1937 Bugatti Type 57
Seller's description
French title
Chassis n° 57547
Engine n° 384
Chassis n° 57547
Engine n° 384
- Rare original condition
- Known, continuous history
- Ex-Peugeot family
- Known, continuous history
- Ex-Peugeot family
The Type 57 rolling chassis with engine 384 was assembled at the factory in April 1937 along with eight other Type 57 chassis and one new Type 57C model. Its Ventoux four-seater coach body was completed in the workshop on 22 April 1937. The vehicle was described in the log as : "Coach 57/384. 22.4.37. Vert Mousse cuir havane."
This type of Ventoux coachwork, the third to be built on this chassis, featured a bonnet design with three rows of five vertical vents. A total of less than 30 examples were produced between October 1936 and June 1937. Recorded in pencil in the monthly sales register is : "57547-384 Paris. 23.4.37", and on top in ink "Créquy. 4.5.37". Créquy and Cornette ran the Bugatti dealership in Lille, with a garage at 59 rue d'Artois. The city's upper classes from the textile industry made a good, faithful clientèle. Chassis 57547 was registered new on the date indicated in the sales register, 4 May 1937, with registration number 3361 MD 3. The lucky first owner was Jean Barthelemy, who lived at 74 boulevard de Paris, in Roubaix, today known as boulevard du Général de Gaulle. It was the only Bugatti he ever owned. He may have been related to Marcel Barthelemy, also from Roubaix, who was an insurer, and the only other Bugatti enthusiast of this name in the departement. He had owned at least seven Bugatti between 1924 and 1934 : a 16-valve, Type 30, Type 38, Grand Sport 2,3 litres, 3 litres and two 5-litre Type 46s. It is quite possible that he passed on his passion to Jean Barthelemy, who kept his green Bugatti until 1946.
On 1 October 1946 it was registered, still in the North of France, in the name of Pierre Wandewynckele, 75 rue de Wervicq in Bousbeque. This address corresponds to the commune where his father Ignace Wandewynckele (1898-1976) owned a textile factory and laundry business. The industrialist was part of the Lille bourgeoisie.
On 18 December 1948, Pierre Wandewynckele had his Bugatti registered at the new address of 29 avenue de Verdun in Marcq-en-Barœul. The house had a spacious garage more suitable for the car.
On 27 November 1950, the Bugatti left the mists of the north to head to the capital, where it was registered 4300 N 75 in the name of Raymond Dupont, of 17 rue Henri Barbusse, in the 5th arrondissement of Paris. The new owner was an entrenpreneur dealing in paint and glazing who was passionate about Bugatti : in December 1951, after buying the Ventoux, he became the owner of a sublime Atalante Gangloff 57S, chassis 57532. In April 1952, Raymond Dupont disposed of his two first Bugatti through the intermediary René Hermanns, a marque specialist based in Asnières, so that he could buy a sensible Type 57 saloon that he used until 1958. The sale is recorded by an invoice in the name of JJ Peugeot, dated 22 March 1952, indicating a sale price of 150.000 French Francs.
On 7 April 1952, the Ventoux 57547 left Paris for the Franche-Comté area, where it was registered in the name of Jean-Jacques Peugeot, at his property 11 rue Pasteur in Audincourt. The Bugatti was given the registration number 537 AE 25.
On 18 December 1948, Pierre Wandewynckele had his Bugatti registered at the new address of 29 avenue de Verdun in Marcq-en-Barœul. The house had a spacious garage more suitable for the car.
On 27 November 1950, the Bugatti left the mists of the north to head to the capital, where it was registered 4300 N 75 in the name of Raymond Dupont, of 17 rue Henri Barbusse, in the 5th arrondissement of Paris. The new owner was an entrenpreneur dealing in paint and glazing who was passionate about Bugatti : in December 1951, after buying the Ventoux, he became the owner of a sublime Atalante Gangloff 57S, chassis 57532. In April 1952, Raymond Dupont disposed of his two first Bugatti through the intermediary René Hermanns, a marque specialist based in Asnières, so that he could buy a sensible Type 57 saloon that he used until 1958. The sale is recorded by an invoice in the name of JJ Peugeot, dated 22 March 1952, indicating a sale price of 150.000 French Francs.
On 7 April 1952, the Ventoux 57547 left Paris for the Franche-Comté area, where it was registered in the name of Jean-Jacques Peugeot, at his property 11 rue Pasteur in Audincourt. The Bugatti was given the registration number 537 AE 25.
Jean-Jacques Peugeot (1899-1984) Born on 10 April 1899 in the commune of Valentigney, Jean-Jacques Peugeot married Jacqueline Blech in 1925. The heir to one of the branches of Peugeot, he went on to manage Peugeot-Japy, a company fabricating parts for the textile industry. In 1929 he bought a Bugatti Type 44 saloon, then drives a Peugeot 402. For his daily use, he was required to use Peugeots and had a 203, and later a 403 and 404. His grand-son, Jean-François Bouzanquet, who was born in 1952, remembers the Bugatti in which he played as a child: " The car was black with tan leather interior. My grandfather had always dreamed of a Bugatti 57. He bought this car in the Paris region, and it proved to be a source of trouble. He drove it very little. It was maintained by Maurice Baroudel, the owner of the Central garage in Audincourt, who took out the engine as the block had frozen. It had been badly repaired with an aluminium strip, so a new block was ordered from Molsheim... ". JF Bouzanquet still owns the cracked block as a souvenir.
With a heavy heart, the little Jean-François watched the Bugatti leave one winter's day in 1961: the black saloon was sold on 21 February 1961 to a collector from Montbéliard by the name of Jean Rauch, an engineer at Automobiles Peugeot. In subsequent years he took part in numerous Bugatti meets, including those held by E.B.A. at Molsheim, every year in September from the 1980s. The car also took part in 1981 in celebrations to mark the centenary of the birth of Ettore Bugatti.
In 1995, JF Bouzanquet, now an adult, found himself with the means to buy back the Bugatti of his childhood from the collector from Montbéliard. The car had not changed and was still in its black livery with tan interior which had been conserved. The car officially became his on 15 June 1995. Sat behind the wheel, Mr Bouzanquet sped around the French roads finally being able to enjoy driving the family Bugatti. He had new wheels fitted, painted black. The car ran perfectly well and it was maintained by the Novo garage, with regular oil changes being the only requirement!
In January 2002, the Bugatti was sold to two enlightened enthusiasts from Lyon, Yves Anselin and Franck Levotre. A minor mechanical service (adjustment of the carburettor, hoses replaced, oil change) was carried out by the Novo garage in September 2002. In July 2004, the vehicle sold to Pierre-Marie Knoll, in the outskirts of Paris. This enthusiast started to collect cars and motorcycles some thirty years ago, beginning modestly with popular cars and over the years improving the quality of his collection in order to realise his ultimate dream : a Bugatti. We discovered the car in the barn of his property alongside a Delahaye 135 Cabriolet by Guilloré. The two cars have not been driven for the last three years, but remained protected and dry in the barn. Both cars were completely covered in dust, evoking an emotional thrill that only barnfinds can! This stunning Bugatti therefore only needs to be started up.
In 80 years of loyal service, this Ventoux coach had known only a small number of owners and has not been subjected to any alteration since new. The black paint on the car today is the original paint from 1952.
Contact Artcurial Motorcars for more details.
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