Hella’s Type 57

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Wow! Bonhams offers 211 lots of which 111 are motor cars with 58 of these being PreWars at its Amelia Island auction on May 20th! There are lots of interesting cars, ranging from a 1935 Corsica bodied Godsal Tourer to a 1928 Saoutchik bodied Mercedes-Benz 630K and from a locally Calcutta-bodied and ex-maharaja Rolls-Royce to a Chrysler Imperial sold new to original Mar-O-Lago-owner Marjorie Merryweather Post.

1934 Bugatti Type 57 Cabriolet

Another lady-owned rarity is the Bugatti Type 57 seen here with its original caretaker – actress and ski-champion Hella Hartwich, making it our choice for today – it’s one very fitting Friday Lady after all. The car was part of the collection of the late Clem and Mary Lange, and perhaps a bit of an oddball there, with most of the cars being brass era tourers and racers (all being offered for sale, too). The Type 57’s body is by French coachbuilder Franay and is described by the auctioneer as ‘stunning’ and ‘sleek’, although we’re not totally certain about that. It is, however, believed to be the only Franay body ever to have graced a Type 57, so certainly a real rarity.

German-born Hartwich who lived in Paris had the car painted in a dark hue with black painted wire wheels and a chromed radiator shell. She supposedly managed to keep it during the War years although a picture of the Bugatti dated 1952 or '53 show the car in a pretty sorry state with several modifications and different colours. The next owner became French filmmaker Jean Rouch who made it a star in one of his movies (Petit à Petit) after being restored by Carroserie Monceau in the 1960s. Rouch kept it until his death in 2004 and by 2011 it had found its way to the Clem and Mary Lange collection in the US. By that time a full restoration was started once more at a cost of nearly $650,000 and back to its original condition. Well, nearly. The dickey seat had been added in Rouch’s ownership and we’re not sure about the ostrich interior either. But it’s a stunning car in every respect and one that will do as good in Paris today as in any prestigious concours event.

Words by Jeroen Booij. Pictures courtesy of Bonhams.

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