1937 Bugatti Type 57S Sports Tourer by J.A. Ackley
Feb 28, 2023
Photography Courtesy Bonhams
What earns you concours awards? How about a classic like this 1937 Bugatti Type 57S Sports Tourer that’s fully numbers matching and features the original one-off coachwork?
Vanden Plas bodied several different cars, but the coachbuilder only outfitted two Type 57S chassis–this one and a two-seater. Records indicate that the Bugatti’s namesake, Ettore Bugatti, ordered the coachwork himself.
Shortly after U.S. Bugatti importers took original delivery of the car in New York in 1937, the car was entered in races at Roosevelt Raceway. When the importers couldn’t find a buyer for the Type 57S, however, they shipped it back to the U.K.
After an “insensitive restoration” during the 1980s, the Bugatti underwent a more thorough restoration. How thorough? Original Molsheim hardware and nitrocellulose lacquer paint were used–similar to what the car came with when new. The more truthful restoration earned it honors at Pebble Beach, Amelia Island and Audrain Newport concours, and the Best Restoration award at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este.
Find this 1937 Bugatti Type 57S Sports Tourer for auction at Bonhams, with an estimated winning bid of $10,000,000-$12,000,000.
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Price
Price upon request
Color
Gray
