1936 Bugatti Type 57

The Bugatti Type 57 was introduced at the Paris motor show in October 1933 and remained in production until the outbreak of war brought it to an end in September of 1939. The Bugatti Type 57 grew in size and weight over its predecessor but its twin-camshaft engine provided a higher horsepower rating and excellent performance. Built at Bugatti's Molsheim factory, the Type 57 was renowned for its luxurious and sporty persona.

The 3257 cc (3-liter) engine was new, with five-bearing camshafts and helical gears driving 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.

The Type 57 rested atop a 130-inch (3302mm) wheelbase and its track measured 53 inches (1349mm). Cable-operated brakes were replaced in 1938 with hydraulic brakes. At the front was a sold axle and Semi-Elliptical leaf springs while the rear used a live axle with Reversed Quarter-Elliptical Leaf Springs.

Bugatti's chief designer was Joseph Walter who worked closely with Jean Bugatti. 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 1930s, the coachbuilding process was brought in-house. Named after Alpine peaks and passes, the Type 57 body styles included 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 that could be finished by custom coachbuilders of their choosing and constructed to their own tastes and requirements.

During its production lifespan, approximately 710 examples of the Type 57 (all variants) were built. The Type 57C was a racing version built from 1937 through 1940 with around 96 produced. Equipped with a Roots-Type supercharger, the 3.3-liter engine produced 160 horsepower. In an even more extreme guise, known as the Type 57C 'Tank', it would win the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1939. While driving a Type 57C 'Tank' on the Molsheim-Strasbourg road, Jean Bugatti swerved to avoid a drunken bicyclist, resulting in an accident that claimed his life. Jean was just 30 years old.

The 'S' version of the Type 57 was 'lowered' (Surbaisse) and when equipped with a supercharger (Compresseur) a 'C' was added to the name. A total of 43 'Surbaisse' cars were built and two supercharged Type 57SC's were originally manufactured. Many of the Type 57S was later returned to the factory for the installation of the supercharger. With the supercharger in place, output rose from 175 hp to 200 hp.

by Daniel Vaughan | Mar 2019