conceptcarz.com

1939 Bugatti Type 57

Ettore Bugatti had the soul of an artist. He was the son of Carlo Bugatti, who created museum-quality furniture in Art Deco style, and lived much of his life on a baronial estate in Alsace-Lorraine, in Eastern France. Ettore's younger brother Rembrandt was a renowned sculptor of animals.

1939 Bugatti Type 57 photo
Galibier Saloon
Chassis #: 57752
Engine #: 57476 19C
View info and history
Auction entries : 2
Ettore's automobile company produced cars that would go on to become legendary. They were expensive, complex, and of great beauty and sporting ability, earning many Grand Prix and sports car victories.

Bugatti introduced the Type 57 in 1934. The epitome of the 1930s sports chassis design, the Type 57 was given a hollow-tube live front axle and a dual overhead camshaft eight-cylinder engine. The engine had a long crankshaft, five main bearings, and cams driven by a set of helical-toothed gears. The gearbox was fixed to the crankcase and serviced by a single-plate clutch, with the top three gears in constant mesh.

Bugatti had purchased two front-drive Miller 91 racing cars from Leon Duray, and then copied Harry Miller's dual overhead camshaft setup, first for his type 50. A similar design was used for the 3.3-liter straight-eight engine that was installed in the new Type 57.

1939 Bugatti Type 57 photo
Stelvio Convertible by Gangloff
Chassis #: 57834
Engine #: 103C
View info and history
Auction entries : 1
Although Ettore was known to explore new technologies and construction methods, he was also known to be conservative. He experimented with aerodynamics and the use of lightweight metals like magnesium. However, he refused to adopt supercharging at first, and favored cable-operated brakes, even after hydraulics had been proven superior. He also refused to use an independent front suspension setup or hydraulic brakes for the Type 57.

In the end, with persuasion from his son Jean, a supercharger was added in 1936 to the rubber-mounted engine, and featured a stiffer frame, a Roots-type compressor driven off the camshaft drive at the rear of the engine, and offered five-to-six psi boost. The high-revving 3.3-liter car offered 160 horsepower and - when fitted with lightweight coachwork - could reach speeds approaching 120 mph. In 1938, Bugatti finally adopted Lockheed Hydraulically actuated brakes and replaced the aluminum-spoked wheels and brake drums with Rudge-Whitworth center-lock wire wheels and separate brake drums.

Jean Bugatti is credited with much of the Type 57's commercial success, attributed to the flowing coachwork that graced most of the chassis examples. The body styles included the Atalante two-seat coupe, Ventoux four-seat coupé, Stelvio cabriolet, and the Galibier sedan.

1939 Bugatti Type 57 photo
Stelvio Convertible by Gangloff
Chassis #: 57834
Engine #: 103C
View info and history
Auction entries : 1
The concept for the Atlantic was introduced in 1935 and displayed at both the Paris and London Motor Shows. It was called the Competition Coupe Aerolithe (the French word for a meteor) and given a prototype Type 57 S (for surbaisse - 'lowered') chassis, with gondola-shaped frame rails. It is believed that ultimately two Aerolithes were built as prototypes, and neither has survived. The production car which was dubbed the Aero, was intended to use Electron, a magnesium and aluminum alloy. This metal proved difficult to weld, so Jean Bugatti with assistance from Joseph Walter, united the sections using rivets, giving the car a spine-like center rib dividing the body. The lightweight coachwork had teardrop-shaped fenders and could reach speeds of 209 kilometers per hour.

The production Atlantic bodies were hand-fabricated from aluminum and the rivets were longer required. The first example built was in February of 1936 and was acquired by Lord Phillipe de Rothschild, then one of the world's richest men. The second example built, and the first to be named Atlantic was purchased in October of that year by a Monsieur and Madame Holzschuch. The third and final customer car was acquired by an English buyer named Mr. R. B. Pope in March 1938. A fourth Type 57 Atlantic, and the first example built, had been used as a factory demonstrator. It was not sold to a customer and disappeared before World War II.

