Now available: Bugatti Chassis no. 57541 Engine no. 29S Body no. 3595
THE BUGATTI TYPE 57S AND SC
Bugatti’s line of “super sport” competition road models began with the superb Type 43 that was replaced by the legendary T55 and the concept would reach its zenith with Type 57S, where the S stood for surbaissé, or lowered – virtually a Grand Prix car in touring car guise. Offered as a competition sports car it was intended for use in events like the 24hrs of Le Mans – at which Bugatti would score two victories with the 57S-based “tanks”. Although the 57S shared a few features with its progenitor, the differences between the two models placed the 57S in a league of its own. The lowered stance required fitting a special crankcase with dry sump lubrication derived from the T59 GP car, including separate scavenge and pressure oil pumps supplied from a 20-liter tank. High compression pistons and special camshafts gave the new engine a significant performance edge, and the clutch a dual plate unit to cope with the extra output. Ignition was by a Scintilla Vertex magneto driven from the left-hand camshaft. With its low weight, abundant power and small frontal area, the 57S suddenly became a very, very fast automobile.
Vehicle highlights:
3,257cc DOHC Supercharged 8-Cylinder Engine Stromberg Carburetor and Roots-type Supercharger 200bhp at 4,500rpm
Even rarer than the Type 57S chassis that were bodied with Bugatti factory designs built by Gangloff in Colmar, were the very few that were handed over to outside coachbuilders. The car offered here is one of these ultimately rare cars. The Carrosserie Van den Plas was incorporated in Brussels in 1898. Automobile body manufacture commenced in 1900, and the company grew quickly. From about 1906, Metallurgique cars with Van den Plas bodies were imported into England by a company called Warwick Wright, which acquired the license to manufacture Van den Plas bodies and designs for the United Kingdom in 1910. In 1913, Vanden Plas (in two words) Ltd. was incorporated which then became a coachbuilding company in its own right.
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