Berryman's Van Vooren cabriolet, before...
He finally resorted to starter fluid, and when the car turned over it backfired, igniting the gas in the carpet
By Carl Bomstead
Grover Berryman was a young Air Force officer stationed in France in the early 1950s. He had long been attracted to the striking designs of European automobiles, and when he found a 1935 T57 Bugatti convertible coupe—S/N 57287—with stunning coachwork by Van Vooren, he bought it from the original owner, Pierre Paille-Vanatie of Bordeaux.
Berryman used the Bugatti extensively during the following year as he toured the neighboring countries. But as the only unmarried officer in his unit, when the requirement came to assign an officer to Saudi Arabia, Berryman was the logical choice. Unable to take the T57 with him, he shipped it back to the States. His friend Ken Purdy stored the car for him until his homecoming in 1954.
During Berryman’s absence Purdy had arranged to have the engine and transmission rebuilt. When Berryman returned from his Arabian assignment, he repainted the car with several coats of lacquer, a paint job that would serve it well for over 40 years. He drove it regularly while he was home; he courted his future wife in it. Frequent Air Force assignments meant he had to store the Bugatti in his father-in-law’s Pennsylvania barn in 1960. He would not retrieve it until 1996, at which time he and the car moved up to San Juan Island, off the coast of Washington, following his retirement.
In retirement Berryman recommissioned the Bugatti. Both his daughters used it for their weddings. He showed it at many local events. The car was something of a rarity even among Bugattis, and noted marque expert Sandy Leith believed Berryman’s Van Vooren T57 to be the only two-owner full-size Bugatti in the United States. And it was as such that the car was known in Bugatti circles.
Now, sadly, it is known for another reason. In early September, as Berryman prepared the car for a local concours, tragedy struck. And to say that our friend Murphy and his immutable law might have had a hand in the car’s plight would not be far from the truth.
Berryman was having difficulty starting the car, and unbeknownst to him, gasoline had flowed from the carburetor onto the carpet beneath. He finally resorted to starter fluid, and when the car turned over it backfired, igniting the gas that had now permeated the carpet. Because the T57 was parked behind Berryman’s everyday driver, he couldn’t get it out of the space. By the time he returned with the right keys, the blaze had consumed the entire garage. The intense heat destroyed the ash firewall and aluminum portions of the engine and body. And though the garage’s tile roof contained the fire and kept it from spreading to the nearby house, those same heavy tiles fell one by one onto the Bugatti, inflicting additional damage. In what must be the ultimate twisting of the knife, Berryman had not reviewed his insurance for several years, and his coverage—roughly $80,000—was a fraction of the car’s current $500,000 market value.
Though situations like Berryman’s aren’t common, McKeel Hagerty, CEO of Hagerty Collector Car Insurance, has seen them before. “Had Berryman known the value of his car had risen, he probably would have raised his coverage,” he says. He advises against trying to save money by underinsuring, and maintains that agreed value coverage is always the best way to go, with regular policy review. In fact, Hagerty says his company and other collector car insurers make suggestions when it might be time to raise coverage, based upon the market.
Assuming Berryman gets a check from his insurance company, the car will likely be written off. And though he’ll probably have the option to buy the Bugatti back, Hagerty suggests the hassles involved could be mighty. And then what? The car could be restored, but at a cost right out of Berryman’s pocket.
If Grover Berryman could turn back the clock, there is obviously a long list of things he would have done differently to prevent this loss. And other collectors should learn from his misfortune. The dangers of using starter fluid in an enclosed area can’t be overstated. And please, periodically review your insurance coverage to make sure it does you justice should Murphy ever cast his ruinous eyes in your direction.
