Get Hotcars Premium. Start your free trial today

The Bugatti Type 57 Roadster Grand Raid Usine sits on one of the ten ‘Grand Raid’ chassis engineered by Bugatti before World War II.

Bugatti is in the news for putting its iconic W16 engine to rest in the wake of acceptance of an electric future. The all-new Mistral will be the last car from Bugatti to feature this mighty engine, which is arguably the mightiest supercar engine the present world witnessed in all its glory. However, beyond the boundaries of the present and the oncoming journey of the tomorrow, Bugatti has had an illustrious history of making classic roadsters. These cars from the bygone eras have shaped the exquisite journey of making exclusive cars that Bugatti is known for in the present world. One such car is the Bugatti Type 57 Roadster Usine, recently highlighted by the French carmaker in a pristine restored form and is kept for display at the Louwman Museum in the Hague.

According to the President of Bugatti Automobiles, Christophe Piochon, the Bugatti Type 57 Roadster is a fine example of a luxury sports car representing Bugatti’s glorious heritage. He added that vehicles like this paved the path for the modern Bugattis of the 21st century and made the brand one of the pinnacles of craftsmanship and luxury. It is the first time the ‘Usine’ suffix has been used for a Bugatti in its history spanning over a century.

Related: 10 Things We Forgot About The Bugatti Royale

The Bugatti Type 57 Roadster Usine we are talking about is the only example of Type 57 known to be in existence. This open-top Type 57 roadster made its glorious debut at the Salon de l’Automobile (now known as Mondial de l'Automobile) in Paris in October 1934. It is believed that Bugatti’s founder Ettore Bugatti’s son, Jean Bugatti, designed this car himself.

This sample showcased by Bugatti is the ‘Grand Raid’ version, one of the several body types of Type 57 known to exist. With the word ‘Raid’, Bugatti told the world that this car was designed for competing in long and arduous competitive rallies. To make it even more exclusive, Bugatti made only ten ‘Grand Raid’ chassis, and this Type 57 Roadster Usine is one of them.

The Bugatti Type 57 is already an exlusive car, and the Type 57 Roadster Grand Raid Usine is even more elusive as it is a one-off offering. This car has an aluminum body painted in a dual-tone theme of black and yellow, two favorite colors of Ettore Bugatti. This car, with chassis number 57222, has been preserved with exquisite craftsmanship, thus showcasing excellent attention-to-detailing.

The Bugatti Type 57 Roadster Usine has a tapered front hood, which hides a 3.2-liter (198 cubic inches) inline-8 engine beneath it. With a maximum power output of 135 hp, this engine enables the car to reach a top speed of 95 mph. This car features swooping curves for the front fenders and a streamlined tail section, with curved bulges covering the rear wheels.

Related: A Closer Look At The Gorgeous Bugatti Type 59 Sports

The car also gets Bugatti’s trademark square-bottom horseshoe grille, a design element it has retained even in its modern-day offerings. Other highlights of the Type 57 Roadster Grand Raid Usine include a V-shaped windscreen and aerodynamic headrest supports. The interior is draped in top-notch walnut brown leather, making it feel luxurious on the inside.

After making a debut at the Salon de l’Automobile in 1934, the Bugatti Type 57 Roadster Usine entered the Paris-Nice rally. The driver helming its steering wheel at that time was the legendary racer Pierre Veyron, to whom Bugatti paid a remarkable tribute by naming the iconic supercar from the 21st century after him. In 1935, Grand Prix driver Robert Benoist led the Type 57 Roadster Grand Raid Usine to the victorious position in the Chavigny hill climb event.

After the second world war ended, Bugatti sold this car to its first owner, who modified its look by altering the headlamps on the front fenders. However, after years, Bugatti managed to retain the car, after which it got restored to its original configuration. After its restoration, this Bugatti Type 57 Roadster entered for display at the Louwman Museum in The Hague in 2001. Since then, the car has been an attraction at the museum, making people appreciate it for its beautiful craftsmanship.

The Louwman Museum in The Hague, where the Bugatti Type 57 Roadster Grand Raid Usine is on display, is heaven for classic car admirers. The museum was founded in 1934 by the Louwman family from The Netherlands. It houses more than 275 historic cars from the past 130 years. This museum is currently owned by Evert Louwman, the son of founder Pieter Louwman. Designed by Driehaus Prize-winning architect Michael Graves, this museum is a fine example of an architectural marvel and is situated on The Hague’s Leidsestraatweg.

Hailing from India, Jeo has grown up dreaming about a red-colored Porsche 911. This fascination led him to study more about cars and their functionality in his automotive engineering days from the past. His passion for writing about cars directed him towards blogging, which he has been doing for almost a decade.