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1938 Bugatti Type 57 Stelvio Cabriolet

  • Coachwork by Gangloff
  • Chassis Number: 57569
Ettore Bugatti had founded the company bearing his name in 1909 in Molsheim, Alsace. While the company would be founded and grow because of the prowess of Ettore, his son Jean, would also go on to show off his talents by fashioning one of the more iconic of designs in Bugatti's line.

Widely known for their incredible reliability and performance Bugattis would become almost the element of choice whether taking part in Grand Prix or other endurance races. Building upon what his father had already managed to establish, Jean would improve the company with the Type 57, which would go on to win Le Mans in 1937 and again in 1939. This kind of race-going performance and reliability made the car quite popular to those just looking for an elegant and luxurious means of going from point A to point B.

Jean's Type 57 was a departure from what Bugatti had become known for prior. The overall design of the car was certainly something like a sports car, and yet, had all of the refinements that one would expect from a frame capable of carrying exotic and expensive custom coachwork. One of the sport touring Type 57s, a 1938 Type 57 Stelvio, would be offered at this year's RM Auctions event in Monterey, California.

Despite war brewing uncomfortably close on the other side of the Rhine river, Bugatti was fully committed to building its Type 57. By this point in time, the Bugatti company had become more adept in designing and building its own coaches and would merely contract out the help of local coachbuilders to actually piece the car together. One of those local coachbuilders Bugatti would turn to would be Gangloff.

In the case of chassis 57569, Gangloff would be hired to build a Stelvio cabriolet coach body. The chassis had been finished and delivered to Gangloff by late-summer of 1937. A Stelvio cabriolet body would then be ordered for a customer in the fall of that year and would end up being delivered to Bugatti's main agency in Paris by late-October.

Besides its familiar vertical, arched chrome grille and sweeping fenders lines, the Stelvio cabriolet would come with a 135 bhp, 3.2-liter inline eight-cylinder engine, and a four-speed gearbox.

While the bodywork was clearly a Stelvio cabriolet made by Gangloff, this particular chassis boasts of some minor changes that make it certainly unique. Most notable are the car's smaller dimensions and its downward sweeping doors.

It is believed the car had originally been ordered for a member of the Pernod family. After a very brief spell with its first owner, the car would be returned to the Paris agency and would be later re-sold to its now second owner, a person by the name of Gaillard.

Unfortunately, after being delivered to its second owner in April of 1938, nothing is really seen or heard of the car until it turns up again in the early 1960s. By that time, it had come to be the property of Guy Huet of Holland who, in turn, had purchased the car from Pierre Proust Garage in Montrouge, France.

While under Huet's ownership, chassis 57569 would go through restoration by Piet Peperkorn in Haarlem. After restoration, the car would be sold to a number of other owners. Of the few subsequent owners during this period the perhaps most noted owner would have to be Erwin Hucke.

Not until the very late-1980s had the car left Europe. However, ever since then, the car has remained in the United States and has included another list of notable owners including John R. Lee of Dallas, Texas.

Over the last twenty years, the car has undergone restoration and has clearly benefited. At this year's auction that beautiful red and black contrasting finishing would attract a sale price of $693,000.

Sources:
'Lot No. 139: 1938 Bugatti Type 57 Stelvio by Gangloff', (http://www.rmauctions.com/CarDetails.cfm?SaleCode=MO11&CarID=r227&Currency=USD). RM Auctions. http://www.rmauctions.com/CarDetails.cfm?SaleCode=MO11&CarID=r227&Currency=USD. Retrieved 29 August 2011.

