehicle was painted in a gray-blue silver color and received an interior in blue leather. The customer was the London banker Victor Rothschild, 3rd Baron Rothschild . In 1939 he had a compressor from a Type 55 retrofitted and after an engine failure he put the vehicle out of service until 1941. After several changes of hands, it came into the possession of Peter Williamson in 1971, who bought it at a Sotheby’s auction in Los Angeles for $ 59,000. Williamson was a collector and the president of the American Bugatti Club ; the car was then known in the press as the Williamson-Bugatti . It has been restored and in 2003 won the Best of Show Award at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance . After Williamson's death, the heirs sold the vehicle, which is now on display at the Mullin Automotive Museum in Oxnard, California.

Chassis no.57453

Chassis number 57453 was the second of the four Atlantic . It was also completed in September 1936. From this specimen, the doors are cut a little deeper at the back, and it is the only Atlantic that has at least a front bumper. Bugatti initially kept the vehicle and used it for the brochure pictures. It was also shown at motor shows in Lyon (1936) and Nice (1937). After that his track is lost. The vehicle may have been sold to William Grover-Williams (1903-1945). Grover was a high functionary in the French Resistance in World War II as the successor to the arrested racing driver colleague Robert Benoist . In August 1943 he was arrested by the Gestapo and executed in 1945. It is unclear whether he was still in possession of the Atlantic at the time , but there are indications that the vehicle was scrapped before the war broke out.

Chassis no.57473

This Atlantic was delivered in October 1936. The customer was Jacques Holzschuh from Paris. This is the only one on the Atlantic that does not have teardrop-shaped position lights on the fender. Originally, the gray painted vehicle had free-standing, high-set headlights. In 1937, the Holzschuhs won the honorary award at the Concours d'Elegance in Juan-les-Pins with this car . Shortly thereafter, the owner had a few modifications made, including vents in the doors. This work may have been carried out at Figoni . The next owner was René Chatard, an early Bugatti collector. In 1955 there was a serious accident at a railroad crossing, Chatard and his companion were killed, the completely demolished Atlantic had a car crashed, where it remained until 1965. Then the collector Paul-Andre Berson bought it and began a demanding restoration. The vehicle was partially reproduced on the original chassis; the engine could no longer be used. The car then belonged to Nicolas Seydoux, who sold it in 2004. The next owner ordered another restoration. Because of the large number of newly manufactured parts, the completed Atlantic 2010 could only be shown but not rated at what is probably the most renowned event for classic vehicles, the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance .

Chassis no.57591

Bugatti Type 57 SC Atlantic, chassis No. 57591; the last of the four built Atlantic (1938)

This was the last of the four Atlantic built by the factory and the only one built after 1936. The lines of this copy, which was completed in May 1938, follows Jean Bugatti's specifications, but deviates in many details.

The free-standing headlights instead of being integrated into the fender are a strange step backwards; quite a few older Type 57s were retrofitted with these recessed headlights. This vehicle remained in first ownership for 30 years and has been part of Ralph Lauren's collection of high-quality automobiles for 20 years . A restoration was completed in 1990 and immediately received the Best of Show Award at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. This is the "most expensive used car in the world" mentioned at the beginning.

Bugatti Type 57 SC Torpédo-Compétition

Single item, four chassis. Series 2; Type 57 S with compressor

As described above, the body of the Coupé Aérolithe was made of electron. However, this was not the only vehicle made from this material at the Paris Salon in 1935. The second was a racing sports car that was to start in Le Mans with Jean Bugatti in 1936. The roadster also received the first S / SC chassis, which differed in a few details from the later version. The body of the Torpédo Compétition was also difficult to edit. This roadster body with a pointed tail also received the longitudinal and riveted seam over the body and over the fenders, which today is usually associated with the Atlantic (which was not made of electron at all).

The information about the early Type 57 S varies between two and four copies. Allegedly an enormously high unit price of FF 112,000 should have been set. Apart from the one mentioned, no other copy was actually completed. These chassis had a different, inward cranking in the rear area to accommodate the slim bodies. None of the chassis was assigned a number by the factory (see section on chassis numbers ).

Both the Aérolithe and the Torpédo-Compétition no longer exist. It is believed that they were partially dismantled to use parts for other vehicles; the electron of the bodies was a rare and very expensive metal of military importance. It is therefore assumed that the bodies of Trippel in Molsheim were used by the German armaments.

