. Engine Specifications: 3,245 CC DOHC Inline 8-Cylinder Engine - TopicsExpress



          

. Engine Specifications: 3,245 CC DOHC Inline 8-Cylinder Engine Single Twin-Choke Stromberg UUR2 Carburetor Roots-Type Supercharger 160 BHP at 5,000 RPM 4-Speed Manual Gearbox 4-Wheel Bugatti-Lockheed Hydraulic Drum Brakes Live-Axle Suspension with Semi-Elliptical Front Leaf Springs, Reversed Quarter-Elliptical Rear Leaf Springs, and Houdaille Shock Absorbers About this Car: The rich history of this Bugatti Type 57C can be traced back to its first owner, Nicholas Stamati Embiricos, the scion of a famed Greek shipping fortune. Like his cousin André Maris Embiricos, whose Portout-bodied Bentley was one of the most elegant cars ever to compete at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Nicholas was a successful gentleman driver with a passion for sporting automobiles. During the mid-1930s, Nicholas Embiricos campaigned both a Corsica-bodied Bugatti Type 57S and an ex-Works ERA in European events until he suffered a near fatal accident while racing at the 1937 Florence Grand Prix. In fall 1938, no longer able to race competitively, Embiricos sought to purchase a high-performance touring car to replace his Antem-bodied Bentley 3 1/2 Litre. Having raced a Type 57S, Embiricos was quite familiar with the thoroughbred bloodline of the French marque and placed an order for a new Type 57C with Colonel W. Sorel, manager of Bugatti’s London agency. Completed at Molsheim, France, in November 1938, Embiricos’ Type 57C, chassis 57766, was sent to Gangloff of Colmar, France, where it received Stelvio coachwork. In keeping with its late build date, this third-series chassis was originally fitted with Bugatti-Lockheed hydraulic brakes, tubular shock absorbers, and rubber engine mounts, significant mechanical refinements that dramatically improved the Type 57’s ride and handling qualities. In May 1939, the Bugatti was registered in the UK as “FXF 55”; by 1941, Embiricos had shipped the car to Palm Beach, Florida, where he maintained a vacation residence. On July 1, 1941, shortly after his arrival in the US, Nicholas Embericos perished when his Fairchild 24 Monoplane crashed near Matunuck, Rhode Island. Following Embiricos’ untimely death, his Bugatti remained in the US and was sold to Ray Murray, an American gentleman who owned an un-supercharged Type 57 Atalante, chassis 57733. With two late-production Type 57s in his garage, Mr. Murray decided he preferred having the exotic Atalante coupe body on the supercharged chassis and the two Bugattis traded coachwork prior to 1946. Following WWII, Mr. Murray decided to part with both Bugattis and 57766 was sold to Al Garthwaite of Malvern, Pennsylvania. An early ARCA and SCCA member, Garthwaite was one of the key players in the burgeoning US road racing movement and a successful dealer; he later gained fame through his ownership of ALGAR, a major Ferrari importer. With a Derby Bentley and a Bugatti Type 43A already in his possession, Garthwaite was known as a man of refined tastes when it came to cars. The addition of a 57C Atalante to the stable was a logical progression, as many considered the supercharged 3.3-liter Bugatti the only worthy rival to the 2.3- and 2.9-liter Alfa Romeos, both of which were popular among American sports car enthusiasts. On June 11, 1949, Garthwaite’s 57C was one of 17 cars on the starting grid for the 100-mile feature event at the Bridgehampton Road Races. Pitted against an impressive group of sports cars that included Alfa Romeo 8Cs, BMW 328s, and a Ferrari 166, the supercharged Atalante gave a valiant performance until a broken connecting rod put an end to its effort. Following his outing at Bridgehampton, Garthwaite’s next appearance in the Bugatti took place at the Mt. Equinox Hillclimb in Vermont on July 29, 1950. Despite being one of the few pre-war cars to compete, the 57C managed the eighth fastest time of the day, placing just behind the XK120 Roadster of George Rand. After several years of enthusiastic use, Garthwaite sold his Bugatti to Dr. Samuel Scher, a pioneering collector of antique automobiles. While being serviced at Zumbach Motors on West 54th Street in New York City, Dr. Scher’s Bugatti caught the attention of John Wendell Straus, the grandson of Isador Straus, founder of R.H. Macy & Company. A sophisticated collector of art, antiques, and automobiles, Mr. Straus was also a great admirer of French culture. He recognized the elegant Bugatti as a perfect fit for his collection and immediately negotiated a purchase. Throughout the 1950s, 57766 shared space in the Straus garage with a diverse collection that included a Springfield Rolls-Royce, a Mercedes-Benz 540K, a Ford Model T, several Jaguars, and a Duesenberg that had been purchased new by Mr. Straus’ father. During this time, the Bugatti was a frequent sight in the New York area and was even pictured in a contemporary Ralph Stein article on the Type 57 model. In 1962, Mr. Straus parked the Atalante in a nondescript suburban garage, leaving it virtually abandoned for nearly 45 years. It wasn’t until the Straus Estate was being settled in 2007 that the long-lost Bugatti was finally uncovered. Amazingly, the Bugatti remained in a nearly undisturbed state, looking just as it had when put away in 1962. Beneath layers of dust was a wonderfully original Type 57C, very well preserved and completely intact. Following its sale to an East Coast collector, the unrestored Bugatti was carefully returned to operating condition and displayed in the Pre-war Preservation class at the 2007 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. From