1937 Bugatti Type 57 Ventoux Coupe

Ettore Bugatti would earn a reputation as a wonderfully talented chassis builder. His son, Jean, would earn an equally impressive reputation for the strikingly elegant bodies that graced his father's chassis. One of the best examples of Jean's artistic touch would be the Type 57 Ventoux.

The Ventoux body style was perhaps Jean Bugatti's most expressive and forward-thinking with its narrow nose, grand flowing fenders and steeply-raked windscreen. It seemed like the ultimate expression of what the future held for automotive design.

The first series of the Ventoux Coupe, which would be named after one of the peaks in the Alps, would be introduced in 1934. One of the first series Ventoux-bodied Bugatti Type 57s would be chassis 57345.

Bugatti Type 57, chassis 57345, would be one of the Ventoux-bodied cars that would be completed without running boards and would be invoiced on March 14th, 1936. When completed, the car would be sent to Arnaud in Lyon, France, for sale to the public.

Finished with the usual Ventoux touches of the flat, uncluttered wooden dash, simple steering wheel and the single-panel leather seats, 57345 would also have the 3.3-liter DOHC eight-cylinder engine with the single Stromberg carburetor helping to produce around 135bhp at 5,000rpm.

Unfortunately, the car's early history is relatively unknown but it survived the Second World War and would eventually be sold in 1960 in Paris. From there, the Ventoux Type 57 would be bought by J.W. Harrison of Arlington, Virginia, and, therefore, would make its way to the United States. Soon after arriving, the car would become registered with the American Bugatti Club.

The car would remain with Mr. Harrison until the early 1970s when it was purchased by David Uihlein. Uihlein would purchase the car and have it sit as part of some collection, however. Instead, 57345 would be a car regularly driven to and from different everyday events and would continue in this capacity well into the late 1990s.

Over the course of its life, the Type 57 Ventoux has been maintained and has undergone a number of necessary cosmetic and mechanical work. Finished in a Black and French Blue livery, the car is a striking thing to behold. Retaining its original motor, 57345 would appear to be highly original in a number of other ways, including its leather interior.

This period-correct and highly desirable first-series Bugatti Type 57 Ventoux would be offered for sale at the Gooding & Company auction in Scottsdale, Arizona, in 2013. Appearing to be highly original and with its matching engine, this particular Type 57 Ventoux was drawing estimates of between $250,000 and $325,000 prior to the auction.

Sources:
'Lot No. 050: 1937 Bugatti Type 57 Ventoux', (http://www.goodingco.com/car/1937-bugatti-type-57-ventoux). Gooding & Company. http://www.goodingco.com/car/1937-bugatti-type-57-ventoux. Retrieved 17 January 2013.

'1938 Bugatti Type 57 News, Pictures and Information', (http://www.conceptcarz.com/vehicle/z11219/Bugatti-Type-57.aspx). Conceptcarz.com: From Concept to Production. http://www.conceptcarz.com/vehicle/z11219/Bugatti-Type-57.aspx. Retrieved 17 January 2013.

'1939 Bugatti Type 57 News, Pictures and Information', (http://www.conceptcarz.com/vehicle/z8707/Bugatti-Type-57.aspx). Conceptcarz.com: From Concept to Production. http://www.conceptcarz.com/vehicle/z8707/Bugatti-Type-57.aspx. Retrieved 17 January 2013.

'1934 Bugatti Type 57', (http://www.supercars.net/cars/2418.html). Supercars.net. http://www.supercars.net/cars/2418.html. Retrieved 17 January 2013.

By Jeremy McMullen