1937 Bugatti Type 57 Pillarless Sports Coupe

The Bugatti Type 57 was introduced in 1934 and was the first model built under Jean Bugatti's direction. It incorporated many features that were new to Bugatti including the company's first use of a transmission fixed to the engine crankcase and a single plate clutch. The top three gears in the four-speed gearbox were constant mesh. The dual overhead camshaft eight-cylinder engine displaced 3,257cc and its crankshaft ran in five main bearings. The camshafts were driven by helical-tooth gears at the engine's rear with another crankshaft bearing behind them.

Jean designed an independent front suspension system using transverse leaf springs for the first two examples of the Type 57. His father, Ettore, later insisted it be replaced by a proper Bugatti hollow tubular live axle. The cars that followed had the traditional Bugatti semi-elliptical front and reversed quarter-elliptical rear leaf springs with cable-operated mechanical drum brakes.

Many of the Type 57 models were given Jean Bugatti-designed coachwork.

Development of the Type 57 continued with the introduction of a stiffened frame and rubber-mounted engine along with the supercharged 160hp Type 57C in 1936. In 1938, Bugatti finally adopted Lockheed hydraulically actuated brakes. The lightweight but expensive aluminum-spoked wheels and brake drums were replaced with Rudge-Whitworth center-lock wire wheels and separate brake drums.

This particular Bugatti has one-off coachwork by the Swiss coachbuilder Graber. It is a well-balanced design of higher quality yet less flashy than some of the French Coachbuilder designs of the era.

This Bugatti was completed by the Bugatti Works in September of 1936 and was sold in chassis form to the Bucar Bugatti agency. This particular order was for the Grob Agency in the Zurich Canton of Horgen. The rolling chassis was driven over 150km to Hermann Graber's coachbuilding works on September 21, 1936.

The car's original owner is believed to have been an architect who is created the car's design, while the coachbuilder was responsible for its construction. Several features including the hood louver treatment are common with other Graber bodies.

This unique Pillarless Sports Coupe retains the popular scalloped side panels synonymous with Bugattis, and dispensing with running boards to accentuate separate 'teardrop' or pontoon fenders. The spare tire is set at the back of the car, allowing for an uncompromised design from its quarter-batched hood lovers backward. There are long 'eared' wheel hub spinners which is believed to have been installed to make wheel removal easier for a lady owner early in its career.

By 1960, the Type 57 had come into the care of Dieter Marx of Basel. From there, it was spotted by Dutch Bugatti dealer Bart Loyens. The car had apparently been laid up following an engine failure, allowing Loyens to acquire it for a reasonable SWF500. He would bring it to the Netherlands and it would remain in Dutch ownership for the next 48 years.

After arriving in Holland, the car was placed into storage but it was not long before it passed onto the Dutch Bugatti Agent Albatros, owned by the van Ramhorst brothers. At this point, the engine was replaced by another correct contemporary Type 57 unit, being over-stamped with the car's chassis number. (Currently, the car's broken engine has been repaired and is fitted in Jim Hull's recreation of the 'Torpedo Competition').

In November of 1962, ownership passed to Hans Sauerbrier where it would remain until 2008. In the 1980s, the engine was rebuilt with a new block. Perhaps around this time, it received an upgrade to hydraulic brake system as seen on the later models.

Next, the Bugatti migrated to the United Kingdom where it was sold publicly. Its buyer subsequently refurbished the car mechanically before passing it to the current owner. The current caretaker repainted the car in its current two-tone scheme. The interior was sympathetically attended to, repairing the original leather.

By Daniel Vaughan | Jun 2017