Every year, the Concours d’Eleganza Villa d’Este held on the shores of Lake Como in Italy attracts a wide array of classics and prized modern cars. This month’s event was no different and included two very special droptops produced by Bugatti, the new W16 Mistral and a Type 57S Roadster coachbuilt by Corsica back in 1936.
The rare Bugatti Type 57S Roadster from 87 years ago competed in the event’s Class B ‘Grande Vitesse: Pre-War Weekend Racers’ series. Just 40 examples of the Type 57S Roadster were built between 1936 and 1938 and this example was brought to the event by its third and current owner.
Evidently, the car has been well cared for over the decades and is finished in a stunning shade of blue. It rocks Bugatti’s famed horseshoe grille and as is common for vehicles from this era, has exceptionally narrow tires both up front and at the rear. Compared to the W16 Mistral, it couldn’t be any more different.
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Bugatti entered its new roadster in the ‘Concept Cars & Prototypes’ class of the event, although it is heading to the production line with 99 units scheduled to be built. It is based on the Chiron and could be considered the droptop version of the Chiron that we never got. However, it features a very different design, adopting an all-new bodywork.
Among the key alterations made to the car’s design include the new front fascia with a widened horseshoe grille and new LED headlights and daytime running lights. The rear-end is perhaps the most striking element of the hypercar thanks to the X-shaped LED taillights and the central exiting exhaust.
“The W16 Mistral continues Bugatti’s wonderful heritage in creating some of the world’s finest roadsters,” Bugatti Automobiles president Christophe Piochon said. “Every surface – and each component – of the W16 Mistral has been crafted with the intention to not just set new standards for beauty, but to also play a vital role in achieving completely new levels of performance, a fitting farewell to our legendary W16 engine.”
