Information
• Matching numbers.
• First owner Louis Dapples, then chairman of the Nestlé board.
• One owner since 1985.
• Starring in the “Bugatti Collection” commercial in 1994.
• Old restoration by KCA (bodywork) and Torelli (mechanics), excellent condition.
• ASI and FIVA certified. Italian plates and booklet, in order and up to date.
• Very elegant and sporty, for concourses d’elegance and competitions.
• First owner Louis Dapples, then chairman of the Nestlé board.
• One owner since 1985.
• Starring in the “Bugatti Collection” commercial in 1994.
• Old restoration by KCA (bodywork) and Torelli (mechanics), excellent condition.
• ASI and FIVA certified. Italian plates and booklet, in order and up to date.
• Very elegant and sporty, for concourses d’elegance and competitions.
Specialist Notes
This example, chassis no. 57448 and engine no. 339, was delivered by the manufacturer as a bare chassis, model 57 (basis) on October 13, 1936 to the Swiss Bugatti agency, Bucar SA of Zurich, together with chassis 57446 and 57447, for the sum of 43,800 francs and was set up as drophead coupe from coachbuilder Graber. The specimen has a traced history; the first owner, who had ordered it from Bucar SA on October 8, 1936, was dr. Louis Dapples; banker, became chairman of Nestlé's board of directors in 1929 and represented Switzerland at the 1933 London International Economic Conference. The car, still in Switzerland, moved to the Geneva area and underwent several changes of ownership. In 1978 it was bought by Jean Victor Augfburger and, in the same year by Hans Matti, complete but in neglected condition. It remained in Switzerland until 1985, when it was imported into Italy, registered in Ravenna and purchased by the last owner who provided for a complete and detailed restoration, entrusted to the best specialists of the time: the KCA of G. Cappa for the bodywork and Gianni Torelli for the mechanical part. This last owner kept the car for thirty-seven years. Always maintained in perfect working order, it also starred in a commercial for the “Bugatti Collection” in 1994; it participates in meetings and events for historic cars and is presented today in exceptional condition. It is included in the 2009 Italian Bugatti Register book, created by the Bugatti Club Italia. ASI and FIVA certified.
The Bugatti Type 57 was unveiled at the 1934 Paris Motor Show. It was the only Bugatti model to be produced in S, C, and SC versions at the factory in Molsheim before the war. The Type 57S (Surbaissé version) was first introduced in 1935 and was a more sporting version of the car first released in 1934. Type 57C was a Roots type supercharger and type 57SC the most exclusive that combined the elements of the 57C and 57S. The Bugatti Type 57 was the first new model built under Jean Bugatti direction and it incorporated many features new to Bugatti. Its dual overhead camshaft eight-cylinder engine had dimensions of 72x100mm, offering 3,257cc displacement. It quickly grew a reputation for low noise and vibration from the engine. The crankshaft ran in five main bearings. The camshafts were driven by a train of helical-tooth gears at the engine's rear with a further crankshaft bearing behind them. Finger cam followers minimized side thrust on the valve stems. The Type 57 also marked Bugatti's first use of a transmission fixed to the engine crankcase and a single plate clutch. The top three gears in the four-speed gearbox were constant mesh. There were four-bodystyles offered and their names were in honor of the Alps Mountain peaks: Atalante two-seat coupé, Ventoux four-seat coupé, Stelvio cabriolet and the Galibier sedan vied with the best of France's and Europe's formidable coachbuilders' creations and comprised the bulk of Type 57 production. The most exclusive body fitted to the Type 57 was the Atlantic which was penned by Jean Bugatti on the Type 57SC chassis. The Type 57 can certainly be considered the most celebrated non-racing Bugatti ever built. Various coachbuilders built individual creations. The Type 57 proved to be Bugatti's most successful model, at 630 cars produced of the standard version and 40 of the Surbaissé version.
Coachbuilder Graber built nine Bugatti 57 4-seater cabriolets between 1934 and 1937. Chassis 57161 was the first; the others built in 1936 were chassis numbers 57394 - 57444 - 57448 (for sale in this lot) - 57483 and in 1937, chassis 57446 - 57447 - 57500 and 57539. For these cabriolets, the reference numbers of the Graber bodies ranged between 300 for chassis 57161 to 372 for the final chassis 57539. It seems that all these Graber Type 57s have survived. Their bodies all differ in detail. Chassis 57444 - 57448 - 57483 - 57446, in the order they were built, had a bonnet with three rows of three vertical louvers. The coachwork of chassis 57447 had five rows of five louvers placed at an angle, and 57500 was the only one to have five rows of vertical louvers. The bodies of 57171 - 57394 and 57539 were unique in their design.Condition report
To request a Condition Report, please contact automotive@finarte.it
The department will provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Please note that what Finarte declares with respect to the state of conservation of the objects corresponds only to a qualified opinion and that we are not professional conservators or restorers.
We urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. We always suggest prospective buyers to inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition during the exhibition days as indicated in the catalog.
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