1935 Bugatti Type 57 Monoposto

This Type 57 Monoposto was imported into the United States in the late 1960s. Jim Hull purchased the car in 1981 and with the help of David North completed the car just in time to compete in the Monterey Historic Races in 1981. Starting from the back of the pack, Hull finished fifth. In 1982, during the Monterey Historics, the car suffered a carburetor fire. It was repaired and performed well the next year at the Monterey Historics. After Hull sold the car it languished in storage for over 30 years during which time many of its parts were utilized for other cars. Michael Gertner purchased the car in early 2018 and underwent a seven-month restoration. In August 2018, with Gertner at the wheel, the car competed at the 2018 Monterey Historics, 35 years after its last public appearance. It is displayed here in hillclimb configuration with dual rear wheels.

This Bugatti Type 57 is an evocation fashioned after the famous Type 59/50B works monoposto, driven by Jean-Pierre Wimille in the 1939 Prescott Hillclimb and other events in-period. An early Dutch vintage automobile trader named Bart Loyens was responsible for its genesis. He acquired parts in Amsterdam, including engine number 295 from Type 57 number 57410, and an early Type 57 frame of unknown identity. The parts were later sold to Ray Jones, who worked on behalf of his client, Gentry Smith, to create this Type 59/50B tribute. The frame was shortened, period deRam-style friction shocks were installed, hydraulic brakes of the type used on later Type 57s were added, and four carburetors were fitted to the engine. The monoposto-style body is believed to have been created by Bob Moser. Before the project was completed, it was sold to F.W. Durand of Solana Beach, California, from whose estate it passed in 1981 to Jim Hull.

Jim Hull completed the restoration in 1981 and displayed it at that year's Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. It also raced at Laguna Seca on several occasions.

In the 1990s, the car was sold to Peter Mullin who largely kept the car in storage at Jim Stranberg's High Mountain Classics. Eventually, the car was sold to its current caretaker, who had it completely rebuilt by David North's North Street Garage in Maryland. The work included a new block machined by High Mountain Classics and assembled by Leydon Restorations, with a Crower two-piece crankshaft, lightweight Carillo rods, Arias forged pistons, and the prior period four-carburetor intake manifold with period Solex carburetors. The engine was dyno-tested to produce 160 horsepower and 190 pound-feet of torque. The four-speed ZF gearbox is a pre-war unit with twin-stick overdrive.

By Daniel Vaughan | Nov 2024