After decades of building and selling race cars, Bugatti decided to focus on a passenger car which would compete with the 1930s custom coachwork Delahayes and Delages. Largely influenced by Ettoire’s son, Jean Bugatti, the Type 57 would be a high performance chassis built in large quantities that could still capture the exclusive market which was once occupied by the Type 41 Royale and Type 46/50 range.