The car was present on the exhibition stand at the 1934 Paris motor show (2 different lacquer finishes?) and the licence 9220-NV2 was issued to Bugatti on 8th October 1934. The car is said to have participated in several races, such as the "Paris-Nice rally" and Benoist won the "course de Côte Chavigny" in the 5-litre class with it on 14th April 1935.

There is some doubt about the history of this car. It appears in a list of cars in stock, which are up for sale on 15th January 1936 as 57.../110 Roadster GR (black/yellow 60.000), ex circuit Vosges, but according to Mr Pracht it was not sold.

In November 1936 the car with chassis 57222/110 was sold to Docime.

A receipt dated from 25th February 1939 and written by Mr Georges de Braux records that hired #57221 with old licence 9220-NV2 "carosserie Berline Galibier 4 places-marron", which means that the chassis number was used once more in a works demonstration car and still had the old licence.

Can someone untangle the disorder Thanks

Hi Uwe

The G.R. was initially given the chassis + engine number 57221/110 but this chassis plate was removed and from then on the factory refered to the GR as 57.../110. According to Laugier a Gangloff convertible then received the number 57221 but with a later-than-usual engine.

Laugier suggests the roadster had the plate 57222/110 when sold to Docime, but he does admit the trial goes cold between 1939 and the early 50s. What is not in doubt is that the car presently being restored by Evert Louwman has a diff and gearbox numbered 110.

If Laugier is correct then the Gangloff convertible is 57221. And the GR Roadster is then 57222?

Cheers
Johan

-

57222 was another "works" chassis plate and papers, and surely this chassis plate must (also) almost have worn out from mounting and unmounting on and off cars.

_________________
Vive la Marque !!

Herewith the Grand Raid chapter from Laugier (I've read it twice and I'm still confused) :

57221/110 The Roadster Grand Raid


In the autumn of 1934, a year after the commercialization of the Type 57, the only model in production at the factory, it was time for the Molsheim builders to give it a more sporting look if they wanted to successfully diversify their series.

During the first year of production, from October 1933 to October 1934, the Bugatti factory had met with open success with its Type 57. This chassis was aimed at a family market and the finished cars coming out of the Bugatti workshops were lacking outstanding styling. During that year, 39 four-door Galibiers, 22 four-seater Bugatti factory Cabriolets, and 6 Ventoux coaches were made. This latter model was not officially unveiled until the October 1934 Show and afterwards would see its production increase.

Gangloff, the body shop in Colmar, had not made many designs either. That year it produced five Type 57 Cabriolets, including Mr. Bertrand’s 57164 (see 57384S), four Berline four-door Type 57s and three Coach Type 57s, two-door and two specials: the first 57 Aérodynamic and 57149 delivered to Dr. Mauguière, designed according to the owner’s drawings (see 57149). After the October 1934 Automobile Show, Gangloff designed his one and only Roadster 57217 based on the 1935 catalog (see 57492S Lillaz).

It was thus during the autumn of 1934 that Bugatti’s research department studied the possibility of a 57 Roadster two-seater. On September 15, 1934, a blueprint numbered 1067 two-seater roadster on a 57 chassis was produced.

This was the first mention we found of the 57 Grand Raid. The term was not yet used, but it was under this name that the car was presented at the October 1934 Automobile Show with extraordinary tapered bodywork – aerodynamic and entirely made in aluminium. At the simple mention of the term, the enthusiast should feel an adventurer’s calling emerge, imagine himself at the wheel of this incredible racing car, and ignore the cars of mere mortals.

The car was to be ready for the show held in mid-October 1934. In the Bugatti body shop, we found documents dated October 8, 1934 that mention “Roadster Grand Raid 57 engine 110 chassis 57221.” This corresponds to the day the car left the body shop and went to the workshop to have the rear springs, hand break lever and gearshift modified.

The 57 Grand Raid was shown to the public on Bugatti stand No. 20 at the Automobile Show held in the Grand Palais in October 1934. It was surrounded by models of all the 57s built by the Bugatti factory: the Cabriolet Stelvio four-seater, the Ventoux Coach two-door, four-seater, and the Galibier four-door with no central pillar.

