1934 Bugatti Type 57 Stelvio
- Colour
- Black and Ivory
Bugatti Type 57 chassis 57190, bodied in Jean Bugatti's Stelvio cabiole style, was delivered new in July 1934 to a French dentist in Poitiers who specified black and ivory coachwork over a Havana leather interior. The car retains a remarkable proportion of its original components — including the gearbox, frame, carburetor, and bodywork — and carries an unbroken documented history through several distinguished American stewards including the Blackhawk Collection and collector Bill Jacobs, who commissioned a full restoration in 1985. A near-four-decade tenure by a single owner followed before the car changed hands in 2023.
Ownership
- —Auction saleSold US$500,000
- —Auction saleSold US$467,000
- 1934-07-01 →Factory deliveryRaymond Perettifull documentation
Dentist from Poitiers who ordered the car via Bugatti agent J.B. Arnaud; collected it from the Molsheim factory in July 1934. By 1937 had driven roughly 40,000 km, indicating active use. Car was reportedly seized by German forces during the war.
- → 1947Acquisition unknownAndré Pigépartial documentation
Physician and wartime resistance member who came into possession of the car after the war. He died in a swimming accident in 1947, after which his family disposed of the vehicle.
- 1947 →InheritancePigé familypartial documentation
Inherited the car following André Pigé's accidental death and subsequently sold it.
- → 1986Acquisition unknownBill Jacobspartial documentation
Prominent collector who commissioned a second full restoration in 1985, then sold the car the following year.
- 1986 → 2023Private saleTerence Adderleypartial documentation
Retained the car for nearly four decades before selling in 2023.
- 2023 →Private saleCurrent ownerpartial documentation
Had new blackwall tires fitted, enhancing the car's visual presentation.
- Date unknownAcquisition unknownJoseph Gestpartial documentation
La Jolla, California resident who acquired the car in the early 1960s. Commissioned a restoration through Bunny Phillips, a well-established Los Angeles-based Bugatti specialist.
- Date unknownAcquisition unknownBlackhawk Collectionpartial documentation
Notable automotive collection that held the car during the roughly two decades following Gest's ownership.
Competition
No competition history extracted from the catalogue.
Maintenance & restoration
- 1937Engine rebuildBugatti factory
Engine suffered a cracked cylinder block and seized pistons; correspondence between the owner and the factory documents this issue. The crankcase with original chassis and engine number stampings survives intact.
Documented in a letter between the owner and Molsheim, summer 1937.
- 1985Restoration
Second full restoration commissioned by owner Bill Jacobs.
- 2023Mechanical
New blackwall tires fitted by current ownership.
- —RestorationBunny Phillips
First known restoration carried out after the car arrived in California, covering an unspecified but comprehensive scope.
Performed by the well-regarded Los Angeles Bugatti specialist during Joseph Gest's ownership in the early-to-mid 1960s.
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