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Bugatti Type 57 C Voll & Ruhrbeck Cabriolet.

Up until 1934 there was a separate Bugatti model for almost every body type. To cut costs Ettore Bugatti decided to design one chassis that would be available with various body styles. Most of them were to be designed and constructed in the Bugatti factory. In charge of the new model's design team was Ettore's son, Jean Bugatti. He was just 23 years of age when the 'Type 57' project started in 1932. Extremely expensive models like the Type 41 Royale and the Type 50 had not been a success. With that kept in mind Jean Bugatti designed a much smaller engine for the Type 57 than found in the Type 50 it replaced. The prototype engine displaced 2.8 litres, which was almost half that of Type 50's. The new engine was equipped with double overhead camshafts, similar in construction to those found on the Type 50 and Type 59 racer. The production engine displaced just under 3.3 litres and produced 135 bhp in Naturally Aspirated form. At the end of the Summer of 2011 a model with the scale of 1:43 made a visit to Autopassion in Haarlem, and was showed in a small circle of afficionados. More in Ultimate Carpage.

 

In the first models the engine was directly bolted onto chassis, which added to the rigidity of the ladder frame. In 1936 a second series was introduced which featured a strengthened chassis, because the engine was now mounted on rubber bushings. When Ettore Bugatti saw the prototype's independent front suspension, he immediately ordered the installation of a solid axle, which was used in every other production Bugatti. Friction dampers were fitted on the first batch of cars, later models were fitted with telescopic shock absorbers.

At its launch four bodytypes were available for the Type 57. Three of these were named after mountain peaks in the Alps; the four-seater, two-door 'Ventoux', the four-door 'Galibier' and the two-door 'Stelvio' convertible. Unlike the other bodies, the Stelvio body type was designed and built by French coach-builder Gangloff. The fourth body was dubbed Atalante and was the two-seater coupe variant. With a price twice as high as that of the least expensive Type 57, the Atalante was the most exclusive body of the lot. Its characteristic features were the 'kidney shaped' side windows and the split rear window.

For the sportier clients two improvements were added to the Type 57 line-up in 1936. First off was the addition of a Supercharger which boosted the power from 135 bhp to 160 bhp. Secondly a shorter and lower 'S' variant was launched, equipped with more powerful versions of the Naturally Aspirated and supercharged engines. Production of the 'S' lasted just three years, but the 'regular' Type 57 and 57 C lasted up until the outbreak of the Second World War. In total 546 Type 57s and 96 57Cs were built.

Chassis: 57819
Featured is one of the very last Type 57 Cs produced; number 90 of 96. Desping the grim political situation of the day, the rolling chassis was sold to the German Bugatti importer (the last Bugatti to be delivered new to Germany). He in turn shipped the Bugatti chassis to Berlin to be fitted with this high unusual cabriolet body by coachbuilder Voll & Ruhrbeck. The most striking feature of the German design is the 'waterfall' style grille, which was the result of wind tunnel testing and was supposed to improve the car's aerodynamics.

Carefully hidden away, the unique Bugatti survived the War virtually undamaged. Claiming the car was stolen from a Polish citizen, the country's minister of transport Tadeusz Tabincki confiscated the car. Once in Poland, it joined Tadeusz' vast collection of historic cars, which was later reported to consist of 100 vehicles. In the late 1960s he descretely started to sell his cars to the West and so 57819 emerged again. One of the subsequent owners had the body removed and replaced by a Atlantic replica body. Fortunately the body was safely stored.

Almost forty years later, the current owner tracked down both the chassis and unique body and purchased both. Stressing that the body had to remain as original as possible, he shipped the chassis and coachwork to RM Restorations for a ground-up restorations. To the joy of all involved very little work had to be done to the body and it fitted right back on the chassis as if it had never been removed. Four years later the work was completed and the unique Bugatti made a very strong 'debut' at the 2006 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, where it secured a 'Best in Class' and was one of three runner's up to the 'Best of Show'.

Article by Wouter Melissen