A 1930s fairy tale: what's the story behind the Snow White Bugatti?

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There is no doubt that this is a Bugatti and we think it’s safe to say it’s a Type 57, too, but that's where the certainties end. All of the rest is shrouded in total mystery. Well, the photo must have been taken during a concours d’élégance, but we haven’t been able to find out which one, and there were so many of them in the 1930s. Could the number 16 be a clue? And what about the registration, which seems to be 8350-QA9? That hasn't got us any further.

All the same, it’s a striking car, a cabriolet or drophead coupé, and quite a looker in what seems to be white, making the nickel or chrome stand out so nicely on a sunny day. Note also the subtle coach lines on the sides—we can just see the line dropping on the door, in the style of the Atalante, but without the suicide doors it seems. The low windscreen with the cut-off A-pillars reminds us of other Bugattis, too, possibly on some Gangloff-bodied cars. We can’t remember where we've seen them now. Is there anyone who has any idea at all?

Oh, and then there’s the ladies, with matching coloured dresses, hats, handbags, gloves and jewellery! Skins as white as snow and hair as black as ebony, but there are no dwarfs in sight here, just a pair of colour-coded poodles. It's a fairy-tale picture nevertheless. Go on, tell us what you know!

Words: Jeroen Booij
Picture: source unknown

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