The Type 57 chassis and engine were offered in several variants:
The original Type 57, produced from 1934 to 1940, was a touring car model. It utilized the 3.3 L engine from the Type 59 Grand Prix cars, producing 135 hp (100 kW) and capable of a top speed of 153 km/h (95 mph). Road-going versions weighed approximately 950 kg (2,090 lb) and had a wheelbase of 3,302 mm (130 in) and a track of 1,349 mm (53 in). Hydraulic brakes were introduced in 1938, a change Ettore Bugatti opposed. 630 examples of this variant were produced.
The "tuned" Type 57T variant offered enhanced performance, reaching speeds of up to 185 km/h (115 mph).
A racing variant, the Type 57C, was built between 1937 and 1940, with approximately 96 units produced. It used the same 3.3 L engine as the road-going Type 57 but, with the addition of a Roots-type supercharger, produced 160 hp (119 kW).
The second iteration of the Tank, based on the Type 57C, achieved victory at Le Mans again in 1939. Shortly after this win, Jean Bugatti was killed at age 30 when he crashed the winning car on the Molsheim-Strasbourg road while swerving to avoid a drunken bicyclist.
The Type 57S/SC variants are among the most recognized Bugatti cars. The "S" designation signified "Surbaissé" (lowered), and "C" indicated the presence of a supercharger, introduced due to customer demand for more power. These models featured a V-shaped dip in the radiator and mesh grilles on the engine compartment sides. Lowering the chassis involved significant engineering, including routing the rear axle through the rear frame and employing a dry-sump lubrication system to accommodate the engine under the lower hood. The 57S featured a near-independent front suspension, a concept Ettore Bugatti disliked.
Initially, only 43 "Surbaissé" cars and two supercharged Type 57SC models were manufactured. However, many 57S owners later opted to have superchargers installed at Molsheim, increasing engine output from 170 hp (125 kW) to 200 hp (147 kW) and raising the top speed from 201 km/h (125 mph) to 217 km/h (135 mph). These variants had a wheelbase of 2,979 mm (117 in), a track of 1,349 mm (53 in), and a weight of 950 kg (2,090 lb).
The Type 57S Atlantic featured flowing coupé lines and a distinctive dorsal seam running from front to back. Its design was inspired by Jean Bugatti's 1935 Aérolithe concept car, which was built on a shortened Type 57 chassis that would eventually become the Type 57S chassis. The Aérolithe used Elektron composite for its body panels, a lightweight and durable material that was highly flammable. This property necessitated the external riveting of the body panels, a technique borrowed from aviation, which created the signature seam.
The production Atlantics, of which only four were built, used plain aluminum but retained the dorsal seams for stylistic reasons. Three of the original four Atlantics are known to survive and have each undergone restoration. Two of these cars received "Best of Show" awards at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance in 1990 and 2003. The model was named after French pilot Jean Mermoz, who pioneered South Atlantic crossings and tragically crashed into the ocean in December 1936. Originally named "Coupé Aero," the model was renamed "Atlantic Coupé" by Jean Bugatti following Mermoz's disappearance.
While it was initially believed that only three Atlantic cars were manufactured, historian Pierre-Yves Laugier confirmed in 2004 that four were built.
This prototype, codenamed "Elektron Coupé" or "Competition Coupé," had a brief existence. Completed in late July 1935, it debuted at the Paris Motor Show four months later. The car was a realization of Jean Bugatti's Art Deco-inspired "SuperProfile coupé" design. Its unique shape attracted limited attention, contributing to the subsequent limited production of Atlantics. Drivers like William Grover-Williams offered tours of Paris in the vehicle, impressing passengers with its performance and appearance, leading to the name "La Aérolithe" ("Fast as a meteorite"). The prototype was displayed at the British International Motor Show in London until the spring of 1936, where it was frequently driven and tested by William Grover-Williams. Historians lose track of the car after this point, but it is believed to have been disassembled for components at the Bugatti factory in France. A 1:1 replica was constructed between 2008 and 2013 by The Guild of Automotive Restorers, using 11 photographs, 2 blueprints, and a painting.
Completed on September 2, 1936, this car was sold to Victor Rothschild. Painted a metallic gray-blue, it was reportedly built using components from the Aérolithe prototype, including chromed elements on the engine grille. In 1939, at Rothschild's request, a supercharger was fitted. He used the car until October 1941, when he abandoned it after the engine exploded due to a supercharger malfunction. A mechanic repaired it without the supercharger. In 1945, an American doctor purchased the car and brought it to the US, where it was sold to Mike Oliver. Oliver had the car modified to US specifications and painted dark red. In 1953, he had a replacement supercharger fitted by Bugatti. Before his death in 1970, Oliver sold the car to Briggs Cunningham. A year later, it was sold to collector Peter Williamson, who owned it for 32 years and restored it to its original state. It was exhibited at the 2003 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, winning "Best of Show." Williamson died in 2004, and in 2010, No. 57374 was sold for $30 million to a private collector associated with the Mullin Automotive Museum.
