by Ross Finlay (21 Dec 03)

In a preliminary note, the publishers of the "enlarged and revised" edition of Barrie Price’s book on the Type 57 Bugatti offer an apology:

"A number of the photographs and line illustrations used in this book are of poor original quality or have, over the years, become damaged or marked: such faults are reflected in the quality of the reproduction."

Well, that’s fair comment, but it’s better to have as many as possible of these magnificent machines illustrated rather than having them ignored because the photographic prints aren’t perfect. In any case, even the happy-snap shots aren’t as bad as the description suggests.

Now at 240 pages and with more than 300 illustrations, the book benefits from having masses of black-and-white period photographs rather than more modern, specially posed colour shots, which never have quite the same atmosphere.

It is mostly a picture book, although there are brisk descriptions of the design and building of Bugatti’s highest-volume model of the last pre-war decade, from the first drawings dated 1932; of the work of the various coachbuilders involved with the Type 57; of the Type 59 Grand Prix car developed from it, as well as the 57 and 57S sports-racers, and the Type 64 designed as a replacement production model, although that project had to be abandoned at the outbreak of WW2.

Not Entirely Ettore

It’s remarkable that Ettore Bugatti himself had comparatively little to do with the design and development of the Type 57, because he was so involved at the time with the super-fast Bugatti railcars. It was left to his 23 year-old son Jean to supervise the Type 57 project.

As well as the factory’s own body styles - a number of them like the Galibier, Ventoux and Stelvio named after mountain passes - many of the Type 57s were clothed by specialist coachbuilders eager to get their share of the prestige brought by working with the most glamorous high-performance marque of the era.

Gangloff and Graber, Figoni & Falaschi, Sodomka of Prague, Letourner & Marchand, Chapron and Labourdette were only some of the Continental coachbuilders commissioned to work on the Type 57. And a surprising number of British firms got in the act too. They included not just the ones you might expect - Vanden Plas, James Young, Corsica and so on - but lesser lights like Charles Clark of Wolverhampton.

Of all the body designers who tried their hand at the Type 57, there are absolutely no prizes for guessing that the most way-out styling came from Saoutchik. On the other hand, Corsica of London built probably the finest-looking road-going 57S of them all.

More British Interest

It’s notable how many British owners from a roll call which included the likes of Earl Howe (seen having a casual open-door picnic lunch in his beautiful Atalante coupé during a race meeting at Donington), Sir Malcolm Campbell and Glen Kidston competed in their Type 57s. There are pictures of cars taking part in the Bugatti Owners Club hillclimb at Prescott, in rallies and even in the sand races at St Andrews.

From a competition point of view, the really big stuff, of course, involves the streamlined works team cars at Rheims and Montlhéry, and, in particular, the supercharged 57S which won the Le Mans 24-Hour Race in 1939, driven by Jean-Pierre Wimille and Pierre Veyron - understandably tired-looking in the post-race picture and not quite showing a film-star appearance as in earlier shots. Of course, he’s the man after whom the new Bugatti Veyron, due to be introduced in 2004, is so appropriately named.

There’s a rather sad final chapter on the Type 101, the 57’s hoped-for post-war replacement. After Le Patron’s death, it was displayed for the first time at the 1950 Paris Show, but the time was anything but ripe for the launch of a car like this.

It’s worth bearing in mind, though, that even the post-war Jaguar XK120, when fitted with a standard engine rather than the tweaked version of the press road test cars, couldn’t beat the straight-line performance of a Type 57.

Bugatti 57 is written by Barrie Price, who’s been a member of the Bugatti Owners Club since 1952 and is fortunate enough to number a Type 57SC Atalantic as his own first Bugatti. He’s also chairman of the Bugatti Trust, as well as being the man who keeps the Lea Francis name alive.

Published by Veloce, the book is on sale at £35. More details on www.veloce.co.uk.

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