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Bugatti Type 57 Intercontinentale - Or: how one project became two

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Created on June 6, 2024

Reading time 7min

Written by:

Wolfram Hamann

Photos:

Tom Andrews

Wolfram Hamann

Artcurial

Archiv Automobil Revue

Pierre Yves Laugier

Udo von Jörges

Bugatti Revue Vol.28, Issue 2

Tom Scott, Courtesy RM/Sotheby's

Tom Andrews

Wolfram Hamann

Artcurial

Archiv Automobil Revue

Pierre Yves Laugier

Udo von Jörges

Bugatti Revue Vol.28, Issue 2

Tom Scott, Courtesy RM/Sotheby's

Bugatti Type 57 C Ventoux (1936) – neben Jean Bugattis verschollenem Bugatti 57 SC Atlantic mit der Nr. 57453, genannt "La Voiture Noire" (rechts)

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Bugatti Type 57 (1936) – Broschüre mit allen Karosserievarianten. Rechts unten ein Galibier, der der Nr. 57579 recht nahe kommt

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Bugatti Type 57 Galibier (1936) – der werksseitig angebotene Viertürer

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Bugatti Type 57 Berline Gangloff (1937) – Fahrgestellnummer 57579 mit der ursprünglichen Karosserie

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Bugatti Type 57 C Berline Gangloff (1938) – ebenfalls mit Gangloff-Karosserie. Das Heck ist aber nicht stromlinienförmig ausgestaltet. Steht heute im Museum Autovision

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Bugatti Type 57 C Berline Gangloff (1938) – im Museum Autovision, hier noch nicht restauriert

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Bugatti Type 57 Ventoux (1937) – die umkarossierte Fahrgestellnummer 57579 in der Sammlung Baillon

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Bugatti Type 57 Ventoux (1937) – aus der Sammlung Baillon

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Bugatti Type 57 Ventoux (1937) – bei der Präsentation der Sammlung Baillon während der Auktion in Paris

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Bugatti Type 57 Ventoux (1937) – Nr. 57579 trifft in Neuseeland ein

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Bugatti Type 57 Ventoux (1937) – Nr. 57579 wird im Juni 2015 im "Classics Museum" in Hamilton präsentiert

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Museumschef Tom Andrews hält ein Referat über Bugatti

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Der Eschenholzrahmen für den Atlantic-Nachbau

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Die Reserverradmulde aus Aluminium wird aus nur einem Teil gefertigt

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Die fertige Reserveradmulde im Karosserierahmen

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Erste Stellprobe von Fahrgestell und Karosserieskelett

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Bugatti Type 57 Ventoux (1938) – voll restauriertes Fahrzeug

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Summary

Originally, Tom Andrews had only bought the scrap-ready Bugatti 57 Ventoux to rebuild an "Atlantic" on its chassis. But then the chassis turned out to be the wrong one for this project - and the bodywork the wrong one for this chassis. This was because chassis number 57579 had been delivered by Gangloff in 1937 as a streamlined saloon. This article unravels the entanglements.

This article contains the following chapters

Series and special bodies
From France to Australia
Unsuitable restoration base
Aluminum on wood

Estimated reading time: 7min

Preview (beginning of the article)

It has now been nine years since the famous "Baillon collection" hit the press. This "barn find of the century" contained top-class automobiles, although most of them were more likely to be associated with the term "precious scrap". Anyone who was lucky enough to experience the exhibits shown as part of the Artcurial auction at the Rétromobile 2015 will certainly remember this. This was undoubtedly due to the presentation of the objects, the atmosphere of which can be aptly described as "eerily beautiful". However, in the dim light, visitors could also be seen at the time meticulously examining the exhibits in detail - presumably because they already had very specific ideas about their future use.

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