When The Quail came to a close, I stepped into the grassy field and stumbled upon this gorgeous piece of automotive sculpture. My skin tanned from the sunlight, but this icy green Bugatti looked frozen cold. This particular Type 57 example is built as an Aerolithe Coupe, a styling study done by Bugatti back in 1935 and lost since 1936. Very little visual information is left of the original Aerolithe coupe–there was enough technical information passed down through the years, but it took a Canadian group 5 years to build a version of the Aerolithe. This remake of that famous automobile uses 100% genuine Bugatti components. Even the tires, a set of Dunlop Ballon whitewalls, are completely correct and were custom-made for it. The color was matched through a painting made of the original to Bugatti paint chips of the era. However, by far the most impressive aspect of this breathtaking automobile is the bodywork. The body is made from a magnesium alloy, notorious for its flammability and volatility–this is why the body is riveted, not welded, together. The swoopy lines and stunning shapes of this car were more than enough to keep my attention for a solid hour or so. It was difficult for me to stop shooting pictures, even after a frantic call from Nick about Pagani allowing people to sit in the new Huayra (if that’s what it had to take to get me away from this Bugatti, then not much else would have). Enjoy the photos.

Continue reading The Quail, a Motorsports Gathering: The 1935 Bugatti Type 57 Aerolithe Coupe Re-Creation →