The Bugatti Type 57S Atlantic was introduced in 1936 and designed by Jean Bugatti.
The Bugatti 57S was inspired by the 1935 Aerolithe concept car with an aluminium body and distinctive dorsal seams.
A 3.3-litre, straight-eight engine producing 200 horsepower and a top speed of more than 125 mph powered the 57S.
It has a lowered chassis, the ‘S’ for Surbaissé (lowered), and includes advanced technology like dry sump lubrication and an optional supercharger.
Four only were produced, making them extremely rare. Each car had a unique design and specifications.
The 57S was considered one of the most beautiful and iconic pre-war cars.
Symbol of elegance and exclusivity in the classic car world.
Of the four Type 57SCs made, three were sold to customers.
The first was to British banker Victor Rothschild, the second to Parisian businessman Jacques Holzschuh and the third car was sold to R.B. Pope of Britain.
Tragically, Holzschuh’s Atlantic was involved in a fatal accident.
The second owner of the coupe, a collector, became trapped on a level crossing; he died in the accident, and the car was destroyed.
Decades later, the car underwent a painstaking restoration, though the engine was unsalvageable.
Richard Pope owned the third car (aka The Pope Atlantic), which he kept for 30 years before selling it to the author Barry Price, who sold it to Ralph Lauren in 1988.
Jean Bugatti used the remaining car, and the last record of the car was in 1938.
The Atlantic name was in honour of Jean Bugatti’s pilot friend, Jean Mermoz, who never returned from a South Atlantic aviation journey.