The November-December 1934 edition of the magazine “L’Auto Carrosserie” describes the Bugatti Torpedo Sport as follows:

“The Bugatti stand is always very beautiful. It is rare that one does not find some curiosities. This year, in Bugatti’s favorite colors, it was a black and yellow “bomb” that attracted everyone’s attention. This Torpedo Sport, which has a fairly classical shape, has on its rear upper structure two streamlined head rests like one sees on the fuselage of an aircraft. The two tubular seats lined with pigskin are quite comfortable. In the rear there is a large trunk set in the tail of the car. It is next to a red Cabriolet and two Ventoux coaches with slanted windshields.

This Roadster would be the first equipped with a special hood with nine vertical slots made by the factory body shop. The dashboard was also special: it was made in two sections, separated by a vertical chromed band on which, from one side to the other, were the adjusters for the shock absorbers and four small gauges for the liquid levels. On the extreme left-hand side was a large speedometer and to the right of the steering wheel, a rev counter.

The specifications of the Grand Raid included some mechanical modifications to the chassis that we have been able to list from the notes of the modifications to 57316, engine 190, which dates from March 16, 1935. It carries the notation: “Modify this chassis to Grand Raid specification.”
• Rear axle with ratio 14 X 54
• Steering lengthened and angled
• Special dashboard

Ten or so chassis appear to have benefited from some or all of these modifications. As for 57221, engine 110, after its exhibition in the Auto Show of 1934, where it was not sold (but perhaps it was not for sale), it was run in and, on November 20, 1934, the engine was serviced.

On March 15, 1935, it had a standard 12 X 54 rear axle fitted. This corresponds to the Grand Raid specifications that were equipped with this ratio when they were initially built.

On March 16, the first engine test was made on the Roadster and 49 mm high Type 59 pistons were installed. Type 59 valve guides and springs and a special tubular intake manifold were also fitted.

On April 1, 1935 the engine was again serviced and the old pistons were re-fitted.

On April 11 the engine was taken down again in order to mount the 49 mm Type 59 pistons and new Bollé piston rings. Three days later, Robert Benoist participated in the Chavigny hill race near Nancy and won at the wheel of Roadster 57221-110 in the 5-liter category.

On May 10, 1935 the engine was rebuilt and the previous Type 57 special pistons were refitted (four hundredth smaller in diameter).

On June 4, 1935 a standard 12 X 50 rear axle was fitted.

On June 7 a series of trials with the following pistons were carried out: first, pistons of 48.5 mm followed by a test with 56 mm pistons and finally 52 mm pistons were fitted.

On June 8, 1935 special brake drums were installed.

All of this work was carried out for the “Circuit des Vosges” which was held on June 9, 1935 and was a 450-kilometer constant average speed trial through the Vosges region of France. Robert Diebolt, a close friend of the Bugatti family, was the director of the event and Pierre Marco was among the three sporting judges. We are certain that “57 engine 110 Roadster Grand Raid” participated in the event. After having been refitted with the standard engine in October 1935 and rebuilt at Pierre Marco’s workshops in November, the black and yellow Grand Raid Roadster labelled “ex-circuit des Vosges” was for sale at the factory for FRF 60,000. This was a second-hand car, used for a year by the factory and thus justifying its price, compared with the sales price of FRF 88,000 for a new Grand Raid Roadster on October 1, 1934. It is worth noting that the Grand Raid was no longer listed in the price catalog in October 1935.

When the Roadster was at the factory in January 1936, it no longer had a chassis plate. The plate engraved 57221 had been taken off and the car was described simply as “57…/110 Roadster Grand Raid, black and yellow, pigskin interior.” It appears that the number 57221 was quickly attributed to another 57221. In fact a Gangloff Cabriolet four-seater has this plate but is equipped with a newer engine, in the 500 series, a chassis which was certainly finished at the end of the war. Today it is in a collection in Switzerland.

On June 15, 1936 the factory thought they had found a buyer for the second-hand GR Roadster for FRF 52,000 after negotiations with Robert Benoist. The client was Mr. Desechallier, a Parisian garage owner who, on June 26, 1936, ordered a Roadster 57222, bodied by Bugatti, black and yellow, equipped with five new tires, serviced and guaranteed for three months. The delivery seems not to have taken place. On November 11, 1936 the 57 Grand Raid Roadster was delivered to Gaston Docime, Bugatti agent at 23 Boulevard de la Saussaie in Neuilly. There exists a photograph of Mr. Docime’s stock, taken at the beginning of 1937, showing Atalante 57267 ex-Goddet. It was sold in November 1937 to the garage owner Mr. Pintaut in the village of Hermonville in Marne, France, the residence of the author. The Cabriolet for sale at Docime’s garage was a Labourdette, 57442 ex-Monestier.

