I am looking for information re the following Type 57 Gablier chassis number 57421 that was in Denver Colorado in the late 1950-early 1960 and i tried to purchase it. it was sold and was returned to France. i wondered if anyone has any info or possibly any photographs. i was 15 years old when i tried to purchase the car but ran into problems with a stepfather that didn't understand Bugatti's I did recieve the following from Patrick several years ago but have since lost contact with him.
very curious and would like to see what it looks like now. when i tried to purchase the car it was in good shape and asking price was $1500.00
T

Dear Chuck,
I have interesting news for you. The Galibier of your dreams is now in France, property of a well-known member of the Club. Chassis number is 57421 and was delivered with engine 433 that was not supercharged. Then equiped with engine 58C coming from 57796 and driven by Robert Benoist during the Hour Record at Montlhéry on May 1934 (183 km/h). Was the property between 1955 and 1962 of Robert J. Knox in Denver, Colorado. Then to unknown, then to France. I will meet the actual owner at the end of this week as we have our annual General Assembly, I will try to collect a today picture for you.
Patrick Arnaud

Patrick Arnaud can be reached through the French Bugatti Club.

For some info on 57421: see the Bugattiregister.com website:

http://www.bugattiregister.com/wiki/ind ... itle=57421 (needs login, registration is simple and free)

For some pictures of 57421 I checked the photo server (www.bugattibuilder.com/photo) but there is none. Which means the car either is in a collection which never sees daylight, or it has been broken up...

_________________
Vive la Marque !!

Have a look at this :

Under the Register entry for 57421 the following :
First registration by Automobiles Ettore Bugatti as 5623-NV2 on 26th September 1936, registered as having transferred to 2089-NV5 for Robert Diebolt on 12th October 1945, register calls for the car being destroyed by the garage Autin René on 9th August 1955.

Under the Registry entry for 57796 the following :
The 57796 is a Galibier used by the factory, in 1939/40 it got the Carte Grise of 57421 / 5623-NV3. This carte was issued on 26th September 1936. Also registered as 57421.

The Dutch Register actually numbers the above car as follows : 57796 later 57421. They also mention the 57421 registered in 1936 was still around until at least 1955, therefore the factory must have been aware of two cars with the same chassis number.

If all the above is correct it would seem Galibier 57421 (was 57796, then 57421, then back to 57796 - when this was done I do not know.) is the Bugatti you tried to purchase as a young man. Do you still weep for this lost treasure? I would.

The original Galibier 57421, registered in 1936 was scrapped in 1955 and was probably never in the USA. Incidentally, this car's original engine No. 333 is now fitted to an Atlantic Replica, see : '57591'-R under the Atlantic Replica heading.

Kind Regards
Johan Buchner

Thank you very much for all the info and help on 57421 ( now 57796)
I found the 2 photos i took in early 1960 of the Bugatti. Very poor quality but at least it shows the condition it was in. Not bad but not Great. As i remember it had some kind of cheap white vinyl roof covering at the time but the engine was supercharged and was a Bugatti !!

Yes I have wished I could have purchased this Bugatti.I have wondered for 51 years what happened to it. It looks much better than when I saw it last.

Thanks
Chuck

Thank you very much for these pictures. It are these pictures that must be lying around in everyones drawers, that interest me the most. Thanks for taking the effort in finding them, scanning them and posting them.

_________________
Vive la Marque !!

57796

http://www.bugattiregister.com/wiki/ind ... itle=57796

Same car?

As I understand it, 421 has been destroyed, and 796 got the carte grise of 421. So we are looking at 796, not 421?

_________________
Vive la Marque !!

yes from what i have learned the car 57421 was abandonned in a field totaly dilapidated / vandalised.
The car I saw in Denver Colorado was 57796 with the record engine in it in 1960. It was returned to France and sat for many years and was restored at some point.
It was a factory owned car, and as such was used with old used or back to factory returned car papers and license plates to avoid taxes. So tha 57796 car became just before the war and during the war the identity of 57421.
Very complicated history from ''Bugatti 57s Sport''
Any ideas as to when it was restored.?
Thanks to whoever posted my photos of it to the Bugatti Register? Bugatti69?

Chuck

Dear All

The first factory made 57421 with engine 333 was a Galibier from 1936. Later, whilst the original 57421 still existed (!) the factory renumbered the car with engine 58C, originally numbered 57796 as 57421. The latter number also showed up with this engine in the Bordeaux liste (Ettore- who in 1939 was producing aviation material for the French airforce- was ordered by the French government to relocate to Bordeaux, and lists have been made what was relocated).

The factory itself always used the engine number, not the chassisnumber as identifying mark.

I will attach some pictures of the first 57421





Kees