The 1939 Bugatti Type 57 was powered by a refined 3.3-liter inline-eight engine, developed under the direction of Jean Bugatti. This DOHC powerplant featured advanced engineering for its era, including a robust crankshaft and efficient hemispherical combustion chambers. In its naturally aspirated form, it produced around 135 horsepower, while the supercharged Type 57C variant pushed output closer to 160 horsepower.