Bugatti Type 57 SC Atlantic; our car of the year ...
This was certainly the year of the Bugatti Type 57 SC Atlantic Coupe; in April one was sold for a record smashing price and in August a resurrected example debuted at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. Just four examples of this spectacular Bugatti were built between 1936 and 1938, and only two have survived as complete cars. The distinguishing feature of the Altantic are the rivet 'spines' running from front to back over the various panels. These can be traced back to the 'Aerolithe' show car built in 1935, which reportedly was constructed from the very volatile magnesium alloy 'Electron'. For obvious reasons the panels could not be melded, so they had to be riveted together much like on contemporary airplanes. The 'production' Atlantic bodies were built from aluminium but the spines were carried over to give the car its distinct styling.
As mentioned two have survived in complete order and had been in the same hands for decades. Sadly, the untimely death of the first car's owner in 2008 brought it to the market. In April a deal was struck by David Gooding between the widow and someone close to the newly opened Mullin Automotive Museum. The press-release merely stated that an amount in excess of $30 million was part of the transaction but rumours suggest it was actually around the $35 million mark. One car disappeared before the War and the final car was virtually demolished in a fatal collision with a train in 1955. This Atlantic had already been reconstructed in the 1970s but used very few original parts. Over the past two years this has been rectified for the current owner by master-restorer Paul Russell. The resulting Atlantic was shown at Pebble and sparked quite a bit of conversation.
All this and much more can be found in detail in our report with individual chassis histories on all four Atlantics built. The article is illustrated by a spectacular 36-shot gallery.
Enjoy the links:
1936 - 1938 Bugatti Type 57 SC Atlantic Coupe - Images, Specifications and Information
If you should see a man walking down a crowded street talking aloud to himself, don't run in the opposite direction, but run towards him, because he's a poet. You have nothing to fear from the poet - but the truth.
(Ted Joans)
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