1935 Bugatti Type 57 Aérolithe
The story of the Magnesium Meteor
Let’s learn a bit about one of Bugatti’s most intriguing creations. The Bugatti Type 57 Aérolithe.
By the early 1930s, the luxury automobile market had dwindled. Bugatti knew that a unique new model was needed to help their company survive.
The Type 57, introduced in 1934, was that car. Its styling was contemporary, and custom coachwork was available for those with means.
16th October 1935: The 3.3 litre Bugatti prototype Type 57S Aerolithe coupe, on display at the London Motor Show, Olympia.
Initially called the Type 57S Coupé Spécial but popularly known as the Aérolithe (French for meteor), the avant-garde speedster was beautifully curved from every angle.
This show car was fabricated from magnesium and aluminum alloy. The metal proved nearly impossible to weld so Joseph Walter, united the major sections using rivets.
This Bugatti Aérolithe re-creation was built by David Grainger and his team at the Guild of Automotive Restorers in Bradford, Ontario.