1936 Bugatti Type 57 Gangloff 1936 Bugatti Type 57 Gangloff 1936 Bugatti Type 57 Gangloff 1936 Bugatti Type 57 Gangloff
1936 Bugatti Type 57 Gangloff 1936 Bugatti Type 57 Gangloff 1936 Bugatti Type 57 Gangloff

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Stelvio
Coachwork: Gangloff
Chassis Num: 57395
Engine Num: 275
 
The Bugatti Type 57 was introduced in 1934 and continued in production until the outbreak of war in September of 1939. It was built at Bugatti's Molsheim factory. The Bugatti Type 57 grew in size and weight over its predecessor but its twin-camshaft engine provided higher horsepower rating and excellent performance. The vehicles were never regarded as suitable racers but rather luxurious sport tourers.

The 3257 cc (3-liter) engine was new featuring five-bearing camshafts. Helical gears drove the twin overhead camshafts. The single symmetrical casting provided hemispherical combustion chambers. The gearbox was also new and mounted directly to the engine by a conventional bell-housing containing a normal single-plate clutch.

Bugatti's chief designer was Joseph Walter and Jean Bugatti worked closely with him. The first vehicle to wear coachwork by Jean was in 1931 on the Type 55 Roadster. Prior to 1927 most, if not all, of the coachwork was outsourced to custom coachbuilders. From the early 1930's the coachbuilding process was brought in-house. The Type 57 was offered as a Galibier four-door saloon, Ventoux two-door coupe, and the Stelvio cabriolet. The Stelvio body-style was constructed by coachbuilders Gangloff of Colmar. If requested by clients, Bugatti did offer a rolling chassis which could be finished by custom coachbuilders of their choosing and constructed to their own tastes and requirements.

The 1936 Bugatti Type 57 Stelvio finished in two-tone blue and coachwork by Gangloff was offered for sale at the 2006 RM Auction in Monterey, CA where it was expected to sell between $450,000-$525,000. It's first owner, M. Soler, purchased the car in February of 1936. The 'B' on the back of the vehicle signifies its nationality for European roads.

Since new the vehicle has been treated to a body-off restoration. It has a gray leather interior with a wood dash and a full set of Jaeger gauges. The top is black cloth. At auction the vehicle was sold, netting $396,000.
Many manufacturers during this time produced multi-purpose vehicles that could be driven to a race track, raced, and then driven home. The Bugatti Type 57, however, was solely a road-going vehicle and is considered the most celebrated of all non-racing Bugattis. Even though the Type 57 was strictly a road-going vehicle, a racing version was created for the 1937 24-Hours of Le Mans race. This vehicle, based on the Type 57S chassis and named the 57G, won the race. A supercharged version was created for the 1939 Le Mans race and also was victorious. This is the legacy of the Bugatti heritage and the quality and innovative designs that were truly masterpieces in all respects.

In 1934, the Type 57C entered the scene, a project headed by Jean Bugatti, the son of Ettore Bugatti. The vehicle centered around refinement while focusing on the values that had made Bugatti successful.

Three 'factory' bodies were available and consisted of the Ventoux, a two-window and four window version, the Stelvio, and the Atalante. All of the Atalante bodies were produced and all were done in-house. The Atalante was named after peaks in the Alps and is one of the most exclusive bodystyles ever produced by Bugatti.

The Type 57 could also be ordered with Galibier four-door bodies. Ealier versions of the Galibier bodies had suicide-opening front doors with no pillar. Later versions had suicide-opening front doors and rear doors hung in the traditional fashion. The front and rear doors would share a common pillar.

Jean designed an indepenent front suspension to aide in the handling of the vehicle. This was not popular with Ettore Bugatti and had the traditional Bugatti front axle installed.

A 3.3 liter, twin-cam, straight-eight engine was used to power this vehicle. Even with the heavy saloon bodies, the engine could propel the vehicle to a speed of around 95 mph. A Roots-type supercharger was later added and the vehicle was given the designation 57C. The supercharger was quiet and provided between three to four pounds of boost pressure. The addition of the supercharger increased the horsepower rating to 175.