Also known as "La Voiture Noire" ("The Black Car"), this was the second Atlantic manufactured. Its history and current whereabouts are largely unknown, with experts estimating its value at around $114 million. On March 10, 1936, Nico E. Embiricos ordered a Bugatti Type 57S Coupé Aero, which was completed on August 24, 1936, and shipped to London. It was subsequently converted to a two-seater convertible racing body by Corsica Coachworks. The Coupé Aero bodywork was then mounted on chassis No. 57453. Being the only Atlantic factory-fitted with the "C" specification supercharger, No. 57453 was completed on October 3, 1936. Jean Bugatti, William Grover-Williams, and his wife Yvonne drove the car during the winter of 1936. It was photographed for the company's 1937 promotional catalogue and exhibited at the Nice and Lyon Motor Shows in the spring of 1937. Jean Bugatti drove the car until July 1937, when he gifted it to Robert Benoist after Benoist won the 1937 24 Hours of Le Mans. Benoist, a close friend of the Grover-Williamses, used the car with them. In the spring of 1940, they fled to England before the Germans occupied France, and the car was returned to the factory. No. 57453 never had a registered owner. The last mention of it was on a list of cars to be sent by train to Bordeaux on February 18, 1941. Jean Bugatti considered the Atlantic model, particularly No. 57453, his most innovative and valuable creation. In 2019, Bugatti introduced the one-off model "La Voiture Noire," sold for $19 million, as a modern representation of No. 57453 and a tribute to Jean Bugatti's design.
This second black Atlantic was finished on December 13, 1936, and delivered to Parisian businessman Jacques Holtzschuch. He and his wife won the "Grand Prix d'Honneur" award at the "Juan-Les-Pins Concours d'Elegance" event. Between 1939 and 1941, the car underwent significant styling changes, believed to be by Italian designer Giuseppe Figoni, making it differ from other Atlantics. Holtzschuch and his wife were killed by Nazis at the end of World War II, and the car was purchased by Robert Verkerke in 1949. Verkerke entered the car in a race in Nice but failed to finish. Over the next few years, No. 57473 had more than three additional owners. In 1952, it was sold to René Chatard, who had it painted pale blue. On August 22, 1955, Chatard and Janine Vacheron were killed when the car was hit by a train near Gien, France. The remains were purchased in 1963 by a French collector who began a full reconstruction, completed in 1977. Due to severe deterioration, most original components were replaced, substantially decreasing the car's value. In November 2006, No. 57473 was bought by an anonymous collector who commissioned Paul Russell and Co. to restore it to Chatard's specifications. In 2010, the restored car was exhibited at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, where it was considered a replica and did not win any prizes. Today, No. 57473 is part of the Torrota private collection in Spain.
This final production Atlantic was built for British tennis player Richard B. Pope and delivered on May 2, 1938. Registered as "EXK6," it was painted sapphire blue and featured a "facelift" at the front end and lacked rear fender covers, distinguishing it from other Atlantics. In 1939, Pope had the "C" specification supercharger fitted. He kept the car for nearly 30 years, occasionally loaning it to Bugatti specialist Barrie Price. Price bought the car in 1967 and owned it for 10 years. During this time, No. 57591 was involved in a minor crash and got stuck in a ditch. It was then handed to businessman Anthony Bamford and subsequently to another collector. In 1988, fashion designer Ralph Lauren bought the car and commissioned a complete restoration by Paul Russell and Co., which returned it to its 1938 condition, although it was painted black at Lauren's request. The car received "Best of Show" awards at Pebble Beach in 1990 and Villa d'Este in 2013. Shawn Henry evaluated No. 57591 at $100 million.
The Atalante was a two-door coupé body style built on the 57S chassis, similar to the Atlantic but featuring a single-piece windscreen and no fin. The name "Atalante" is derived from a heroine of Greek mythology. Only 17 Atalante cars were produced, with four residing in the Cité de l'Automobile Museum in Mulhouse, France. One Atalante, chassis number 57784, a 3-seater with aluminum bodywork by Vanvooren, is in the Museu do Caramulo in Portugal. Vanvooren also produced two other similar bodies: one (Chassis 57808) for the French government, given as a wedding gift in 1939, and another (Chassis 57749). These two cars are in private collections in the United States.
In 2008, a Bugatti Type 57S with chassis number 57502, built in 1937 with Atalante coachwork for Francis Curzon, 5th Earl Howe, was discovered in a private garage in Newcastle upon Tyne, where it had been stored for 48 years. It was auctioned in February 2009 at the Rétromobile motor show in Paris, fetching €3.4 million.
A special Type 57S45 variant used a 4,743 cc engine, similar to the Tank models.
The Type 57G Tank, based on the 57S chassis, won the 1936 French Grand Prix and the 1937 24 Hours of Le Mans. Three 57G Tanks were produced. Chassis number 57335, the Le Mans winner, is the only known example to exist and is displayed at the Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum in Philadelphia, US.