1937 Bugatti 57S Cabriolet

The Type 57S (S for sport) Bugatti together with the preceding Type 55 model are the two ultimate and most sought after sporting Bugattis of the ’30s, with only about forty examples of each being built. While the Type 55 was closely related to the Type 51 GP with roller-bearing crankshaft and supercharger, the Type 57S derived from the proven Type 57 touring model and proved to be a far more civilized, yet equally high-performance, road-going sports car. The Type 57S was introduced at the Paris Motor Show in 1936, featuring a shorter chassis with the rear axle passing through the chassis rails for a lower stance, a distinctive V-shaped radiator and a 180 hp dry sump version of the Type 57’s 3.3-liter straight-eight dual overhead camshaft engine. The popular press of the day exclaimed the virtues of the superb road-holding and powerful brakes with 110+ mph performance. With a price almost twice that of the standard model, sales were inevitably modest and...