THE TYPE 57 S BUGATTI
In last month’s issue of MOTOR SPORT we published some particulars of the new Competition Type 57 Bugatti, and further details have now come to hand.
The engine, it will be recalled, is a straight eight with bore 72 mm. and stroke 100 mm. giving a capacity of 3,257 c.c. The crankshaft runs in six main bearings, and the valves are operated by two overhead camshafts. Four carburetters will probably be fitted.
A double disc dry-plate clutch is used in conjunction with the new gear-box, which has second, third, and top gears. The chassis is entirely new, with very deep side members. The back axle actually passes through the side-members, large slots being made io provide the necessary clearance. This form of construction gives the necessary rigidity to allow full use to be made of the de Ram
shock-absorbers. For the same reason the side-members converge at the rear, also forming a convenient support for the 29-gallon rear tank. The front axle is in two parts, as on the Grand Prix cars.
The body is constructed of sheet elektron with butted and riveted edges, a method of construction also seen on the coupe exhibited at Olympia. The front seats have the special Bugatti spring upholstery, while the deep wells on either side of the propeller shaft make the back seats quite suitable for long-distance runs.
When not in use they are covered with a panel which blends with the body lines.
The exhaust pipe is carried inside the body with a tail pipe coming out behind the back wheel. A reader newly returned from Molsheim emphasised how much he was impressed by the complete equipment of the dashboard and the general suitability of the
car for sports-car racing. Small things like the position of the rev-counter, petrol and oil gauges have been determined with this object in view, and the car as it stands is ready to be entered at Le Mans or Montlhery without any additional equipment. The spare wheel is carried on the side, and is secured by a neat and quickly detachable strap fitting.
