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$200K Replica? 1937 Bugatti Type 57

Replicas are always difficult cars to place, both value-wise and project-worthiness-wise, as the construction and quality of the kit are significant determining factors. Without that information, it’s hard to pinpoint worth, but the seller of this Bugatti Type 57 replica is under the impression this car is worth $200,000 once it’s complete. Given the real-deal Bugatti is a multi-million dollar vehicle, it’s not unrealistic to think this way – but there’s also not enough information to go on in the listing here on Facebook Marketplace to determine how realistic of a number that is. Do you think a Bugatti replica like this is a six-figure car?

Certain replicas have achieved big time results at major collector car auctions, but most are largely cheap kits that serve to insult the original designer of the car they’re attempting to emulate. Some of the better ones that come to mind for me are Toyota MR2-based, namely the Ferrari Dino and Ferrari 348 models, both of which you can be in kit-car form. Those examples tend to sell for real money when they do pop up for sale, namely because they are high quality kits with many manhours invested in their components and drivetrain configurations to deliver an authentic experience. Most kits don’t go this far and pale in comparison, certainly from the driving experience but also from the visual perspective as well.

The seller mentions that this Bugatti replica sits atop a 1978 Jaguar chassis, and I’m assuming the drivetrain comes from the same car. There’s no mention of a kit builder that’s responsible for this creation, or if it’s truly a one-off made by an enthusiast in their garage. That seems doubtful, as the kit seems too developed for someone’s backyard project, but who knows – a guy who earned notoriety for building a Lamborghini Countach replica from scratch in his basement to this day holds the honor of building one of the better supercar replicas I’ve ever seen. Read “The Man Who Spent 17 Years Building The Ultimate Lamborghini Replica In His Basement Wants To Sell It” on Jalopnik for more info.

The kit comes with many of the parts needed to finish it, including glass, fenders, and suicide doors. The seller doesn’t go so far as to say it comes with everything you need to finish the Bugatti, so that’s a question worth asking. The listing describes the Bugatti kit as being bought new, so it would seem at least one manufacturer was churning out replica kits at some point. Some of these recreations can have many thousands of hours into the forming of the metal body panels, thus justifying the high asking price for a car that isn’t the real thing. Is this one of those high-end kits that was seemingly only ever built in small batches? Hard to tell. Do any of our readers know the origins of this unusual T57 kit?

Comments

  1. Avatar angliagt Member

    I’d buy it,but I think I’d get tired of people confusing
    it with a real Bugatti,just like those Volkswagen based ones.

    Like 6
  2. bobhess bobhess Member

    Interesting kit but I’d be more interested in finding out who’d pay more than 4 or 5K for this pile. “You’ve got to be kidding” award of the week here.

    Like 30
    • Avatar Chris

      How much is it

      Like 0
  3. Avatar J_Paul Member

    At least the rendering looks really nice.

    And now for some armchair sleuthing: After grabbing the rendering photo from the FB ad and blowing it up in Photoshop, it is signed by Gary Fulkerson, who was a former designer at Saleen, Cars and Concepts, and Ford.

    Through Google, I found that the image is for the “Bella Figura/Nasty Coupe” kit by Delahaye USA. http://www.delahayeusa.com/delahaye-build-your-own.php

    If this IS the kit in question, it costs about $15,000 and is supposed to go on an Art Morrison frame. Given that the FB seller is asking $20,000 for a car in pieces, with who knows how many items missing or damaged, it would probably make more sense to buy the kit from new if you are into the style.

    Like 19
    • Avatar J_Paul Member

      (Also, this is a fiberglass—not metal—kit)

      Like 3
    • Avatar SubGothius

      “Given that the FB seller is asking $20,000 for a car in pieces” — you missed a zero there, which makes their ask even more ridiculous.

      Like 5
      • Avatar RogueG

        No, if you read the ad, they are asking 20K, and valuing it at 200K finished. Not a likely scenario.

        Like 0
  4. Avatar Steve R

    Kits are still available new through Delahaye USA, with current prices available on their website.

    These are pretty cars when finished, but ultimately, there is nothing special about this abandoned project that would warrant the sellers asking price.

    Steve R

    Like 5
  5. Avatar Bill McCoskey Member

    I could certainly see one of these kits, when finished, selling for $200,000, but the builder would likely have correctly invested at least $300,000 in it. “Correctly” means the work and materials would have that kind of value added to the basic kit.

    As it stands right now, there are too many unknowns. First of all, 1978 Jaguars don’t have a separate chassis, so that creates a red flag. Was the chassis part of the kit, welded on a jig? or was it a cobbled up chassis intended for a different car? The condition of the drive train is also an unknown. Right now, selling the kit “as-is”, without warranty, it’s worth very little. Like a couple of hundred Dollars.

    Like 5
  6. Avatar chrlsful

    just from my wrenchers perspective (a bit dark in the pic to tell) but here U get a beautiful “fendered car” but it still has room to get by them to do under hood maintenance?

    Like 0
  7. Avatar ACZ

    Drugs.

    Like 3
    • Avatar MDW66

      Drugs and money

      Like 1
  8. Avatar MDW66

    Drugs and money

    Like 1
  9. Avatar connbackroads

    The first thought to enter my mind when I saw this was “Cruella DeVille”.

    That’s what happens when you have a 5-year-old at home.

    Now I can’t get that blessed song out of my head.

    Like 1
  10. Avatar Lance

    It’s priced due to ‘lack of drugs or money’

    Like 0
  11. Avatar HARM R SMIT

    Could be fun but no serious money!

    Like 0
  12. Avatar Chris

    $5K tops …

    Like 1
  13. Avatar Steveo

    Except for the detail that this is infinitely different and inferior in every way, it’s exactly like a Pur Sang Bugatti.

    Like 1
  14. Avatar DuesenbergDino

    My favorite Delahaye is the 49 Saoutchik 175 S Roadster in baby blue. 3 million price tag.

    Like 1
  15. Avatar Gerard Frederick

    Is there really someone out there who would pay ANY amount for this pile of junk?

    Like 0

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