1937 Bugatti Type 57SC Sports Tourer

Vanden Plas bodied just two Type 57S chassis. It is believed that this example, chassis number 57541, was ordered by George Rand via Colonel Sorel, the London agent on Brixton Road. Rand had recently been appointed Bugatti agent in New York. It was given a four-seat touring roadster body by Vanden Plas and finished in gray with red accents. It was given cut-down doors and an appearance similar to the Vanden Plas 4-1/4-liter Bentley Tourer body delivered to Malcolm Campbell in April of 1936. Its design is also similar to the 4.3-liter short chassis Alvis body built in 1937.

The completed car was shipped to New York, where it may have been used in the A.R.C.A. races on September 25, 1937. After Rand could not find a buyer for the car, it was sent back to England and shown on the Bugatti stand at the London Motor Show held at the Olympia from October 13 to 22, 1938. It was given registration number FGW 384 on November 3rd, 1938.

The first English owner is not known, nor is the length of time that it stayed in England. Bugatti expert Pierre-Yves Laugier suggests that it may have come into the care of Herman H. Harjes, Jr. of Paris by the end of 1938.

During the war, its whereabouts vanished. Near the close of the war, it appeared for sale at the Continental Car garage owned by Rodney Clarke. In 1947, it had no less than three owners, namely Rodney Clarke, Brian Finglass, and Sir Alfred McAlpine, all of whom were managers of Continental Cars. It was later sold to Jack Robinson, who exported it to Trinidad, where it was registered as PB 371.

According to Pierre-Yves Laugier, when Robinson purchased the car, it was equipped with a Type 35B 3-blade racing supercharger. Additionally, major work had been done on the car, including fitting a new crankcase, cylinder block, crankshaft, pistons, and connecting rods.

The car remained in Mr. Robinson's care for more than three decades. It was sold to Peter Agg in 1985. A complete restoration soon followed. The work included removing the Type 35B supercharger and replacing it with a correct Type 57, bringing it up to factory correct 57SC specification. Hydraulic brakes were fitted, and the car was repainted in the light metallic blue color that it wears today.

The previous owner acquired the car in 1995. The current owner acquired the car in 2016 and has returned it to its original specification, complete with its original Vanden Plas body panels and original engine.

By Daniel Vaughan | Mar 2019