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Chassis:
Featured is one of the very last Type 57 Cs produced; number 90 of 96. Desping the grim political situation of the day, the rolling chassis was sold to the German Bugatti importer (the last Bugatti to be delivered new to Germany). He in turn shipped the Bugatti chassis to Berlin to be fitted with this high unusual cabriolet body by coachbuilder Voll & Ruhrbeck. The most striking feature of the German design is the 'waterfall' style grille, which was the result of wind tunnel testing and was supposed to improve the car's aerodynamics.
Carefully hidden away, the unique Bugatti survived the War virtually undamaged. Claiming the car was stolen from a Polish citizen, the country's minister of transport Tadeusz Tabincki confiscated the car. Once in Poland, it joined Tadeusz' vast collection of historic cars, which was later reported to consist of 100 vehicles. In the late 1960s he descretely started to sell his cars to the West and so 57819 emerged again. One of the subsequent owners had the body removed and replaced by a Atlantic replica body. Fortunately the body was safely stored.
Almost forty years later, the current owner tracked down both the chassis and unique body and purchased both. Stressing that the body had to remain as original as possible, he shipped the chassis and coachwork to RM Restorations for a ground-up restorations. To the joy of all involved very little work had to be done to the body and it fitted right back on the chassis as if it had never been removed. Four years later the work was completed and the unique Bugatti made a very strong 'debut' at the 2006 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, where it secured a 'Best in Class' and was one of three runner's up to the 'Best of Show'.
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Type 57 C Voll & Ruhrbeck Cabriolet
