Bugatti Type 57

A little history

Bugatti entered the Thirties with an intricate range that didn’t make much logic for a low-volume manufacturer as the Alsacian company was. Starting in 1934 a single product replaced all previous models: the Type 57.

Based around the reliable 3.3-litre straight eight engine, the Type 57, or T57 in short, still featured rigid axles front and rear, a concession to Bugatti’s tradition that caused some disappointments among motorists. Apart from this detail the T57 was a brilliant car, which 135 bhp promised good performance, with notably a top speed in excess of 150 kph. To make things even better, due to the interesting rate of the French Franc at that time, it was a bargain on some export markets, notably in Great Britain.

Many variants of the T57 were built, the best known being the T57S with a lowered chassis, the T57C fitted with a Roots compressor, and a rare T57SC which combining the characteristics of the previous two models. Furthermore, with Bugatti then shying away from Grand Prix racing due to the domination of German teams Mercedes-Benz and Auto Union, most of its racing cars from that time were sportscars based on the T57.

Though it was possible to buy a bare chassis in order to have a one-off body built by a specialized coachbuilder, the T57 proposed a range of extremely attractive factory-designed bodies, notably the elegant Atalante and the rakish Atlantic, which are today much sought after by wealthy collectors.

Unfortunately, the T57 is also linked to a tragedy that sealed the company’s future. While testing the T57 that had just won the Le Mans 24-hour race on a road supposedly closed to traffic, Jean Bugatti, the company’s main engineer and designer, and heir of founder Ettore Bugatti, swerved to avoid an irresponsible bicycle rider, crashed into a tree and was instantly killed.

Several hundreds of T57 were built until 1940, while a handful of T101, based on this pre-war model but fitted with an updated body, were additionally constructed as late as the early Fifties.

About the models

Model: Bugatti T57G Spyder
Year: 1937
Event: 1937 Le Mans 24 Hours, driven by Jean-Pierre Wimille and Robert Benoist (finished 1st)
Maker: Ixo
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Altaya as no.19 of its Les Plus Belles Voitures des 24 Heures du Mans press series
Acquired: brand new, in June 2004, in Souillac, France

Altaya released this model among its “24 Heures du Mans” collection some years ago now. Though Ixo’s model is quite correct, the original wire wheels have been replaced by cheaper… things… well, I don’t really know how to call them, but I do know that they spoil most of the car’s beauty. I certainly won’t give more than 11/20 for this – and I’m perhaps generous here.









Model: Bugatti T57SC Atlantic
Year: 1938
Maker: Ixo
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Altaya as no.18 of its Voitures Classiques press series
Acquired: brand new, in August 2006, in Souillac, France

Another Altaya release, and this time a much better one. Not surprisingly this model compares favourably to Solido’s rendition of the same car, which is now a collector’s classic but definitely shows that it has been designed decades ago. Altaya’s version is finished in a beautiful blue – any other colour for this particular model would have been tantamount to criminal. Wire wheels are rather “thick” though, an inescapable fact due to Altaya’s cost-cutting choices. My rating is 13/20.





Model: Bugatti T57S Atalante
Year: 1939
Maker: Solido
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Solido
Acquired: second hand with stand but without box, in December 2008, in Brive, France

A recent addition to my collection, this is the well-known Solido version of the Atalante. Though simple by today’s standards, the model still looks rather nice. I’m lucky enough that mine is painted in a beautiful black and blue combination – as indicated, it’s a second hand model, so I didn’t have much choice – as not all Solido’s Atalante look this nice, or authentic. Though some details would be better reproduced should the model be designed today, it still deserves a place on any collector’s shelves. I’d give it a 12/20.







Model: Bugatti T57C Spyder
Year: 1939
Event: 1939 Le Mans 24 Hours, driven by Jean-Pierre Wimille and Pierre Veyron (finished 1st)
Maker: Ixo
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Ixo "24 Heures du Mans" series
Acquired: brand new, in December 2007, in Manila, Philippines

This model shows all the difference there can be between a genuine Ixo and a cheaper Altaya-distributed one. This 1939 racer is fitted with very nice wire wheels – in my humble opinion an Ixo specialty – that do much to make it a true gem. Other details, notably inside the cockpit, are beautifully done too. A very nice model which undoubtedly deserves a 14/20.

