The Bugatti Atlantic was a special car for which the French maker made about 800 pieces between 1934 to 1940. However the Bugatti 57 Atlantic Coupe was particularly precious and the rarest of them all.
It is still ranked as among the most valuable automobiles in the world. Only four of them were ever made: three are traceable but one is still missing. According to Bugatti, if found the missing chassis number 57453 could fetch as much as $114 million.
It fell in the hands of Jean Bugatti, the eldest son of company founder Ettore Bugatti, to design these early gems of the company. His designs became the hallmark of modernization for the company and a unique symbol of luxury and racing.
A distinguishing factor of the 57 was the long hood which stood at 12-foot-long and cracked from a unique prototype dubbed the Coupé Special and Coupé Aero. Another signature specification of the 57 was the riveted aluminum seam that ran across the roof.
It is in the words of Bugatti design director Achim Anscheidt that the essence of this car is captured. He said, “The breathtaking proportions of this masterpiece were simply unparalleled at the time and are still thrilling to the present day with their fascinating elegance.”
Bugatti has curved a history that makes for a good read. From its genesis, we see a foundation that was well laid and with so much to write about.
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