The photograph showing the four cars offered for sale by Docime could have been taken at the end of autumn 1937, and it was possibly at this time that the garage acquired the Grand Raid from the painter, André Derain. In the Derain family archives there is a small photograph of the Roadster with license plate number 5510RK6 dated November 1936, corresponding to the time when Docime bought the car, perhaps for the painter’s account. André Derain could have owned the Grand Raid Roadster up until the end of January 1937 or the beginning of 1938 because Docime purchased the 57385S Roadster on November 8, 1937 and did not officially sell it to Derain until August 1938.

If 57222 engine 110 belonged to Derain until the winter of 1937-1938, we lose trace of it until the beginning of the 1950s when it appeared in Belgium. The car had been somewhat modified. The headlights were integrated into the front wings, the dashboard had been exchanged for a more modern one and the lateral arrow had been changed to match the upper contours of the door and reinforced by a chromium band. The rear wing covers were grooved and two small wooden bumpers were added. The general lines of the car had not suffered. The car participated with this configuration in the Bugatti Rally of 1958, which started at Ermenonville and finished at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The car belonged to Mr. De Ridder of Gdonsk, Belgium. It was painted in two tones: the wings were water green and the body was very pale grey. Later, Mr. De Ridder had it repainted black and yellow. The reverse of how it was painted for the Automobile Show in 1934: i.e. the body was yellow and the wings black. Freshened up, the Roadster was exhibited in the window of Mr. De Ridder’s Jaguar agency.

In 2001 the car was purchased by the Louwman Museum in Holland and it was sent to England for a complete restoration. We were not able to inspect the car, which was completely dismantled with each part being entrusted to a different specialist.

Nevertheless, Mr. Kort, the person in charge of the restoration project, inspected the different parts of the car and confirmed that the gearbox and axle are numbered 110, and that the body is entirely aluminium. The engine is numbered 259 (perhaps the ex-57351 Ventoux Coach delivered in February 1936 to Mr. Chausson). Thanks to the numerous documents and photographs of the period, the Louwman Museum’s restoration will soon be finished and we can once again admire the only Bugatti factory 57 Grand Raid Roadster in its Salon configuration of October 1934.

Regards
Johan

Thanks Johan for the great report

Thanks Uwe, of course you and all the other members know who the author is, but just in case the laywers of The Greatest Bugatti Historian should read this : I did not write the above, Pierre-Yves Laugier did. Thank You.

Johan

PS. I'm still not sure what chassis number this car had when Bugatti sold it on.

-

The car is again in the original state

Thanks Uwe!

It looks beautiful doesn't it? Laugier wrote it was restored in England, Dutton perhaps?

Welcome back G.R. Roadster, looking good, real good - so what's your chassis number then Handsome?

Enjoy the scenic roads of Holland you lucky old thing.

Kind Regards
Johan.

cf. Conway:
57221 engine 110, "Stelvio", October 1934, agent: Friderich
57222 engine 105, then 235S, "Stelvio", August 1935, agent Friderich

cf. Barrie Price
57221 engine 110 Roadster , 8th October 1934, Usine,
57222 engine 224, Torpedo TT 2-seater, 29th August 1934, Usine

cf. Préfecture of Bas Rhin
57221 engine 110 in 8th October 1934 at Préfecture of Bas Rhin with 9219-NV2

-------
cf Laugier
57221 engine 110 in 8th October 1934 (at Préfecture of Bas Rhin)
At Docime on 11th November 1936
Then > 57222 ? engine 110 in 1937 at Derain from Docime

------
Then > 38314 with Dolf de Ridder in 1946 with 850.K.6 (B) (The Grand Raid 57221 was without papers when Dolf de Ridder bought it in 1946. He used the papers and plate of 38314 for it to get it on the road.)
-----

http://www.bugattiregister.com/wiki/ind ... itle=57221

The Car's new Museum info page

http://www.louwmanmuseum.nl/html/luxury_bugatti.html

From this album : http://www.flickr.com/photos/gsandre/se ... 451319884/

_________________
Make your dream devour your life, so that life doesn't devour your dream.
[Antoine de Saint-Exupéry]

Nice photograph,

I like it to see a T57 with the right black color on the radiator in stead of the past restauration chrome shutters.
A lot of the T57's radiator shutters are rechromed, but the original chrome shell with the black shutters look much better.

Greetz,

Jean B