CHASSIS NUMBER 57589: THE SINCEREST FORM OF FLATTERY

In 1938, Jean Bugatti and Molsheim bodywork leader Joseph Walter penned a new open Type 57, dubbed the Aravis in a nod to an Alpine mountain range, with a two-passenger interior, sharply raked windscreen, and a dramatically sloped tail with a small central dorsal fin. Construction was delegated to Gangloff’s coachworks in Colmar, and it is believed that no more than 12 examples were built, with just three remaining in existence. Considering, however, that Type 57s were also sold as rolling chassis to be clothed by the customer’s chosen coachbuilder, it is little surprise that several additional cars were built to specifications that aped the factory-contracted Aravis—imitation, of course, was and is the sincerest form of flattery.

Chassis number 57589, offered here, was completed at Molsheim in September 1937 and delivered in March 1938 to the revered Belgian coachbuilder D’Ieteren on behalf of a customer named Baggage, with a special notice for “urgent delivery.” Only four Type 57s were ordered with D’Ieteren coachwork in 1938, but this would be the only example finished in this Aravis-inspired style, developed with significant input from the impatient Monsieur Baggage himself. The customer was particularly tall, resulting in the somewhat stretched proportions of the cabin, sheltered by roll-up windows and a streamlined, folding canvas top that was particularly low and sleek in either the raised or lowered position. It was and remains a stunning automobile, with a truly elegant and distinguished character.

Monsieur Baggage used his extraordinary Bugatti for nearly two years, before the German invasion of 1940 compelled him to hide it. The exact history of the car over the next decade is currently lost in the fog of war. Sometime after the conclusion of hostilities, the Type 57 resurfaced, and was offered by the French government as a “Vente des Domaines” and sold in late May 1951 to an industrial company in Paris. It passed through the hands of two different Parisian magnates, then in early 1952 to marque specialist Gaston Docime, who sold it that May to André Derain, the famed Fauvist painter and early Bugatti collector. Derain owned as many as 14 important Bugattis over his lifetime. Chassis number 57589 was the last, truly the crowning acquisition of a passionate Bugattiste.

Docime bought back the Bugatti from his client in December 1956, and sold it the following year to the well-known dealer Jean de Dobbeleer. De Dobbeleer sold the car through his frequent collaborator Gene Cesari to the highly regarded American enthusiast Julian Sano. Robert Wells of Akron, Ohio, purchased the Bugatti from Sano in 1963 and would keep it for 35 years. During that time, it was occasionally shown at American Bugatti Club events.

In 2004 the Type 57 was purchased by Alfred Lechter of Jean, Nevada, in whose ownership it received expert attention by marque specialist Jim Stranberg, and was shown at the 2009 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. It was sold the following year to Greek collector Theodore Angelopoulos, who had it regularly maintained by Swiss specialists over the next five years.

In September 2015 the Bugatti was acquired by a respected Florida-based collector. The car was examined for him by noted specialist Scott Sargent, who noted that the Type 57 retained numerous original components and details, such as the firewall and remnants of original paint on the undercarriage that lent the car a definitive and irreplaceable authenticity. Consequently, to retain the utmost originality, it was decided to limit any restoration to cosmetic considerations and service of the original mechanical components as needed. The interior and top were retrimmed, while the unique coachwork was refinished in a very attractive and distinctive two-tone scheme of black with maroon details.

The Bugatti has been fastidiously maintained during their conservatorship while being presented and driven at select events, including the ABC Maine Fall Rally in September 2016, the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este in May 2018, and the Audrain Newport Concours in October 2019, where it won the Bugatti Touring Class. In early 2020 it was sold to Ray and Bonnie Kinney, and has remained one of the great centerpieces of their collection ever since, with excellent care including an engine rebuild by the noted Leydon Restorations that will be completed this spring.

This exceptional car retains most of its original factory components, including its twin-cam straight-eight engine, the original chassis frame, and the exquisitely sculpted D’Ieteren coachwork, a genuinely one-off design inspired by one of the factory’s finest creations. It is documented with restoration invoices from Jim Stranberg, Pichler, and Scott Sargent over its prior ownerships, as well as various historical documents. Most striking of all are a D’Ieteren photo album, including period images, and sets of both tools and unrestored original luggage.

Continually maintained by devoted owners, this Bugatti Type 57 offers an unbeatable combination of tempting attributes—extraordinarily beautiful and unique original design, well-known and fascinating history with great collectors, and the outstanding purity that comes from having been always kept by enthusiasts who were wise enough to preserve originality where they found it and make improvements elsewhere. It is a fabulous Bugatti in every regard.