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Chassis:
This Type 57 was built specifically for Col. G M Giles, the founder of the British Bugatti club. For his plans to run the car in the 1935 Tourist Trophy at Dundrod he had the car fitted with a high compression engine that reportedly produced 148 bhp. Giles collected the car, his tenth Bugatti, at the factory in Molsheim and drove it back to England over the roads despite being a bare chassis only. The Type 57 TT was subsequently fitted with a Tourer body by Bertelli of Feltham, following a design of Col. Giles' brother Eric.
Affectionately known as 'Terese', the car was driven to an impressive third overall and second in class at the TT by another great Bugatti aficionado, Earl Howe. Col. Giles held onto the unique TT Bugatti until 1939 and it has since passed hands only twice more. The last time was in 2004 when, after a 50 year ownership, it was offered by Bonhams in their annual Goodwood Festival of Speed auction. Still in very original condition chassis 57316 sold for an impressive £430,500. The car has since been shown at the 2009 Goodwood Festival of Speed and a few months later at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, celebrating Bugatti's centenary at both occasions. It will be out again this year for the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este.
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