Description
The first Type 57C to be delivered to a customer
Matching Numbers Engine
Technology overhauled for over CHF 200, 000
Unique “Art Deco” bumpers
From 1937 onwards, the Type 57 was available with a Roots supercharger, which increased the power output to 160 hp.
The Type 57C is considered the best version of all Type 57 engines because the relatively low boost pressure benefited performance and elasticity.
The Type 57C (C for Compresseur) was presented at the Paris Salon in October 1936.
Dr. Jacques Kocher, a surgeon from Valence and one of Bugatti's best customers (ordering a total of 14 cars by 1938), ordered our Type 57C with Stelvio bodywork right there at the trade fair stand.
One special feature is the engine number "2C". This is the second supercharged engine built. Number "1C" was installed in the demonstration vehicle (Type 57C Ventoux) for the trade fair.
On February 9, 1937, Dr. Kocher took delivery of the Stelvio along with a Type 57S Atalante, which he had also ordered at the Paris Salon.
Our car is therefore the first Type 57C to be delivered to a customer.
As usual, Dr. Kocher drove his new car for about a year and then traded it in for the new model.
The next owners were all in France: Paris, Nice, and then Paris again.
In 1964, Bernard Delbreil-Berges, a well-known collector from southwestern France, acquired the Bugatti and kept it for over 40 years.
It was his preferred vehicle for international rallies, where he always drove the Type 57C in a manner befitting its status.
We have a report on the history of Pierre-Yves Laugier, including old photos.
From 2016 to 2020, the vehicle underwent a comprehensive restoration. The work is documented with photographs and was carried out by what is arguably the best workshop for these vehicles in Switzerland.
The car is registered in Germany.
