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Elegant, sporty, luxurious and rare. Four attributes that apply to Bugatti vehicles. But these four fit one model in particular: The Type 57 SC Atlantic Coupé is not only one of Bugatti's legends, but perhaps the greatest of all.
Only four of this icon were made between 1936 and 1938. Three of the extraordinary coupés still exist today. They are considered the most expensive automobiles in the world. The automotive world has been looking for the fourth Atlantic for more than 80 years.
Ettore Bugatti's son Jean began to modernize the model policy of the luxury brand around 1930. Instead of several models, he developed a basic model from which he derived various variants. The Type 57 was conceived as a production car, a racing variant and the ultimate Grande Tourisme. These included different engine variants and body styles such as Galibier (four-door sedan), Stelvio (convertible), Ventoux (two-door) and Atalante (coupé).
A total of around 56 Type 1934 automobiles left the factory between 1940 and 800. An exact number is not known. Of all Bugatti models, the Type 57 was the most frequently built.
The Bugatti Atlantic is stunning and elegant
Except for the Atlantic variant. Its body was already spectacularly beautiful and exotic back then. The wheels stand out from the body, the bonnet stretches far forward with a total length of only 3,70 meters. Shaped like an oval, the stern flows far down until just above the ground. Six thin tailpipes complete the rear area.
An outstanding design feature is an upright comb that runs vertically from the hinge of the divisible bonnet to the rear end. Like a razor-sharp fin, it divides the body in the middle, rivets hold the divided sheets in place.
The Atlantic models developed from the one-off Aérolithe, also known as the Coupé Special or Coupé Aero. In this model with chassis number 57 104, Jean Bugatti used Elektron sheet metal from aircraft construction for the body, a magnesium-aluminium alloy known as Elektron. Electron consists of 90 percent magnesium and 10 percent aluminum.
Rivets held the body panels together
Light and durable, difficult to work with because it cannot be welded. That's why Bugatti riveted the body parts - with the famous crest line. Bugatti used aluminum for the series Atlantic, but kept the rivets on the fin.
The model was named in honor of Bugatti's friend Jean Mermoz. The mail pilot was the first to cross the South Atlantic by plane, in 1936 he did not return from another South Atlantic crossing.
The upper door cutouts run in the roof to make it easier for passengers to get in and out of the low coupe. The first two models have the headlights in the fenders, the other two models have free-standing headlight housings. But they also differ in details. Each model is a solitaire.
[dropcap size=big]57[/dropcap] “The Type 57 SC Atlantic is a design manifesto by Jean Bugatti. The breathtaking proportions of this masterpiece had no parallels at the time and this design still inspires with a fascinating elegance today,” says Achim Anscheidt, chief designer at Bugatti.
The models have won several prizes in recent years at international beauty contests for historic automobiles, such as the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance in California. “The riveted aluminum seam that runs across the car roof is still a design feature today. Unique and elegant,” adds Achim Anscheidt.
The coupé was powered by a smooth-running and powerful 3,3-litre eight-cylinder in-line engine with up to around 200 hp, and the top speed was over 200 km/h. And that at a time when there were still carriages on many streets. “For Bugatti, form has long followed performance in a pioneering and progressive way. That hasn't changed to this day," says Stephan Winkelmann.
Only three customer vehicles were built
Bugatti only sold three of the handcrafted Atlantic vehicles to customers. In 1936, Bugatti built the first model for the British banker Victor Rothschild, still without a compressor, in grey-blue. Today the vehicle is known as Rothschild-Atlantic with the number 57 374.
In October 57, Bugatti delivered the Holzschuh-Atlantic, the third built with chassis number 473 1936, to the Frenchman Jacques Holzschuh. The car's second owner, a collector, crashed the Atlantic at a railroad crossing, killing the driver and completely shredding the Bugatti.
Decades later, the Atlantic was extensively restored, but the engine could not be saved. The fashion designer Ralph Lauren owns the last built Atlantic with the chassis number 57 591, the Pope-Atlantic completed in May 1938 - its first owner was the Briton RB Pope.
Where is the second Bugatti Atlantic?
Jean Bugatti had the second Atlantic made for himself. He alone and now and then a selected friend, mostly racing drivers from the company, were allowed to sit behind the large steering wheel of the coupé with the chassis number 57 453.
La Voiture Noire - the black car
Bugatti used the "La Voiture Noire" - the black car - with a front bumper and deeper doors as a model for brochure photos and as an exhibit at international vehicle fairs such as in Lyon and Nice. In contrast to the other models, the track of the sports car is lost after 1938. It is not entirely clear whether Jean Bugatti sold the car to a racing driver friend, or whether it was sold to a safe place when the German Wehrmacht invaded Alsace, which is more likely region was sent.
One thing is certain: the second Atlantic built has not yet been found. His disappearance is considered one of the biggest automotive mysteries.
Experts estimate the value of the still undiscovered Atlantic at more than 100 million euros - if it ever turns up again.
Maybe you know where the second Bugatti Atlantic got to? Bugatti would certainly be willing to negotiate an appropriate finder's fee with you.
