Bugatti Type 57
1934–1940 · Bugatti Type 57 — Grand Tourer, Inline-8, designed by Jean Bugatti.
The Story
The Type 57 is Jean Bugatti’s grand statement — the car that turned Bugatti from a maker of racers and royal follies into a builder of the world’s finest grand tourers. Launched in 1934 around a new 3.3-litre twin-cam straight-eight, it came in a family of factory bodies — the Ventoux coupé, Atalante fastback, Stelvio cabriolet and Galibier saloon — and in lowered, supercharged 57S and 57C forms that are among the most coveted cars on earth.
Some 710 were built between 1934 and 1940, making the Type 57 the most successful pre-war Bugatti — and the platform that gave the world the 57SC Atlantic. It is bound up with tragedy too: Jean Bugatti was killed in 1939, aged 30, testing a Type 57 tank racer near Molsheim.
For Studio Motors, the Type 57 is the accessible-but-serious entry to pre-war Bugatti ownership — with the 57S, 57SC and Atalante at the very top of the collector pyramid.
The Numbers
Benchmarked against its class
Each dial ranks this car within its Grand Tourer class — fuller means higher, and the tick marks the class midpoint.
Signature Colors
The Designer
Jean Bugatti
Ettore’s eldest son and the artistic force behind Bugatti’s most beautiful 1930s coachwork, including the Atlantic. Killed in 1939, aged 30, testing a Type 57 tank near Molsheim. Sources: Wikipedia (Bugatti).
Studio Motors POV
The gateway to pre-war Bugatti — broad enough to actually trade, deep enough to contain genuine grails. For most collectors it’s the smartest way into the marque’s golden age; for the serious, it’s the 57S or nothing.
The Engine
Bugatti Straight-8 (Type 57, 3.3 DOHC)
Lineage
Where it sits in the bloodline
Market & Value
Values on cars like this move monthly. Our brokers price from real transactions.
What Reviewers Said About Type 57
Worth Knowing About the Type 57
3 Things You Didn’t Know
- 1) Jean Bugatti died in 1939 testing a Type 57-based racer — the marque never fully recovered.
- 2) The supercharged, lowered 57S/57SC are the grails; the Atalante fastback is among the most admired bodies ever drawn.
- 3) A 57S Atalante sat untouched in a Newcastle garage for 48 years before selling for €3.4M in 2009.
5 Fast Facts
- • 710 built (1934–1940) — the most-produced pre-war Bugatti.
- • 3.3L twin-cam straight-8; 135–200 hp (57S/SC supercharged).
- • Bodies: Ventoux, Atalante, Stelvio, Galibier.
- • 57S 'barn-find' (chassis 57502) sold €3.4M in 2009.
- • Designed by Jean Bugatti.
Provenance
Owners & what to look for
Famous Owners
Francis Curzon, 5th Earl Howe — the racing peer — originally owned the 57S Atalante (chassis 57502) that, after 48 years hidden in a Newcastle garage, became one of the great barn-find sales of the modern era (€3.4M, 2009). Fashion designer Ralph Lauren is the foremost Type 57 collector, owning the last 57SC Atlantic (chassis 57591) — see the Atlantic page.
Studio Buyer’s Brief
The one pre-war Bugatti you can actually buy in numbers — but values fan out enormously: a standard Ventoux saloon is a fraction of a 57S, and the supercharged S/SC and Atalante coupés are the grails. Matching numbers, original coachwork and documented history decide everything. Beware rebodied or ‘improved’ cars.
Full Specifications
- Make / Model
- Bugatti Type 57
- Class
- Grand Tourer
- Production years
- 1934–1940
- Units built
- 710 (all Type 57); 43 Type 57S ‘Surbaissé’
- Variants
- 57S, 57C, 57SC, Ventoux, Atalante, Stelvio, Galibier
- Engine layout
- Front
- Engine
- Inline-8
- Engine family
- Bugatti Straight-8 (Type 57, 3.3 DOHC)
- Displacement
- 3.3 L (3,257 cc) DOHC straight-8
- Power
- 200 hp
- Torque
- lb-ft
- 0–60 mph
- s
- Top speed
- 130 mph
- Power-to-weight
- 182 hp/tonne · 12.1 lb/hp
- Transmission
- 4-speed manual
- Drivetrain
- Rear-wheel drive · Petrol
- Curb weight
- 2425 lb
Questions
Type 57 FAQ
How many Bugatti Type 57s were built?
Seven hundred and ten across all variants from 1934 to 1940, making it the most-produced pre-war Bugatti. Of those, 43 were the lowered-chassis Type 57S and just 4 were the coachbuilt Atlantic.
Who designed the Bugatti Type 57?
Jean Bugatti, Ettore’s son, who engineered the car and its most iconic body styles including the Atalante and Atlantic. Jean died in 1939 testing a Type 57-based racer; the marque never fully recovered.
Can you buy a Bugatti Type 57 today?
With 710 built, it is the most-produced pre-war Bugatti and trades more frequently than rarer models. Standard Ventoux coupes can be found in the high six figures, while the lowered 57S commands several million at auction.
What is the Bugatti Type 57S Atalante barn find?
In 2008, a 1937 Type 57S Atalante was discovered in a Newcastle garage after 48 years, untouched. It sold at Retromobile in 2009 for 3.4M euros, becoming one of the most famous barn-find sales in automotive history.
Bugatti Type 57 vs Type 57SC Atlantic — what is the difference?
The Type 57 is the base grand tourer produced in 710 examples. The 57SC Atlantic is a coachbuilt derivative on a lowered, supercharged chassis, with only 4 built, making it exponentially rarer and more valuable.
The Bugatti Lineup
Explore every Bugatti
Type 55 ’32Type 57 ’34Type 57SC Atlantic ’36
Chiron ’16La Voiture Noire ’19
Divo ’20Centodieci ’22Bolide ’24W16 Mistral ’24Tourbillon ’26
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