In the meantime, there is also a recreation from the Torpédo-Compétition using one of these chassis and other original parts found. The source was François Seyfried , plant manager at Bugatti. Accordingly, the original chassis should have been used. After all, this version of the frame was not used for any other Bugatti. A matching oil tank, axles and a Type 57 S engine existed from the same source. This is correct for the vehicle, but definitive proof that it is the original engine can no longer be provided. This is supported by the origin and a special, oversized compressor, which was derived from that of the Type 50. Jim Hull had owned the parts since 1981, but wasn't able to finish the chassis until 2005. It took until 2013 before the problems with the electron and its processing were resolved and the replica of the body could be completed. Original plans of the vehicle no longer exist, the design followed contemporary photographs. How authentic such a replica with factory components is remains a matter of dispute among experts.

There was no start at Le Mans because the race had to be canceled this year due to social unrest. In 1937 the brand started with the Type 57 G tank and without Jean Bugatti; who had meanwhile become the company's managing director.

Other bodybuilders for the Type 57 (selection)

Unusually sweeping Type 57 C (chassis no.57.808 / C). This Vanvooren convertible was a wedding present from the French government to the future Shah of Persia (1939)

New bodywork

It happened again and again that the owner of a Bugatti later wanted a different body. Reasons for this were, for example, accident damage, aging of the body (the robust chassis usually lasted significantly longer), another purpose (e.g. racing) or even just avoiding the high luxury tax that was incurred when buying a new car, but not when "repairing" one Vehicle. The plant offered a corresponding service. Many Type 57s also received a technical upgrade on this occasion, which included retrofitting a compressor or the hydraulic brakes of Series 3. The factory was undoubtedly able to deliver such new bodies. Whether this happened often in view of the chronic overloading of the bodywork department is questionable.

The London Corsica Coachworks were downright specialized in such work . A very nice faux convertible was made in 1947 by the Belgian coachbuilder Paul Née . At Ghia Aigle (Switzerland), headed by Giovanni Michelotti , a Type 57 and a Type 57 SC were rebuilt. Such work was also carried out by large companies such as Gangloff, Franay or Dubos.

Examples of new bodywork:

  • This Bugatti Type 57 or 57 C in the Auto- und Technikmuseum Sinsheim may have been redesigned for racing. The factory used the finned cooler from 1936 (series 2).

  • Bugatti Type 57 or 57 C Coupé Gangloff; built in the style of the Type 101. Chassis No. 57454 refers to a Type 57 normal from approx. 1936 (Series 2)

  • Bugatti Type 57 (1936), new bodywork as a convertible by Franay

  • Bugatti Type 57 SC (1939), rebuilt as Ghia Aigle's coach

Recreations

Bugatti Type 57 SC Atlantic (1936-1938); Recreation
One of the most recent recreations: Bugatti Type 57 Dubos Paris - Nice (1935), now on chassis 57300

In contrast to replicas , recreations are individual pieces in which components of the original or the same series are incorporated. Bugatti recreations are created on original chassis and have original engines and sometimes even the same chassis number. In the absence of precise specifications, however, solutions often have to be worked out in the details; so there are deviations from the original.

A recreation can be:

  • a replica with parts and components from the series of the prototype. As a rule, this procedure corresponds to a new body (see above), carried out in the course of a restoration. Well-known are creations by Lecoq in Paris ( the designer Paul Bracq was involved in an Atlantic redesign of this company ), Jean De Dobbeleer , Crayville or EB Replicar ; an Atlantic recreation of the latter is in the ZeitHaus in Wolfsburg . The company also made replicas using modern technology.
  • the rebuilding of an incomplete or badly damaged original. If too much of the original substance is missing or too much of it has been destroyed, one no longer speaks of a total restoration, but of a recreation. This was the case with the third Atlantic built, which had a serious accident (chassis no. 57473). This case in particular shows what consequences this classification can have for such expensive automobiles: The car was not only not rated in Pebble Beach, which will certainly affect the sales price of the vehicle in the future, there were even votes that the vehicle was approved for The occasion itself criticized.
  • the reconstruction of a historical, non-existent vehicle based on original plans or sometimes just historical recordings. Examples are the Dubos Paris-Nice , the Aérolithe , the Gangloff Roadster Grand Sport or the Torpédo-Compétition .
  • The execution of a vehicle that was only planned and drawn at the time, which was subsequently realized for the first time. One example is the Gangloff Coupé Grand Sport on the Type 57 S chassis.