there, the Atalante participated in the American Bugatti Club annual meet at Watkins Glen and was honored in a special “barn find” exhibit at the Saratoga Automobile Museum. In 2008, the Bugatti was sold to the current owner, who entrusted Sargent Metalworks of Fairlee, Vermont, to perform a complete restoration of this exceptional Type 57C. Having maintained the famed Williamson Collection and restored the Pebble Beach Best of Show-winning Type 57SC Atlantic, Sargent was uniquely qualified to perform a restoration of such an important Bugatti and approached the project with tremendous enthusiasm. In a recent discussion, Sargent recalled his impressions of the restoration: “The best restored cars begin with a very complete and solid foundation, where you have all the information available. You rarely find pre-war cars are this way, especially Bugattis. They have usually been restored several times before and it is very difficult to find any trace of the original maker. Here we had a car that was fundamentally sound and untouched. It had been painted several times and, due to storage, was mechanically fragile, but everything was there. It was a really exciting opportunity to restore this car, we just kept discovering these amazing details.” In fact, only during restoration did the extraordinarily genuine character of this Bugatti become apparent. Not only are the engine, rear end, transmission, and front axle all the matching-numbers components fitted at the factory, but a remarkable number of minor components are also stamped with the indexed sub-assembly number 350. This number was found throughout the chassis, from the cam boxes and lower sump to the pressure plate and flywheel. Similarly, the Atalante coachwork was found to be exceptionally original, with the body number 32 stamped into the fenders, doors, floorboards, brackets, dashboard, and firewall. Grease pencil markings that also read “32” were discovered in the rear toolbox area and on sections of the interior upholstery. In reference to this particular Atalante, Sargent remarked, “I have never seen Bugatti coachwork that was so correct and original throughout. This particular body, with its faired-in headlamps, peaked fenders, backlit number plate, and resolved tail-end, is definitely one of the very best representatives of Jean Bugatti’s classic Atalante. In my opinion, it is one of the all-time great automotive designs.” Structurally, the wood was in very good condition, with much of the frame still covered by the factory-applied preservative paint and the dashboard was fitted with all of the proper Type 57C instruments. The original interior fittings, including the dashboard, garnish moldings, and window trim, were so nicely preserved that they were simply cleaned, re-veneered, and maintained in place. Once the bodywork was prepared for paint, O’Donnell Classics finished the car in a striking black and blue livery carefully selected for its period-correct appearance. Similarly, the cabin was meticulously restored using the well-preserved original features as a guide for authenticity. Mike Lemire of Richmond, Vermont, was responsible for upholstery and went to great lengths to match the distinctive grain and color of the original leather. With the engine completely disassembled and inspected, Gary Okoren and Sam Jepson performed a thorough rebuild utilizing the finest internal components available. As the engine work was being carried out, Sargent Metalworks restored the chassis and rebuilt the gearbox, rear end, suspension, and braking systems. During final assembly, each minute detail was addressed, from the proper etching on the window glass to the correct hand-scraped finishes in the engine bay. Outfitted with elegant “moustache” bumpers, Marchal headlamps, Scintilla taillights, and chrome-plated wire wheels – a feature typically reserved for supercharged 57s – this Atalante is simply brilliant in every respect. Four years after its public unveiling at Pebble Beach, 57766 returned in beautifully restored condition and attracted tremendous acclaim. Af ter completing the Tour d’Elegance, the Atalante earned a Second in Class award in the Concours d’Elegance, besting the two other Type 57s in its class. Following its post-restoration debut at Pebble Beach, the Bugatti has been selectively shown. In fact, its only subsequent concours appearance, at the 2012 Saratoga Invitational in New York, resulted in Best of Show honors. Not only is this exquisitely restored Atalante a proven concours contender, it is also reported to be a rewarding driver. As a late-series Type 57C, this Bugatti offers brisk acceleration, accompanied by the distinctive mechanical pitch of a Roots-type supercharger. Its road manners are also said to be very responsive, thanks to the use of tubular shock absorbers and the large-diameter finned brakes. According to Sargent, this Bugatti “handles, goes, and stops so well, it feels almost like a modern car on the road.” In 1938, as today, there is little that could compare both in terms of performance and style to a Bugatti Type 57C. As a matching-numbers example with sensational Atalante coachwork, this is already an immensely desirable Bugatti and thus one of the great pre-war automobiles. Consider then its rich provenance, fascinating competition history, genuine character, and award-winning restoration, and you have a classic automobile of the very highest order. Without question, 57766 is among the very best of an extraordinarily refined breed.
Posted on: Tue, 18 Nov 2014 23:08:07 +0000

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