1939 Bugatti Type 57C Stelvio Cabriolet

1939 Bugatti Type 57C Stelvio Cabriolet Coachwork by Gangloff

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 of all non-racing Bugattis. 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 on the Type 57S chassis and named the 57G, won the race. A supercharged version was created for the 1939 Le Mans race and also was victorious. This is the legacy of the Bugatti heritage and the quality and innovative designs that were truly masterpieces in all respects.

In 1934, the Type 57C entered the scene, a project headed by Jean Bugatti, the son of Ettore Bugatti. The vehicle centered around refinement while focusing on the values that had made Bugatti successful.

Three 'factory' bodies were available and consisted of the Ventoux, a two-window and four window version, the Stelvio, and the Atalante. All of the Atalante bodies were produced and all were done in-house. The Atalante was named after peaks in the Alps and is one of the most exclusive bodystyles ever produced by Bugatti.

The Type 57 could also be ordered with Galibier four-door bodies. Ealier versions of the Galibier bodies had suicide-opening front doors with no pillar. Later versions had suicide-opening front doors and rear doors hung in the traditional fashion. The front and rear doors would share a common pillar.

Jean designed an indepenent front suspension to aide in the handling of the vehicle. This was not popular with Ettore Bugatti and had the traditional Bugatti front axle installed.

A 3.3 liter, twin-cam, straight-eight engine was used to power this vehicle. Even with the heavy saloon bodies, the engine could propel the vehicle to a speed of around 95 mph. A Roots-type supercharger was later added and the vehicle was given the designation 57C. The supercharger was quiet and provided between three to four pounds of boost pressure. The addition of the supercharger increased the horsepower rating to 175.

The Type 57S version was a 'sportier' version of the Type 57. The chassis was shorter, with the rear axle running through the frame. A slightly tuned engine with higher compression and a dry sump lubrication helped increase the performance of the car. The front and rear axles received de Ram shock aborbers, replacing the Hartford Friction dampers.

The Type 57SC was a combination of the 57C and 57S. The engine produced between 200 and 220 horsepower.

On August 11, 1939 while testing a Type 57C tank-bodied racer near Molsheim, Jean Bugatti was killed. This was the same day as the start of the 2nd World War, which inevitably meant that the race Jean was preparing the vehicle for would never be run.

At the end of May 1939, G. Groslambert, owner of Garage Carnot in Besançon, ordered a drophead coupé Stelvio type 57C from the Bugatti factory. Chassis 57836/93C arrived at carrosserie Gangloff on June 8th 1939. The body was completed on July 24th for the sum of 30 000 francs. The drophead was delivered at Garage Carnot for Georges Groslambert, on July 28th 1939. The invoice amounted to 108.000 francs. No cars were delivered by the factory between July 8th and 28th 1939, for the obvious reason of summer holidays. This Bugatti Stelvio is one of the last two completed by Gangloff before the war was declared : 57834/103C and 57836/93C came out of the Colmar workshop in July 1939. It was the last Stelvio sold before the war. In May 1940 the last type 57C Gangloff drophead coupé, chassis 57805, was built and kept by the factory during the war.

Georges Groslambert was the owner of Grand Garage Carnot , at 10-18 avenue Carnot in Besançon. He was a stockist agent for Bugatti and covered the Doubs, Jura and Haute-Saône departments.

Descriptions & pictures by conceptcarz & bonhams