The Type 57S version was a 'sportier' version of the Type 57. The chassis was shorter, with the rear axle running through the frame. A slightly tuned engine with higher compression and a dry sump lubrication helped increase the performance of the car. The front and rear axles received de Ram shock aborbers, replacing the Hartford Friction dampers.

The Type 57SC was a combination of the 57C and 57S. The engine produced between 200 and 220 horsepower.

On August 11, 1939 while testing a Type 57C tank-bodied racer near Molsheim, Jean Bugatti was killed. This was the same day as the start of the 2nd World War, which inevitably meant that the race Jean was preparing the vehicle for would never be run.
Ettore Arco Isidoro Bugatti was born in Milan, Italy in 1881. His father, Carlo, was a furniture designer of some fame. The father's brother, Rembrandt, was a gifted sculptor of animals. When he was old enough, Ettore attended the Brera Academy of Art where he studied sculpture. Soon, he turned his attention to mechanical endeavors.

The first Bugatti motor car was built in 1899 though the first vehicle to bear his name was the Type 13 of 1910. Power came from a four-cylinder, eight-valve engine. The 1913 the radiators became more rounded and in the shape of a horse shoe.

The company's first eight-cylinder engine production car was introduced in 1922 and dubbed the Type 30. The engine had a single overhead camshaft and displaced two liters. The car had a drum brakes, solid axles and leaf springs on all four corners.

The Type 35 in all sequences, the A, B, C, and T, were some of Bugatti's early examples that made the marque famous. The Type 57 introduced in 1934 and continued in production until 1940. They were powered by a 3257cc straight-eight engine with double overhead camshafts that produced between 130 and 140 horsepower. There were four road-going versions of the 57 and these were the Type 57, Type 57C, Type 57S, and Type 57SC. The Type 57C was a supercharged version while the Type 57S was a sporty version based on a short and lower wheelbase. The Type 57SC was a combination of the 57S and 57C. A variety of body-styles were offered throughout the years.

The engine rested in a ladder-type frame and matted to a four-speed manual gearbox. The front had a tubular axle with the suspension comprised of longitudinally mounted semi-elliptic leaf springs. The rear axle was suspended in place by a pair of quarter-elliptic leaf springs. The early versions of the vehicle had cable-operated drums on all four wheels. Later versions were upgraded with Lockheed hydraulic brakes with twin master cylinder, which first appeared in 1938.

The Type 57 and its variants were intended for road going use. However, many made their way onto the racing circuit. Lord Howe drove a Type 57 to a third place finish in the 1935 Tourist Trophy. A Type 57G won the Monthlhery and Reims race in 1936. In 1937, Jean-Pierre Wimille and Robert Benoist drove a Bugatti to victory at LeMans.

Many of the cars were clothed by prominent coachbuilders such as Figoni, Van Vooren, Corsica, and James Young. Most of the chassis were bodied by the factory with coachwork in the style of Jean Buggatti. The catalog bodies included two versions of the Ventoux Coupe, the Galibier four-door sedan, the Stelvio cabriolet, Atalante, and Atlantic. The Atlantic and Atalante were constructed in two-door coupe configuration. Gangloff, a Swiss coachbuilder, was tasked with clothing most of the factory bodies.

1936 Bugatti Type 57 Gangloff

Year1936
MakeBugatti
ModelType 57 Gangloff
Body StyleStelvio
Engine LocationFront
Drive TypeRear Wheel
Body / ChassisAluminum body on steel frame
Production Years for Series1934 - 1940
Coach WorkGangloff
Weight3585 lbs | 1626.2 kg
Combined MPG0.00

Chassis / Engine Numbers Shown
Chassis Number57395
Engine Number275

Engine  
Engine ConfigurationI
Cylinders8
Aspiration/InductionNormal
Displacement3.30 L | 201.4 cu in. | 3300.9 cc.
Valves16 valves.
2 valves per cylinder.
ValvetrainDOHC
Horsepower135.00 HP (99.4 KW) @ 4500.00 RPM
HP to Weight Ratio26.6 LB / HP (Vehicles with similar ratio)
HP / Liter40.9 BHP / Liter
Compression Ratio6.2:1
Fuel TypeGasoline - Petrol
Vehicles with similar horsepower and weight

Standard Transmission
Gears4
TransmissionManual
Final Drive3.85:1


 
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