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Makes › Bugatti France › Type 57C "Tank" (1939 Le Mans) · Factory competition · 1939 One-off

Bugatti
Type 57C "Tank" (1939 Le Mans)

The individual supercharged Type 57 C Tank in which Jean-Pierre Wimille and Pierre Veyron won the 1939 24 Hours of Le Mans

Still being researched: why it matters, identification guide, full specifications. Everything shown is checked against the cited sources. Know more? Send us a source.

IDENTIFICATION CARD · BUGATTI TYPE 57C "TANK" (1939 LE MANS) 1939
No licensed photograph yet. Photographs are published only when their licence permits it.
1BuiltIndependently researched
0Chassis documentedin this archive
?SurvivingNot yet verified
Contents
  1. 01Overview
  2. 02Production & history
  3. 03Specifications
  4. 04Colours & options
  5. 05Individual cars
  6. 06Reference

01Overview

At a glance

Built
1 Built
Years
1939
Engine
inline eight, DOHC, Roots-type supercharger · 3,257 cc / 3.3 LFactory: 3,257 cc
Power
Not yet verified
Top speed
Not yet verified
Body
Not yet verified
Designer
Not yet verified
In this archive
Not yet verified
Surviving
Not yet verified

Sources and any conflicting figures are in the sections below.

Why it matters

Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.

How rare is it?

Six separate kinds of rarity – never combined into one number.

Model rarityOne-off 1 · Built1
Specification rarityNot yet assessed
Colour rarityNot yet assessed
Individual rarityNot yet assessed
Historical rarityNot yet assessed
Survival rarityNot yet assessed

Each kind of rarity is rated separately and never combined.

02Production & history

Production

Every figure says what it counts.

What is countedFigureBasisStatus
Total model productionthe individual Le Mans-winning car (Wimille/Veyron, June 1939) 11 Factory production Independently researched

Independent counts (e.g. engine and colour) are never combined into a calculated figure. Surviving examples are never presented as original production.

History

RM Sotheby's says the aerodynamic 57G "Tank" won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1937 and that overall victory was repeated by a second incarnation of the Tank in 1939. The 57C was the supercharged version of the Type 57, built from 1937 to 1940 according to conceptcarz.

Variants

How each version differs from the standard Type 57C "Tank" (1939 Le Mans).

No variants documented yet. Have a source? Contribute it.

03Specifications

Technical specifications

Engine

Engine familyNot yet verified
Engine codeNot yet verified
Layoutinline eight, DOHC, Roots-type supercharger2 Independently researched
Displacement 3,257 cc / 3.3 LFactory: 3,257 cc2 Independently researchedBase Type 57/57C engine, not specific to the Le Mans car.
Bore 72 mmFactory: 72 mm2 Independently researchedBase Type 57 engine.
Stroke 100 mmFactory: 100 mm2 Independently researchedBase Type 57 engine.
Compression ratioNot yet verified
Fuel systemNot yet verified
PowerNot yet verified
Power atNot yet verified
TorqueNot yet verified

Transmission & drivetrain

GearboxNot yet verified
GearsNot yet verified
Driven wheelsNot yet verified

Chassis, body & dimensions

ChassisNot yet verified
Front suspensionNot yet verified
Rear suspensionNot yet verified
BrakesNot yet verified
SteeringNot yet verified
Body constructionNot yet verified
WheelbaseNot yet verified
LengthNot yet verified
WidthNot yet verified
HeightNot yet verified
Front trackNot yet verified
Rear trackNot yet verified
Kerb weightNot yet verified
Dry weightNot yet verified

Performance

Maximum speedNot yet verified
0–100 km/hNot yet verified
Fuel tankNot yet verified

“Not yet verified” means no source has been checked for that value yet. Nothing is estimated to fill a gap.

04Colours & options

Factory colours & interiors

Original paint and trim, with the number of cars in each where a source gives it.

Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.

Factory options & codes

Codes are shown exactly as written by the manufacturer.

Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.

05Individual cars

Chassis register

Every documented car, with its colours, history and where it is now. Open a row for the full record. Known chassis are not automatically authenticated originals.

Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.

Competition history

Every race result of the individual cars, in date order. Click a chassis number to open its full record in the register.

Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.

Auction & sale history

Documented public sales of the individual cars. Click a chassis number to open its full record in the register.

Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.

See one in person

Museums where an example of this car can be seen.

No example is documented on public display yet. Have a source? Contribute it.

06Reference

Identification guide

How to tell an original from a replica or later conversion.

Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.

Sources

Each number links to the exact facts it supports.

  1. 1
    Bugatti Newsroom – 80 years ago: Bugatti wins 24 Hours of Le Mans Level A
    • 1 the individual Le Mans-winning car (Wimille/Veyron, June 1939)
    Accessed 2026-11-12
  2. 2
    Bugatti Type 57C Level B conceptcarz.com
    • straight-8 twin-cam, 3.3 liter engine ... Roots-Type supercharger
    • 3.3 liter (3,257cc / 198 cubic-inch) engine
    • a 72mm bore, a 100mm stroke
    Accessed 2026-11-12

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