In accordance with the different requirements, these are not clearly defined categories and the transition to new bodywork is also flowing. The construction of a recreation is at least as complex as a total restoration and often requires years of research and the search for parts. The work itself places at least the same demands on the experience and skills of those carrying out the work; knowledge is also often required of how a detail that no longer exists was solved in a way that was typical of the brand and the time. Many owners attach even more importance to known details in order to minimize discussions about the level of detail. Where there is no longer a role model, the result must inevitably be based on assumptions and deductions from other vehicles.

Replicas

In the past, the Type 57 was less often the model of more or less exact replicas with modern technology than the Type 35 or Type 55. The elaborately built individual pieces of the aforementioned EB Replicar with Jaguar or Alfa engines and plastic bodies are known.

Somewhere between replica, neo-classic and hot rod are the creations of Terry Cook for his company Delahaye USA in Long Valley (New Jersey) (which has nothing to do with Automobiles Delahaye ). Originally, chassis were probably used that were already used in the replica of the Auburn 851. There are now three versions of the two-seater, all of which are based on the famous Bugatti Type 57 S: The Bugnotti is a roadster with a pointed tail that is reminiscent of the “baroque” roadster that Carrosserie Vanvooren was commissioned by the French government in 1939 for the future Shah of Persia built, the Pacific , which is of course based on the Atlantic , and now the Bella Figura , a mixture of Atalante and Gangloff Grand Sport Coupé .

Racing

Bugatti Type 57 Dubos tourer Paris - Nice (1935, recreation)
Raymond Sommer and Jean-Pierre Wimille at the 1936 French Grand Prix
French Grand Prix 1936

The Type 57 was designed as a Grande Routière , not a racing car. He was well suited for long-distance tests and took part in such, such as the Paris-Nice long-distance journey or the RAC Tourist Trophy ; the Type 57 also proved to be astonishingly competitive at Le Mans , where it won twice (1937 and 1939). In addition to Jean Bugatti, who occasionally competed in races, Robert Benoist (who had a Bugatti agency on Avenue Montaigne in Paris), René Dreyfus (Bugatti test driver), Raymond Sommer , Pierre Veyron and Jean-Pierre Wimille drove for Bugatti . Well-known private drivers were the British noblemen Earl Howe and William Grover-Williams .

The Bugatti dealer in Marseille , Gaston Descollas , ordered a Type 57 with a Torpedo body from Dubos in 1935 . With this vehicle he won the Paris – Nice long-distance journey in 1935. In the same year, he came second in his class on the French Alpine journey. The vehicle with the number 57335 had an accident in 1936. The chassis number was then reassigned; this Coupé Spéciale belonged to Ettore Bugatti and still exists. There is a recreation of the rally vehicle on chassis no. 57300. Various Bugatti types competed in the 1935 Le Mans 24-hour race ; however, only a few reached the goal. The private drivers Louis Villeneuve / André Vagniez in a Bugatti Type 51  A came out on top in 14th place. The also privately registered Bernard de Souza / Roger Teillac dropped out with their Type 57 in the 129th lap. That resulted in 33rd place in the final classification - and so they were still the second best Bugatti team!

The factory team used the Type 57 G "Tank" in 1936, three of which were built. Jean-Pierre Wimille in particular was quite successful with it. He not only won the Grand Prix de la Marne , which was advertised as a sports car race ; with Raymond Sommer he won the French Grand Prix in Montlhéry .

One of the greatest successes in the brand's history, however, was the victory at the 24-hour race at Le Mans in 1937 . The journalist and racing driver Roger Labric , a close friend of Robert Benoist, reported two teams with Type 57 G, which were supported by the factory. They were driven by Wimille / Benoist and Labric / Pierre Veyron . The latter retired after 130 laps with a defective clutch and Wimille / Benoist won after the retirement of the leaders Raymond Sommer / Giovanni Battista Guidotti in an Alfa Romeo 8C 2900 , with several record laps. At times, the "Tank" led by 7 laps, which it brought to the finish despite a "slip" by Benoist. The team was lucky; Benoist had received help from a marshals, which could have been punished with a disqualification, but this was not done because no other team protested. The event was overshadowed by a serious accident on lap 9, which resulted in the deaths of drivers René Kippeurt ( Bugatti Type 44 ) and Pat Farfield ( BMW 328 ).

Bugatti did not have a works team at Le Mans in 1938; the British TASO Mathieson was registered with a Type 57 S, but did not appear.

The victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1939 was the brand's last major racing success. Jean-Pierre Wimille had reported the only Bugatti in the field; his co-driver was Pierre Veyron. Your Type 57 C received a body that was occasionally referred to as a "tank". However, it is not structurally identical to that of the Type 57 G. Bugatti provided considerable logistical support. The car was registered in the class from 3001 to 5000 cm³.

Type 59

Bugatti Type 59 street legal (1933)

Bugatti tried several times to build on the success of the Type 35 Grand Prix racing car with new models , such as the Type 51 and Type 54 from 1931 or the Type 53 with all-wheel drive from 1931–1932, which turned out to be a mistake. The Bugatti Type 45 was a test vehicle with a 16-cylinder engine. This engine consisted of two Type 35 engines mounted in parallel, whose crankshafts acted on a common cardan shaft ( U-engine ).

The Type 59 Grand Prix racing car had a slightly longer and wider chassis derived from the Type 54. Its engine was developed in parallel with the Type 57. As a result of the economic crisis, Bugatti had a large inventory of unsold cars. Therefore, the presentation of the Type 57 was postponed until the other cars were sold. The Type 59 racing car was already used in the 1933 season.

Type 64

Bugatti Type 64 Coach Gangloff (1939)
Parameters Data
Construction time: 1938-1940
Engine: In-line eight-cylinder
Valves: 16
Displacement: 4432 cc
Valve control: King shaft driven overhead camshaft
Bore / stroke : 84/100 mm
Mixture preparation: Stromberg carburettor,
Charge: Centrifugal compressor
Power: 170 hp (125 kW)

The Type 64 was intended as the successor to the Type 57. At the end of the 1930s, Bugatti was faced with more modern competitors who could offer more powerful models at lower prices. It turned out that a displacement of at least 4 liters was required. The Bugatti design also needed a refresh.

The development of the Type 64 began as early as 1937, but was not pursued consistently. For the drive, the options “further development of the 4.9 liter Type 50B ”, “further development of the Type 57” or a completely new design were available. The latter was omitted for reasons of cost and time. The only completely preserved Type 64 received a test engine based on the Type 57, but with more displacement (with similar performance) and a different valve control. The chassis was a newly designed ladder frame made of light metal. The side members each consisted of two riveted U-profiles. The Type 64 traditionally had rigid axles. The front ones were suspended from semi-elliptical springs, the rear from pushed quarter-elliptical springs. The vehicle received hydraulically operated Lockheed-Bugatti brakes, which were probably similar to those of the Type 57 Series 3.

It is conceivable that Jean Bugatti was aiming for a further development of the Type 50B in-line eight-cylinder with around 4.5 liters or even a new engine of the same size. Because neither was available when the Type 64 was built, the tried and tested 3.3 liter was adapted.

A complete vehicle and a chassis have been preserved. The latter was restored in the USA in 2002 and received a removable coupé body with gullwing doors designed by design students, based on a design by Jean Bugatti, who had filed a patent for such doors shortly before his death. He abandoned it because he found it impractical. It is possible that parts of this structure were used by Gangloff for vehicle no. 64101. The Schlumpf Collection states that their Type 64 was built in 1938/1940.

A few more examples may have been assembled from stock after the Second World War, but these are likely to have received Type 57 engines with or without a compressor that were still in stock.

A Type 57 as a design test vehicle

A design study for the Type 64: Bugatti Type 57 Coach (1938, # 57625)

At about the same time as the Type 64, the in-house body department built a coach with a hatchback on a Type 57, which had numerous features of the planned Type 64 design. It was actually realized and has been preserved in a restored condition, but not on the original chassis. There is some evidence that this design corresponds to number 1089 from March 25, 1939. It currently sits on chassis number 57625. Old photos show that the original chassis had telescopic shock absorbers and hydraulic brakes, as they were not used until late 1938 at the earliest.

