BUGATTI Type 57 1934-1940 Photos, engines & full specs

Maybe not as famous as its brother 57 SC Atlantic, the 57 S was the base model that led to the rarest Bugatti in the world, the SC version. But all the lines started in 1934 with the 57S version.

After winning races around the world, the Bugatti established itself as a car-manufacturer able to produce the finest cars built for speed and endurance. “Le Patron” from the Molsheim factory understood that a lower center of gravity improves the cornering speed. In 1934 Bugatti launched the 57S version, where the S came from the “Sourbaisse”, which means lowered.

A curved chassis allowed the car to sit lower to the ground and allowed the coachbuilders to create sleeker bodyworks. The long hood, curved fenders, and small cabin made it a performance car that was hard to catch on those times. Some 57S were custom-built, but some had bodies from the Bugatti's Molsheim factory.

The interior was fitted with two seats moved far in the back, just a little bit in front of the rear axle. To do that, the steering column was long and the instrument panel was installed on the other side of the dash panel.

The engine featured a double overhead camshaft (DOHC) with three valves per cylinder (one intake and two exhaust) that offered 135 hp. It was mated to a 4-speed manual gearbox.