The Beauty Of A Coach-Built Bugatti

One of one. The single example. It’s the only way that an enthusiast who craves the absolute best can be happy.

Commissioning a custom built car or a bespoke version of an existing model today requires quite serious financial investment, just as it did back in the day. The French doctor that had the Swiss/French coachbuilder Gangloff sculpt a custom coupe body for his Type 57S Bugatti obviously wanted to stand out on the road, and in 1937 when this car was built, it must have looked like something from another planet.

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Behind the luxurious two-seater’s chrome grille is a Bugatti 3.3-liter straight-eight developing 135hp, which was good for a top speed of about 100mph.

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And check out the five exhaust pipes that stick out the back like an ensemble of Tommy guns.

Bugatti-Pebble-16-05

It’s probably hard to truly understand from the pictures, but this Type 57S sits low. It’s also so different from other cars that were on the road in Europe in the late ’30s.

Stunning is a good way to describe it, and just like the Alfa Romeo Giulietta SS we recently looked at, it does make you miss the days when form was at the forefront of automobile design, and everything was done so elegantly.

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The cabin is beautifully appointed in smooth leather, white carpeting, wood and chrome, and it smelled like it had many stories to tell.

There are only a handful of manufacturers today that are able to conjure up the same feelings and emotions this vintage bespoke Bugatti does. Can you name a few?

Dino Dalle Carbonare
Instagram: speedhunters_dino
dino@speedhunters.com

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1

Look! Already with a rocket bunny kit!

lol.

THESE are the coach builders. What a stunning piece of automotive history. 
As for the last question... Eagle does some really beautiful things with E-types.

2

Looks amazing! I remember the name Gangloff as a kid in Switzerland, there was a branch in Bern that built Trolleybuses. They separated from the French branch in the 30's though.
Now there is a new Gangloff inspired Bugatti concept.

3

chassis no. 57532 right ? I'm glad that car got her spoked wheels back.
That car has quite a story. Confiscated to a local shop near Paris by the nazis in profit of general Carl-Heinrich von Stülpnagel. It was stolen by a group of french people and was ultimately hidden in our family barn under hay stack by my grand-uncle. He was killed later (by allies, ironically) and my grandfather got hold of it and owned it for a few years after WWII.

Although he loved it, he auctionned it in 1948. As a father of 6 it wasn't a practical car and it didn't see as much use as he would have liked to.

4
speedhunters_dino

oPignonLibre That story just blew my mind! That's incredible, thanks so much for sharing!

5
speedhunters_dino

koko san Yeah really doesn't look the same though...

6
elliottrosscullingford

+1 amazing story and an amazing car that's survived all that

7

speedhunters_dino I so wish I could buy it back but that ain't gonna happen anytime soon :

8

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9

Does anyone else see the lines of the original bat mobile?beautiful car none the less

10

oPignonLibre dude are you serious!!! THIS car was in your family?, WOW

11

koko san I'm getting more Alfa 8C vibes from that concept.

12

Not to complain, but this is all the photos you have of this? I would really like a hundred more to study in detail...so beautiful!

13

@FunkyChild Even for the younger crowd, present them with something with this much class, and everyone can't help but respect it.
I tried to explain real class to someone, and brought up Escalades. The level of "class" in an Escalade compared to a hand-built pre-war Bugatti is light-years apart.
For instance, if you had a date for the red carpet, say, the Oscars. Limo? Or this? Roll up in this and even royalty would take notice.

14

mikum Yeah My grandfather later owned several Talbot Lago T26 which I believe were the fastest 4 doors production cars of the early 50's, using the same engine as the Talbot Lago T26C grand prix car and T26GS Le Mans racer.

Only thing left when we emptied the attic are a Talbot Lago front bumper and a set of dedicated custom luggage.
The family business got downhill over the years having troubles to adapt to the mass distribution market and with it the cars prestige.

15

I draw Bugattis Type 57 as a hobby and I draw this particular car at the moment. I already have a sketch ready. Thanks for sharing those pics! I will definately use the visible details on the drawing ☺

16

koko san that's pretty sick, kinda looks like a fancy alfa 8c with a Veyron side scoop. however fresh none the less

17

@gusbo I might be interested in a print of that drawing !

18
speedhunters_dino

D1RGE EXE So true

19
speedhunters_dino

TheGentleman Totally!

20
speedhunters_dino

D1RGE EXE Haha sorry it was only a quick spotlight! I would kill for an afternoon with this car, probably spend a good hour looking at that straight eight

21
speedhunters_dino

@gusbo Do share once its finished!

22

koko san  That is one gorgeous car

23

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24

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25

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26

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27

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28

Those beautiful details, like the license plate window.. a very personal car. So much elegance in this car.

29

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30

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31

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32

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33

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34

Can someone explain the logic of 5 pipes? Seems like a strange number unless this was a 5 or 10 cylinder car...I'm not sure what the engine was?

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