Trivia

  • Ettore Bugatti was initially not convinced by the concept of the Type 57, which he called the “ Buick , built in Molsheim ”.
  • A Bugatti Type 57 SC Atlantic serves as a model for the Z-Type included in the well-known computer game series Grand Theft Auto .

literature

Bugatti Type 57 Series 2 Cabriolet Stelvio Letourneur & Marchand (1938)
  • Joachim Kurz: Bugatti. The Myth - The Family - The Company. Econ-Verlag, Berlin, ISBN 3-430-15809-5 .
  • Wolfgang Schmarbeck, Gabriele Wolbold: Bugatti passenger and racing cars since 1909 (type compass). 1st edition. Motorbuchverlag, Stuttgart 2009, ISBN 978-3-613-03021-3 .
  • Hugh G. Conway: Bugatti: Le Pur-sang of the automobile. 4th rev. Edition GT Foulis & Co, 1987, ISBN 0-85429-538-0 . (English)
  • Hugh G. Conway: Les Grandes Marques: Bugatti. Gründ, Paris 1984, ISBN 2-7000-5175-8 . (French)
  • Hugh G. Conway: Big Brands: Bugatti. Heel, Königswinter 1984, ISBN 3-89365-211-6 .
  • Hugh G. Conway: Grand Prix Bugatti. Robert Bentley Verlag, Cambridge MA (USA) 1968. (English) Bugatti types 35, 37, 43, 54, 59
  • Griffith Borgeson: Bugatti by Borgeson - The dynamics of mythology. Osprey Publishing, London 1981, ISBN 0-85045-414-X . (English)
  • GN Georgano (Ed.): Complete Encyclopedia of Motorcars, 1885 to the Present. 2nd Edition. Dutton Press, New York 1973, ISBN 0-525-08351-0 . (English)
  • Henry Rasmussen: The Survivors. ( The Survivor Series ). Picturama Publishing, 1975, ISBN 0-918506-01-8 . (Portrait of a Bugatti Type 57 S Coupé Atalante Gangloff 1937, English)
  • Ferdinand Hediger: Swiss Carrossiers 1890–1970. SwissClassics Publishing, Bäch SZ (Switzerland) 2013, ISBN 978-3-9524171-0-2 .

Web links

Commons : Bugatti Type 57  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Remarks

  1. ↑ Only street versions considered
  2. ↑ The Type 50 was itself a further development of the Type 46
  3. ↑ According to www.ritzsite.nl , this version was only planned.
  4. ↑ Most sources. Only www.bugatti.com/de/tradition/bugatti-typen/t64.html mentions cable drum brakes

