Perhaps no Bugatti is as widely celebrated as the Type 57, the immensely popular touring model spearheaded by Ettore Bugatti’s son, Jean. Many later Type 57 examples were fitted with a supercharger to result in the more powerful 57C iteration, which accounted for approximately 103 examples. Mechanically advanced, and often clothed in artfully styled individual coachwork, the Type 57C was undeniably one of the interwar period’s most dynamic luxury-performance automobiles, as this fine example ably attests.

According to Bugatti factory sales records, chassis number 57838 is the fourth-from-last Type 57 built, having been invoiced on 28 July 1939, less than five weeks before the outbreak of World War II. It is the final car in the log to show any delivery details, being sold to the British importer Col. Sorel’s agency on Brixton Road as a bare chassis without coachwork.

As corroborated by the respected American Bugatti Register, the chassis was dispatched to the renowned coachbuilder Vanden Plas for the mounting of a two-door four-seat roadster body that was finished in ivory paint with contrasting black fenders. The Bugatti was then registered with tags reading “DWW 222” in late September 1939.

While the Type 57C’s history during the war currently remains unknown, it likely saw relatively little use, given the petrol shortages common throughout wartime Britain. After the war, the Bugatti was owned by the famed shipping magnate and car collector Maj. Edward G. Thomson, and he may very well have been the car’s original purchaser. Later to be more widely recognized for his sponsorship of the Le Mans-winning Ecurie Ecosse Jaguar D-Type teams, Maj. Thomson ran 57838 at a sand-racing event in St. Andrews, Scotland, by the early 1950s.

In 1970, after approximately three decades of owning the Type 57C, Maj. Thomson sold his entire collection. The Bugatti was next acquired by Rodney Clarke of Guilford, and he soon sold the car to a former business partner named Leonard Potter. As the original coachwork had substantially deteriorated by this time, Mr. Potter commissioned Keith Bowley of Ashton Keynes Vintage Restorations to build a new body in the style of the well-known Tourist Trophy-winning Corsica-bodied roadster, chassis number 57326.

After a period of ownership by Peter Harper of Stretton, the Bugatti was sold in 1980 to the Massachusetts-based enthusiast Byron White and exported to the US. Ten years later, the 57C was acquired by the respected collector Oscar Davis, and he retained possession through his passing in 2021, concluding a remarkable 31-year period of single-owner care. During this time, 57838 was treated to a bevy of restoration work, including a multi-year mechanical refurbishment by Leydon Restorations completed circa 2004.

In the latter half of the 2000s, Mr. Davis retained the esteemed DL George Historic Motorcars to construct the current cabriolet body, which features a sublime pastiche of design cues more commonly associated with Corsica (chassis number 57593) and Bertelli (chassis number 57316). The coachwork is highlighted by a steeply raked split windscreen, teardrop-shaped pontoon fenders, cut-down doors, and a tapered rear end; and it was then cosmetically completed with an arresting finish of deep red paint over a tan leather interior, which is complemented by an elegant wood dash panel. Although the Bugatti remained largely domiciled during his ownership, Mr. Davis occasionally enjoyed driving the car, including participation in the 2010 International Bugatti Rally in California.

In August 2022, the Type 57C was offered by Mr. Davis’ estate and acquired by the consignor. Over the past four years, the cabriolet has been dutifully maintained and minimally driven, while being presented at a small handful of premium events, including the 2023 Audrain Newport Concours d’Elegance (where it won a class award) and the 2024 ModaMiami.

It is important to note that chassis number 57838 features an engine stamping consistent with factory data, demonstrating that the car retains its matching-numbers supercharged engine. As one of the last cars built, this Type 57C is also equipped with the developmental advances made through the model’s lifespan, including the stronger second-series frame, the supercharged engine, and the hydraulic brakes and telescoping shock absorbers common to third-series cars.

Ideal for presentation at regional concours d’elegance or enjoyment on vintage tours, this beautifully restored and presented Bugatti is a singularly unique coachbuilt example that would highlight any collection. It abounds in some of the interwar period’s most sensational styling cues, offering a brilliant testament to Jean Bugatti’s legendary model.