Bugatti made its name in the pre-war era making two types of automobiles: luxurious grand tourers, and positively dominant grand prix racers.
These days the ultra-high-end exotic supercars it produces, you might say, straddle the divide. But if you were going to buy a classic Bugatti, which type would you choose?
That’s the conundrum presented by RM Sotheby’s, which is selling a splendid example of each this week in Monterey. In one corner, a 1925 Type 35C. In the other, a 1937 Type 57 Cabriolet. And in true Bugatti style, they’re each expected to sell for over a million.
The Type 35 was, without a doubt, the most successful racing car of all time. It won over a thousand races in the Roaring Twenties, averaging at its peak 14 race wins every week. The blue example you see here is a 35C, with a supercharger to raise output from the 1.5-liter inline-eight from 90 horsepower to 128. This one set a record in the 1928 Moroccan Grand Prix, averaging over 90 miles per hour between Casablanca and Marrakesh and topping over 120.
What the Type 35 was to pre-war grand prix racing, the Type 57 was to Bugatti’s road cars – a veritable icon of the era. It was also one of the Alsatian marque’s most prolific models, with 710 produced between 1934 and 1940. One version – the legendary Atlantic – remains one of the most coveted and valuable cars in the world. This one was originally fabricated as a Galibier sedan, but was later rebodied in Belgium to its current two-door cabriolet bodystyle.
As you can see from the photos below by Karissa Hosek for RM Sotheby’s, they’re both exquisite examples of their respective breeds. So if you had the seven figures to spend, which would entice you more: grand prix or grand tourer?
1925 Bugatti Type 35C Grand Prix
1937 Bugatti Type 57 Cabriolet