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Bonhams
  2. ↑ bugatti-trust.co.uk Type 57-57c
  3. ↑ a b c d e Bonhams auctions: Paris Expo, Porte de Versailles Automobiles d'Exception , February 9, 2008: lot no. 168; Bugatti Type 57 Coach Gangloff, chassis no.57546.
  4. ↑ conceptcarz.com: Bugatti Type 57 C 3 positions Cabriolet Letourneur et Marchand, chassis no.57809 (1939).
  5. ^ Conway: Bugatti, 'Le pur-sang des automobiles' (1974), p. 413.
  6. ↑ a b c d e Schmarbeck / Wolbold: Bugatti passenger and racing cars since 1909 ; Typenkompass (2009), p. 92.
  7. ↑ a b c d e Conway: Les Grandes Marques: Bugatti (1984), p. 77.
  8. ↑ Die Welt / Stefan Ankers Big Blog: What Ralph Lauren says about his Bugatti.
  9. ↑ In short: Bugatti. The myth - the family - the company. Pp. 136-137.
  10. ↑ In short: Bugatti. The myth - the family - the company. P. 150.
  11. ↑ In short: Bugatti. The myth - the family - the company. P. 149.
  12. ↑ supercars.net: Bugatti Type 57.
  13. ↑ ritzsite.nl: Bugatti Type 57 Ventoux.
  14. ↑ a b c d Schmarbeck / Wolbold: Bugatti passenger and racing cars since 1909 ; Typenkompass (2009), p. 93.
  15. ↑ a b c Schmarbeck / Wolbold: Bugatti passenger and racing cars since 1909 ; Typenkompass (2009), pp. 66–67.
  16. ↑ a b Schmarbeck / Wolbold: Bugatti passenger and racing cars since 1909 ; Typenkompass (2009), p. 88.
  17. ↑ a b conceptcarz.com: Bugatti Type 57 Faux Cabriolet James Young, chassis No. 57787 (1939)..
  18. ↑ a b c d ritzsite.nl: Bugatti Type 57 Galibier.
  19. ↑ a b Schmarbeck / Wolbold: Bugatti passenger and racing cars since 1909 ; Typenkompass (2009), p. 89.
  20. ^ A b Conway: Les Grandes Marques: Bugatti (1984), p. 71
  21. ↑ a b c d ritzsite.nl: Bugatti Type 57 Atalante.
  22. ↑ a b artcurial.com: Salon Rétromobile, Paris 2013; Lot 364: Bugatti Type 57 C Ventoux # 57452/57308 (1936).
  23. ↑ a b c d e conceptcarz.com: Bugatti Type 57 C Atalante, chassis no.57624 (1939).
  24. ↑ In short: Bugatti. The myth - the family - the company. Pp. 171-173.
  25. ↑ Pantheon Basel: Catalog for the special exhibition "The Swiss Carrossiers" from October 27, 2013 to April 6, 2014 , p. 26.
  26. ↑ a b Conway: Large brands: Bugatti (1984), p. 74.
  27. ↑ In short: Bugatti. The myth - the family - the company. P. 155.
  28. ↑ a b c d e f g supercars.net: Bugatti Type 57 G Tank (1936).
  29. ^ Simeone Automotive Museum: Homepage.
  30. ↑ a b c d e f g h i ritzsite.nl: Bugatti Type 57 Specials.
  31. ↑ Schmarbeck / Wolbold: Bugatti passenger and racing cars since 1909 ; Typenkompass (2009), p. 102.
  32. ↑ bugattipage.com: 2003 News: Ray Jones´s T 57 S 45.
  33. ↑ Schmarbeck / Wolbold: Bugatti passenger and racing cars since 1909 ; Typenkompass (2009), p. 100.
  34. ↑ a b c d ultimatecarpage.com: Bugatti Type 57 S Torpédo-Competition (1935).
  35. ↑ a b c in short: Bugatti. The myth - the family - the company. P. 143.
  36. ↑ conceptcarz.com: Bugatti Type 46S
  37. ↑ ritzsite.nl: Car of the Month, October 2005. Bugatti Type 57 C Roadster (Gangloff) .
  38. ↑ ritzsite.nl: Bugatti Type 57 Galibier
  39. ↑ ritzsite.nl: Bugatti Type 57 Aravis
  40. ↑ ritzsite.nl: Bugatti Type 57: The Crown on the Myth.
  41. ↑ a b conceptcarz.com: Bugatti Type 57 (1938)
  42. ↑ supercars.net: 1935 Bugatti Type 57 S
  43. ↑ ritzsite.nl: Bugatti Type 57 Stelvio.
  44. ↑ a b c d ritzsite.nl: Bugatti Type 57 Aravis.
  45. ↑ conceptcarz.com: Bugatti Type 57 C Aravis Coupé Gangloff, chassis no.57710 (1939).
  46. ↑ conceptcarz.com: Bugatti Type 57 (1934)
  47. ↑ a b c ritzsite.nl: Bugatti Type 57 Atlantic.
  48. ↑ USAtoday: DRIVEon: Rare 1936 Bugatti may be most expensive used car ever , May 7, 2010.
  49. ↑ a b c d e f g h i Bellu: La Carrosserie Française: du Style au Design (2007), pp. 158–159.
  50. ↑ a b c in short: Bugatti. The myth - the family - the company. P. 153.
  51. ↑ mullinautomotivemuseum.com: Bugatti Type 57 Atlantic # 57374.
  52. ↑ a b c d e conceptcarz.com: Bugatti Type 57 p.
  53. ↑ /bugatti_article_004_The_Eight_Masterpieces_Of_Corsica.htm bugattibuilder.com: The_Eight_Masterpieces_Of_Corsica.
  54. ↑ conceptcarz.com: Bugatti Type 57 C Faux Cabriolet Paul Née (1936/1947).
  55. ^ Homepage of Delahaye USA.
  56. ↑ bugattipage.com: 2011 News: Delahaye USA presents the definitive version of the “Bella Figura” Type 57 S
  57. ↑ In short: Bugatti. The myth - the family - the company. Pp. 161-162.
  58. ^ A b Conway: Bugatti: Le Pur-sang des Automobiles (1987), pp. 285–286.
  59. ↑ bugatti.com: Bugatti Type 64.
  60. ↑ Schmarbeck / Wolbold: Bugatti passenger and racing cars since 1909 ; Typenkompass (2009), p. 104.
  61. ↑ bugattipage.com: 2012 News; Bugatti Hot Rods at Pebble Beach (2012).
  62. ↑ supercars.net: Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance 2002: Pictures of a Bugatti Type 64 chassis.
  63. ↑ bugattipage.com: 2006 News; Pre-Prototype for the T 64 finally restored, original chassis number needed.
  64. ↑ Eckhard Schimpf: The Bugatti Myth: The love for a Bugatti never dies. FAZ.net, October 24, 2004, accessed on February 14, 2020 .