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Automotive Lifestyle
VINTAGE: Bugatti Type 57 Was Supercar Of Its Day
High-performance Atalante SC version commands staggering prices among collectors today.
Wouter Melissen  | http://www.ultimatecarpage.com  |  Posted December 26, 2009   Pebble Beach, CA
Chassis 57384 was the fifth Type 57 S constructed, with an original Atalante body and later fitted with a supercharger and upgraded to SC specification. Driven regularly, it's seen here at the Louis Vuiton Classic in Paris. (Photo: Wouter Melissen)
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.

Ettore's son, Jean Bugatti was in charge of the new model's design team. He was just 23 years old when the Type 57 project started in 1932.

Extremely expensive models such as the Type 41 Royale and the Type 50 had not been a success for Bugatti. With that in mind, Jean Bugatti designed a much smaller engine for the Type 57 than the one found in the Type 50 it replaced. The prototype engine displaced 2.8 liters, 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 liters and produced 135 horsepower in naturally aspirated form.

This beautiful Type 57 SC was offered at no reserve in Gooding & Company's 2008 Pebble Beach Auction. With a portion of the proceeds going to charity, it sold for a startling $7,920,000. (Photo: Wouter Melissen)
In the first models, the engine was directly bolted onto the chassis, which added to the rigidity of the ladder frame. A second series was introduced in 1936 that 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 a changeover to the solid axle that 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 launch, four body types were available for the Type 57. Three of them were named after mountain peaks in the Alps: the four-seat, two-door Ventoux; the four-door Galibier; and the two-door Stelvio convertible. Unlike the other bodies, the Stelvio body was designed and built by French coachbuilder 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 signature features were kidney-shaped side windows and split rear window.

A more sporting variation on the Type 57 chassis was launched in August 1936, the Type 57 S. The S did not stand for sport but for sousbaisse, which in French means lower.

The rear axle was now mounted through two holes in the frame, making it the first production Bugatti with an underslung chassis. The axles were mounted above the chassis center line, effectively lowering the entire car and improving the handling. The chassis was not only lower but had a 32 centimeter shorter wheelbase compared with the original Type 57.

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Wouter Melissen

UltimateCarPage.com

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