At the wheel of a Bugatti
08/23/2025
Bugatti is one of those car brands that are highly prized by enthusiasts. Ettore Bugatti built unforgettable sports and racing cars, but also designed more everyday fare for the wealthy car owner. These vehicles include the Type 57, which was created in the 1930s. And I was now allowed to take the wheel of this legend. The car I drove was a four-door version with the long wheelbase and body designed by Herrmann Graber. I have always wanted to drive a Bugatti.
The controls of the over 90-year-old design were actually surprisingly easy to understand if you are familiar with right-hand drive cars. The pedals are where you'd expect them to be, and the gearshift scheme follows the classic "H". Start by pressing the key.
Let's go. With a wheelbase of over 3.3 meters, the Type 57 is neither ideal in the city nor on narrow, winding roads. I was actually about to draw a somewhat disappointing conclusion when I made my way back at the end of the photo session. The faster I got, the better the car felt. The steering conveyed a lot of feeling for the road and the engine was happily revving its eight cylinders in a row. Now I could finally understand how good this Bugatti must have been on the road almost a century ago compared to the competition.
With this Bugatti, long journeys lost their terror, as long as the road had many straights, fast bends and few obstacles. Sensationally high average speeds were certainly possible, far beyond what you could achieve in an Austin Seven or Ford Eifel.
I, for one, will remember my first drive in a Bugatti for a long time to come ...
P.S. More detailed driving impressions and the history of this extraordinary Bugatti Type 57 Graber will of course follow in a later report.
