Bugatti Type 57

The Bugatti Type 57 and later variants (including the famous Atlantic) was an entirely new design by Jean Bugatti, son of founder Ettore. Type 57s were built from 1934 through 1940, with a total of 710 examples produced.

Most Type 57s used a twin-cam 3257 cc engine based on that of the Type 49 but heavily modified by Jean Bugatti. Unlike the chain-drive twin-cam engines of the Type 50 and 51, the 57's engine used gears to transmit power from the crankshaft.

There were two basic variants of the Type 57 car:
 * The original Type 57
 * The lowered Type 57S

The Type 57 chassis and engine was revived in 1951 as the Bugatti Type 101 for a short production.

Type 57G
The famous Type 57G tank-bodied racers used the 57S chassis in 1936 and 1937 and the 57C for 1939.

Type 57
The original Type 57 was a touring car model produced from 1934 through 1940. It used the 3.3 L (3257 cc/198 in³) engine from the Type 59 Grand Prix cars, producing 135 hp (100 kW). Top speed was 95 mph (153 km/h).

It rode on a 130 in (3300 mm) wheelbase and had a 53.1 in (1350 mm) wide track. Road-going versions weighed about 2100 lb (950 kg). Hydraulic brakes replaced the cable-operated units in 1938. 630 examples were produced.

The original road-going Type 57 included a smaller version of the Royale's square-bottom horseshoe grille. The sides of the engine compartment were covered with thermostatically-controlled shutters. It was a tall car, contrary to the tastes of the time.

Dimensions:
 * Wheelbase: 130 in (3300 mm)
 * Track: 53.1 in (1349 mm)
 * Weight: 2100 lb (950 kg)

Type 57T
The "tuned" Type 57T pushed the performance of the basic Type 57. It was capable of reaching 115 mph (185 km/h).

Type 57C
A Type 57C racing car was built from 1937 through 1940, with nearly 750 possibly produced. It shared the 3.3 L engine from the road-going Type 57 but produced 160 hp (119 kW) with a Roots-type supercharger fitted.

Type 57C Tank
The famous 57C-based Tank won the 1936 French Grand Prix, as well as the 1937 24 Hours of Le Mans. It used a different 4.7 L (4743 cc/289 in³) engine.

Type 57 "Imaginaire"
The Type 57 "Imaginaire" did not originally exist. It was a design proposed to early Bugatti customers but never left the drawing boards of the Gangloff` coachworks in Alsace. For more than half a century it was and remained a bare chassis until 1990 when a Bugatti enthusiast produced sufficient funds to commission its construction in a British restoration shop. The chassis owner was able to contact the retired artisan who drew the original sketch at the Gangloff works, enlisted his aid, and brought the car to life.

Type 57S
The Type 57S/SC is one of the best-known Bugatti cars. The "S" stood for "surbaissé" ("lowered"), though most felt it stood for "sport". It included a v-shaped dip at the bottom of the radiator and mesh grilles on either side of the engine compartment.

Lowering the car was a major undertaking. The rear axle now passed through the rear frame rather than riding under it, and a dry-sump lubrication system was required to fit the engine under the new low hood. The 57S had a nearly-independent suspension in front, though Ettore despised that notion.

Just 40 "surbaissé" cars were built.

Dimensions:
 * Wheelbase: 117.3 in (2979 mm)
 * Track: 53.1 in (1349 mm)
 * Weight: 2100 lb (950 kg)

Type 57SC
Just two supercharged Type 57SC cars were built new, but most 57S owners wanted the additional power afforded by the blower. Therefore, most of the original Type 57S cars returned to Molsheim for the installation of a supercharger, pushing output from 175 hp (130 kW) to 200 hp (150 kW) and 120 mph.

Atlantic
Considered by many to be the most beautiful pre-war car, the Atlantic body Type 57S featured flowing coupe lines with a pronounced dorsal seam running front to back. It was based on the "Aérolithe" concept car of 1935. Like the Type 59 Grand Prix car, the Aérolithe used Elektron (magnesium) or Duralumin (aluminium) for its body panels, a combustible material. Therefore, the body panels were riveted externally, creating the signature seam.

The production Atlantics (just three were made) used plain aluminium, however. But the dorsal seams were retained for style, and have led to the car's present fame.

Dr. Peter Williamson won the 2004 Pebble Beach Car show with a SC57 Atlantic.

Type 57S45
A special Type 57 S45 used a 4743 cc engine like the Tank.

Type 57S Tank
Another Tank, this time based on the "surbaissé" Type 57S, won Le Mans again in 1939. Shortly afterwards, Jean Bugatti took the winning car for a test on the Molsheim-Strasbourg road. Swerving to avoid a bicyclist on the closed road, Bugatti crashed the car and died at age 30.