Auction Preview: 1938 Bugatti Type 57
What: 1938 Bugatti Type 57 cabriolet
Where: Geared Online auction - California, USA
Who: Gooding & Company
When: 3 – 7 August, 2020
Debuting in 1934, Bugatti’s Type 57 grand tourer was the last model to be produced under the direct influence of Ettore and Jean Bugatti. As such, it’s regarded as the last of the “pure” Bugattis.
Between launch and 1940, around 683 examples of the Type 57 were built (other sources differ, claiming a little over 700), which was a high number in Bugatti terms. That total included the streamlined ‘Atlantic’ coupe; a car widely regarded as the epitome of Art Deco automotive styling.
Only four Atlantics were built, though, with the rest of Type 57 production spread across saloon, cabriolet, touring, coupe (including the ‘Atalante’ coupe) and coach body styles. These were mostly designed by Jean Bugatti, but a range of European coachbuilders added their own touch to the Type 57 chassis, too.
French Style
The car to be auctioned by Gooding & Co. at Geared Online is chassis #57644 and features a three-position cabriolet (ie. convertible) body produced by Parisian coachbuilders Letourneur et Marchand.
Like all Type 57s, #57644 was fitted by a 3.3-litre DOHC eight-cylinder engine. Developed from Bugatti’s Type 59 grand prix car, this engine produced 101kW (135hp) in standard form, but add a supercharger and that jumped to 119kW (160hp). Models so equipped were known as a Type 57C and used primarily for racing.
A lowered, shorter wheelbase version - the Type 57S - was also offered by Bugatti, with the naturally-aspirated straight-eight dialled up to 130kW (175hp). This variant formed the basis of the Type 57G “Tank” factory racers that won the 1936 French Grand Prix and 1937 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Finally, a supercharged version of the 57S, the 57SC, was the pinnacle of Type 57 performance, offering 150kW (200hp) and a top speed in the region of 200km/h.
Dutch Treat
Sold by Bugatti’s Paris concessionaire in 1938, the early history of chassis #57644 is unrecorded, but it survived World War II and was purchased by a Dutch textile merchant soon after the end of hostilities. In 1949, it was sold to another Dutchman, whose family kept the car for the next 66 years, after which it was sold to the consignor, a family friend and known collector of pre-war French automobiles.
Finished in green with cream coves when it was built, this Type 57 looks a little different now, thanks to a recent restoration and fresh colour scheme.
Soon after purchase in 2015, the American-based consignor commissioned a concours-standard restoration of the car, with the bodywork done by Sargent Metal Works in Vermont. It was during this time that the colour scheme was changed to two-tone green. The folding hood and interior were also finished in green, with the latter offset by timber trim on the dash and upper doors.
Leydon Restoration in Pennsylvania completely rebuilt the engine, bringing the car up to 57C spec in the process with the addition of a period-correct supercharger made by Brineton Engineering in the UK.
The three-year restoration was completed in time for #57644 to enter the 2018 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, where it won a class award. Since then, the car has been a regular attendee at American Bugatti Club events.
Ahead of its inclusion in the Geared Online auction, Gooding & Co. have attached a US$1.3-1.6 million estimate to this car.
Bugatti Pricing
Auction prices for Type 57s so far this year include US$1.65 million for a ‘38 cabriolet (RM Sothebys - Amelia Island), US$797,000 for a ’39 57C Stelvio (RM Sothebys - Amelia Island), €500,640 for a ’34 cabriolet (Artcurial - Paris) and €770,000 for a ‘39 cabriolet (RM Sothebys - Europe, online), but reflecting COVID-19 conditions, a number of Type 57s have gone unsold this year, too.
Gooding & Co. results from the past two years include US$786,000 for a ’38 57C Stelvio, US$1.32 million for a ‘36 Atalante coupe and US$2.80 million for a ’39 57C Atalante coupe.
At time of writing, Bugattis hold the 1 and 2 position for most expensive cars sold at auction in 2020, with a 1932 Type 55 Super Sport roadster selling for US$7.1M at Amelia Island in March and another 1932 Type 55, bodied as a two-seat roadster by Figoni, selling for US$5.06M in Paris in February.
While those prices were achieved by other auction houses, Gooding & Co. hold the all-time record for a Bugatti sold at auction, with a Type 55 – that was raced in the 1932 Mille Miglia by Achille Varzi and was rumoured to have been Jean Bugatti’s personal car - selling for $10.4M at their Pebble Beach sale in 2016. That price is also currently the record for any French car sold at auction.
Geared Online – online only
Gooding & Company has responded to the global shift in the classic and collectable car auction landscape by introducing ‘Geared Online,’ which will take place from 3 to 7 August, 2020.
While the auction will be an online-only affair, there will be opportunities for bidders to see the cars in the metal, with consignments gathered for individual inspection, subject to public gathering limits and social distancing protocols.
In addition to the 1938 Bugatti Type 57 cabriolet, Geared Online will offer other classics, like a 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300SL and 1958 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Spider, as well as modern collectables, including a 1984 Porsche 911 Carrera 3.2, a 1992 Ferrari F40, 1995 Ferrari F50 and 2003 Ferrari Enzo.
For more details, go to https://www.goodingco.com/
Images: Copyright and courtesy of Gooding & Company