Wikipedia contributors, 'Bugatti Type 57', Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 15 May 2011, 20:01 UTC, http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bugatti_Type_57&oldid=429282827 accessed 29 August 2011

By Jeremy McMullen

2014 RM Auctions - Automobiles of Arizona

Sale Price :
USD $962,500

2011 RM Auctions at Monterey

Pre-Auction Estimates :
USD $700,000-USD $800,000 
Sale Price :
USD $693,000

1938 Bugatti Type 57 Auction Sales

Recent Sales of the Bugatti Type 57

(Data based on Model Year 1938 sales)
1938 Bugatti Type 57 Stelvio
Chassis#: 57639
Sold for USD$747,500
  2024 Gooding & Company : Pebble Beach
1938 Bugatti Type 57 image  1938 Bugatti Type 57 image  
1938 Bugatti Type 57S Roadster in the style of Corsica
Chassis#: 57601
Sold for USD$1,105,000
  2022 RM Sothebys : Monterey
1938 Bugatti Type 57 image  1938 Bugatti Type 57 image  
1938 Bugatti Type 57C Atalante Coupe
Chassis#: 57641
Sold for USD$1,765,000
  2021 Worldwide Auctioneers : The 14th Annual Auburn Auction
 
1938 Bugatti Type 57 Cabriolet by D'Ieteren
Chassis#: 57589
Sold for USD$1,655,000
  2020 RM Sothebys : Amelia Island Auction
1938 Bugatti Type 57 image  1938 Bugatti Type 57 image  
1938 Bugatti Type 57 Drophead Coupé
Chassis#: 57589
Sold for USD$1,413,878
  2015 Bonhams : The Chantilly Sale
1938 Bugatti Type 57 image  1938 Bugatti Type 57 image  
1938 Bugatti Type 57 Roadster
Chassis#: 57661
Sold for USD$671,000
  2015 Bonhams : The Scottsdale Auction
 
1938 Bugatti Type 57 Ventoux
Chassis#: 57701
Sold for USD$539,168
  2014 RM Auctions - London
 
1938 Bugatti Type 57 Stelvio Cabriolet by Gangloff
Chassis#: 57569
Sold for USD$962,500
  2014 RM Auctions - Automobiles of Arizona
1938 Bugatti Type 57 image  1938 Bugatti Type 57 image  
1938 BUGATTI TYPE 57 COACH VENTOUX
Sold for USD$481,040
  2013 Artcurial - Automobiles Sur Les Champs 5
 
1938 BUGATTI TYPE 57 COACH VENTOUX
Sold for USD$692,888
  2013 Artcurial - Automobiles Sur Les Champs 5
 
1938 Bugatti Type 57 Stelvio by Gangloff
Chassis#: 57569
Sold for USD$693,000
  2011 RM Auctions at Monterey
1938 Bugatti Type 57 image  1938 Bugatti Type 57 image  
1938 Bugatti Type 57 Atalante Coupe
Sold for USD$682,000
  2006 Gooding & Company Pebble Beach Auction
1938 Bugatti Type 57 image  1938 Bugatti Type 57 image  

Bugatti Type 57s That Failed To Sell At Auction

1938 Bugatti Type 57's that have appeared at auction but did not sell.
VehicleChassisEventHigh BidEst. LowEst. High
1938 Bugatti Type 57 Ventoux577242024 Gooding & Company : London Auction $550,000$650,000
1938 Bugatti Type 57 Atalante Coupé576332020 Bonhams : Les Grandes Marques du Monde au Grand Palais $1,500,000$1,800,000
1938 Bugatti Type 57 Cabriolet Vanvooren29402018 Artcurial : Retromobile $650,000$950,000
1938 BUGATTI TYPE 57 STELVIO577152014 Bonhams Quail Lodge Auction $1,100,000$1,300,000
1938 Bugatti T57 Stelvio574502007 Vintage Motor Cars in Arizona$410,000$450,000$550,000
1938 BUGATTI TYPE 57 FOUR DOOR SEDAN 2003 Bonhams MOTOR CARS $160,000$190,000

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1938 Bugatti Type 57 vehicle thumbnail image  1938 Bugatti Type 57 vehicle thumbnail image  

1938 Bugatti Type 57

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