1937 Bugatti Type 57S Sports Tourer
Bugatti’s Type 57S employed a dramatically lowered chassis design that positioned the rear axle to pass through the frame rails rather than beneath them.
This “surbaissé” (lowered) configuration created a Grand Prix–inspired silhouette in a touring car form, with ground clearance so minimal that engineers divided the exhaust into six individual pipes with thin box silencers to prevent scraping. The distinctive V-shaped radiator complemented the rakish proportions.
Production remained extremely limited, with just 42 Type 57S chassis constructed between 1936 and 1938 before war and shifting priorities ended production. Factory coachwork was primarily handled by Gangloff of Colmar, with a few chassis bodied by other coachbuilders including Vanden Plas and Corsica.
The 3,257cc dual overhead camshaft straight-eight engine featured dry-sump lubrication derived from Bugatti’s Type 59 Grand Prix racer, with separate scavenge and pressure pumps feeding from a 20-liter (5.3-gallon) oil tank. High-compression pistons and special camshafts produced approximately 175 horsepower in naturally aspirated form.
The exceptionally rare supercharged Type 57SC variant added a Roots-type blower running at 1.17 times engine speed, producing about 5 to 6 psi of boost and raising output to around 200 horsepower at 4,500 rpm.
Land speed record holder Sir Malcolm Campbell praised the Type 57, calling it one of the finest all-around super-sports cars of its era.
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