(I'll replace the following picture as soon as I find in which carton this model can be.)

Bugatti Type 46 and Type 50

A little history

The Type 46 and its variant the Type 50 were the largest Bugattis ever made, apart for the gigantic Type 41 “Royale” obviously.

Launched in 1929, the T46 was a heavy car – most models, depending on the body fitted, weighed around a ton and a half – powered by a large 5.4-litre straight eight with a single overhead camshaft. A 140 bhp output was probably too little to propel the hefty coupes and saloons built on the T46’s chassis, so Bugatti introduced a more potent version, the T46S, one year later. Despite a Roots compressor, the engine could still do no better than 160 bhp.

In order to provide the car with the performances Bugatti customers were expecting, the Molsheim company launched the T50 in 1931. Though its engine was smaller – at 5.0-litre still – a squarer bore/stroke ratio, a double overhead camshaft and a standard compressor enabled it to boast a then impressive 225 bhp. Performances were predictably good, but this came with a price – quite literally, as many Bugatti customers couldn’t afford the towering price tag. Only about 65 were ever built until the model retired, along with its “smaller” sister the T46, to be both replaced by the more reasonable T57.

About the model

Model: Bugatti T50 Profilée
Year: 1932
Maker: Ixo
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Altaya as no.35 of its Voitures Classiques press series
Acquired: brand new, in April 2007, in Souillac, France

Altaya chose to have Ixo reproduce the famous “Profilée” coupe, with its rakish windshield. If I’m not mistaking it was one of Jean Bugatti’s earliest designs, and quite a promising one, though the body was more elegant than truly aerodynamic as it was intended to be. The wings, moulded out of plastic, feel a little light, but the rest of the car is quite nicely reproduced, deserving a 14/20.

Bugatti EB110

A little history

After Italian businessman Romano Artioli bought the right to the Bugatti name in 1987, the company was revived in Modena at the end of 1991. Though it would have obviously been unconceivable that a late-20th century sports car would be fitted with the traditional Bugatti rigid front axle as a hint to a glorious past, the new EB110 was nothing more than a brand new GT with an old and prestigious name attached to it. This doesn’t mean the car was a bad one – very far from that. Introduced in Paris on September 15, 1991, the exact day of Ettore Bugatti’s 110th birth anniversary – hence the name – the EB110 was advertised as the most technologically advanced GT in the world and, with its 3.5-litre V12 fitted with four turbochargers, providing 542 hp to drive the four wheels through a six-speed gearbox, the claim was probably true. On top of a carbon fibre chassis designed by aeronautical company Aérospatiale was placed a striking body penned by the famed Marcello Gandini. In 1992, an even faster EB110, the “SS” variant, was introduced. With almost 600 hp, the lightened SS could flirt with the 350 kph mark, and accelerated from 0 to 100 kph in a stunning 3.2 seconds.

The EB110 was launched with fanfare and, despite a lofty price tag (up to 350,000 dollars), at first generated enough orders to justify Artioli’s grand dreams. By the end of 1993, a four-door prototype, the EB112, had been presented. Furthermore, famous British manufacturer Lotus had been acquired from General Motors through one of Artioli’s holding companies. Alas, this activity just concealed Bugatti’s poor financial health. Recession on the EB110’s most important markets pulled the sales down. In September 1995, bankrupt Bugatti Automobili SpA was liquidated.

About the model

Considering Bburago’s traditional disdain for details, its EB110 is rather nice. Though the absence of door windows is noticeable, the overall shapes of the car are well rendered. Even reduced twenty-four times in size, the car’s lines are still remarkable – Gandini never lost his flair since the Miura! A permanent concern, Bburago’s tyres are always too wide – no problem here, as the original EB110’s rubbers are themselves gigantic. Doors and engine compartment can be opened, and front wheels can be steered. On the other hand, the cockpit is Bburago’s usual collection of thick dark plastic parts, very toy-ish in appearance – better keep your eyes on the outside. My rating is 12/20.

Model: Bugatti EB110
Year: 1991
Maker: Bburago
Scale: 1/24
Distributed by: Bburago, "Bijoux Collection" series
Acquired: brand new, in April 2003, in Brive, France