As the recipient of fastidious care during 66 years of single-family ownership, and notably retaining its numbers-matching engine and coachwork, this exquisite expression of Jean Bugatti’s celebrated Type 57 is a particularly desirable example.

According to the combined information of the American Bugatti Club Register and the International Bugatti Register, chassis number 57644 was dispatched by the Bugatti factory to Letourneur et Marchand for limited-production series coachwork. Per the research of marque expert Pierre-Yves Laugier, the Type 57 is one of just eight such cars clothed with the coachbuilder’s design number 5877, a three-position two-door cabriolet with four seats, pontoon front fenders, enclosed rear fenders, and semi-recessed headlamps with a third central lamp. The coachwork suggests a beautiful counterpoint to comparably rare series like the Aravis and Atalante.

Finished in green paint over lighter green coves, and trimmed with green leather upholstery, the Bugatti was equipped with a klaxon, side lamps, and traffic indicator lamps. Delivered in November 1938 to an agent in Paris, the Type 57 was initially retailed to a Frenchman named S. Jaspart. In 1945 the cabriolet was registered to a new owner in The Netherlands, commencing a short chain of Dutch ownership that culminated in 1949 with acquisition by Rudi van Daalen Wetters.

Mr. van Daalen Wetters was a pilot in the Dutch Air Force who became an attaché to Prince Bernhard following World War II. He was soon assigned to lead a jet pilot training mission in the United States, and during his preparation at the American Embassy he met his future wife. The dashing couple moved to New York City in 1951, and the rare Bugatti Type 57 accompanied them.

Mr. van Daalen Wetters repainted the green upper bodywork sections in red, although he allowed the beautiful green upholstery to remain, and before long he and his wife relocated to Burbank, California. As the caretaker of a modest collection of Talbot-Lagos and Bugattis (including the exquisite Aravis, chassis number 57768), the owner soon became known in the local collector car niche. In 1985 the legendary racing driver Phil Hill introduced Mr. van Daalen Wetters to the consignor, noting their similar taste in interwar French automobiles, and it was then that the current owner first became familiar with 57644. He was struck by the car’s impressive originality and instantly smitten.

Although Mr. van Daalen Wetters and his wife drove the Bugatti around the Los Angeles area from time to time, they eventually shipped the car back to Europe for use in European driving events. After being returned to Los Angeles, the cabriolet was stored and remained undriven for a number of years, particularly following the owner's passing in 1999.

In 2015 Mr. van Daalen Wetters’ widow sold the Bugatti to the consignor, who had known and appreciated the car for so long. This transfer concluded an amazing period of 66 years of dedicated single-family ownership, ensuring that the Type 57 continues to display a remarkable degree of originality today.

The consignor immediately set about a full refurbishment, commissioning the highly respected Bugatti specialist Scott Sargent of New Hampshire to perform a thorough restoration, including a refinish in the consignor’s preferred color scheme, green over light green over green, mirroring the cabriolet’s original factory appearance. The matching-numbers engine and gearbox were entrusted to the esteemed Leydon Restorations of Pennsylvania for a complete rebuild, and the opportunity was taken to tastefully upgrade the engine with a period-correct supercharger, effectively lifting the car to Type 57C power ratings. This performance-enhancing modification, which remains easily reversible, was particularly convenient due to the design of the later Type 57 engines, which featured a covered inlet to which a blower could be quickly attached.

Upon completion, the immaculate Bugatti was exhibited at the 2018 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, where it successfully completed the Tour d’Elegance before taking home a class award. The Type 57 also participated in the International Bugatti Rally in Saratoga Springs a few weeks later. The cabriolet has been additionally shown at the 2019 Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance, as well as a handful of local Southern California shows.

Retaining its numbers-matching engine and coachwork, and claiming 66 years of uninterrupted care by a doting Dutch family, this unique open Type 57 is additionally distinguished by its rarity as one of just eight examples featuring the exceptional Letourneur et Marchand cabriolet coachwork. A true prize for any serious Bugatti collector, 57644 is ready for immediate use in vintage driving events or further exhibitions, certain to draw the envy of Bugattistes worldwide.