These four Atlantics inspired a companion model called the Atalante. Whereas the Atlantics had been close-coupled, cramped, impractical, and poorly ventilated, the Atalante was slightly larger and offered more interior room for its occupants. Approximately 40 Atalantes were built on the standard Type 57 and Type 57S chassis before the war halted all production.

1939 Bugatti Type 57 photo
Stelvio Convertible by Gangloff
Chassis #: 57834
Engine #: 103C
View info and history
Auction entries : 1
In all its forms, the Type 57 is regarded among the most elegant and sophisticated automobiles created and attracted a legion of discerning buyers who were only satisfied with the best.


by Daniel Vaughan | Nov 2019

Related Reading : Bugatti Type 57 History

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 non-racing Bugatti. 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....
Continue Reading >>

Related Reading : Bugatti Type 57 History

Ettore Arco Isidoro Bugatti was born in Milan, Italy in 1881. His father, Carlo, was a furniture designer of some fame. The fathers 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....
Continue Reading >>

1939 Bugatti Type 57 Vehicle Profiles

Recent Vehicle Additions

Performance and Specification Comparison

Type 57

Specification Comparison by Year

Year
Production
Wheelbase
Engine
Prices
130.00 in.
8 cyl., 201.38 CID., 135.00hp
129.90 in., 130.00 in.
8 cyl., 201.38 CID., 135.00hp
117.50 in.
8 cyl., 198.75 CID., 170.00hp
129.90 in., 130.00 in.
8 cyl., 201.38 CID., 135.00hp
8 cyl., 198.75 CID., 160.00hp
130.00 in.
8 cyl., 198.75 CID., 160.00hp

Related Automotive News

Gooding & Company is Honored to Present a One-off Supercharged Mercedes-Benz

Gooding & Company is Honored to Present a One-off Supercharged Mercedes-Benz

High-Style Highlights Include The 1928 Mercedes-Benz Type S 26180 Sports Tourer for Sale for the First Time in 53 Years, The 1939 Bugatti Type 57C Cabriolet with the Final Type 57 Chassis Number, The 1937 Maserati 6CM Formerly the Property of Racer...
2014 Concours of America a Success

2014 Concours of America a Success

36th annual Concours dElegance of America at St. Johns a Resounding Success! 1932 Duesenberg Model J Convertible Victoria by Murphy and 1939 Bugatti T57C Cabriolet by Voll %26 Ruhrbeck win Best of Show at 2014 Concours dElegance of America a...
Past Best of Show Winners at The Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance

Past Best of Show Winners at The Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance

overview1 The 70th anniversary of the Pebble Beach Concours dElegance was celebrated with a spectacular display of previous Best of Show winners. Thirty-seven examples graced the showfield and many were still with the same owners who raised the trophy...
Bugatti Celebrates the 70th Anniversary of the Legendary Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance

Bugatti Celebrates the 70th Anniversary of the Legendary Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance

A Bugatti model was present at the first ever Pebble Beach Concours dElegance in Monterey, California, in 1950, and the iconic french luxury brand holds a record nine Best of Shows awards.table width100 rolepresentation border0 cellspacing0...
2019 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance Best of Show Winner

2019 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance Best of Show Winner

1931 Bentley 8 Litre Named Best of Show at the 69th Pebble Beach Concours dElegance PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. (August 18, 2019) — Every August, the history of the automobile rolls onto the competition field of the Pebble Beach Concours dElegance...
Coachbuilding – New Interpretation Of A Long-Established Tradition

Coachbuilding – New Interpretation Of A Long-Established Tradition

Bugatti has been focused on delivering custom-tailored cars and extraordinary individualisation for 110 years Since Bugatti was founded 110 years ago, its vehicles have been beyond compare – both technically and aesthetically superior. As company...

Postwar Ferrari Named Best of Show at 2014 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance

1954 Ferrari 375 MM Scaglietti Coupe Named Best of Show PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. (August 17, 2014) -- Excited cheers echoed across the 18th fairway of Pebble Beach Golf Links Sunday when a 1954 Ferrari 375 MM Scaglietti Coupe was named Best of...