What makes some of the most expensive cars in the world worth the buy isn’t the fact that you get your money’s worth. We’ve seen this countless times with overpriced collectibles that are just plain ugly.

You pay to get exclusivity, whether it’s as low as $500,000 worth. Or in the case of the classic Bugatti Type 57 SC Atlantic, $40 million is the price of exclusivity.

The Bugatti Type 57 SC Atlantic was a limited production grand tourer produced by French carmakers between 1934 and 1940. Bugatti built the 57 SC Atlantic after the successes of the Bugatti type 49.

What is so special about the Bugatti Type 57 SC Atlantic that even fashion and business mogul Ralph Lauren keeps one in a hidden park building in New York?

Well, let’s take a detailed look back at the 1930s luxury grand tourer from Bugatti that collectors want so bad.

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Jean Bugatti’s 1930s Grand Tourer Is Exotic And Classic

1938 Bugatti Type 57 SC Atlantic Coupe
Via Ultimate car page

Designed by Jean Bugatti, the SC in Bugatti Type 57 SC Atlantic stands for “surbaissé compresseur.” Together this translates to “lowered compressor” in English, making the Type 57 a supercharger-laden car.

The Bugatti Type 57 SC Atlantic was Bugatti’s reply to their buyer’s need for a much higher power. Its been more than eight decades since Bugatti first put out the Atlantic variant of the Bugatti Type 57.

Worldwide, there are only three remaining, with the previous fourth one belonging to Jean Bugatti going missing after his death. Ironically, Jean Bugatti, the eldest son of company founder Ettore Bugatti, died in a crash while testing a Type 57 car.

Wherever they are, the remaining Bugatti Type 57 SC Atlantic cars are among some of the most valuable cars in the world.

Luxury Fittings Highlighted The Interior Of The Bugatti Type 57 SC Atlantic

1935 Bugatti Type 57 SC Atlantic
Via: Flickr

Bugatti didn’t miss a thing with the Bugatti type 57 SC Atlantic grand tourer when it came to luxury fittings. As with the other variants of type 57, the SC Atlantic variant wasn’t extensive on space.

This is understandable, seeing that all the decorative bodywork and luxury fittings made it more or less a two-sitter sports car. However, owners were treated with a bit more luggage space than they’d expect for a vehicle its size.

Perhaps one of its unique interior features is the fact that it was both its overall fit and finish and the quality of materials used. Another distinctive interior feature of the Bugatti Type 57 SC Atlantic is its divider demarcating the car into two.

Once inside the car, owners will find two seats that held shelves behind them for stowing their luggage. The grand tourer appeared small from the outside but still managed to allow entry and alighting almost stress-free.

Bugatti achieved this by allowing the doors to overlap into the roof of the car. This prevented their affluent customers from bending too much, so they don’t bump their heads when entering the vehicle.

High-end, expensive furniture was a common trend with luxury cars at the time, and the Bugatti Type 57 SC Atlantic was no exception. In the cabin at the driver’s seat, a large steering wheel pokes out from the dashboard to meet your hands.

This steering wheel is a four-spoke one, and it bears a resemblance to those used by Bugatti race cars. From under the dashboard and towards the driver, a long and angled gear lever allows you to change gears comfortably.

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Aerolithe Prototype Gave Inspiration For The Atlantic

Aerolithe Prototype
Via: Road & Track

The Aerolithe, a concept car created by Jean Bugatti, inspired the Bugatti Type 57 SC Atlantic. Ettore Bugatti sanctioned the production of the coupe in France at a time when war was becoming imminent.

Making its entrance in the 1930s, the Bugatti Type 57 SC Atlantic’s body was a thing of beauty and exotic allure. Its wheels stood out of its body while the bonnet was strikingly longer than you’d expect for a car of its size.

The car’s back end flows down in a sort of oval shape, with the car’s overall outlook looking like a single teardrop. A unique design feature of the exterior is the elevated seam that runs from the car’s hinge to its tail.

This feature was more engineering than design because of the Elektron sheet used in aviation for its body. This material is an alloy carrying 10% aluminum and 90% magnesium.

It is strong and lightweight but cannot be welded. For this reason, the Bugatti Type 57 Sc Atlantic had to have its parts fastened together.

Who Owns A Bugatti Type 57 SC Atlantic?

1938 Bugatti Type 57 SC Atlantic
Via: TopWorldAuto

Buyers of the Bugatti Type 57 SC Atlantic had no idea the car had the potential to be a valuable car for collectors.

Only four pieces of the Bugatti Type 57 SC Atlantic were built, and three were bought by private customers. British banker Victor Rothschild bought one of the Bugatti Type 57 SC Atlantic.

Jacques Holzschuh from France got one as well. However, his car was destroyed in a crash that claimed both his life and the car. There were attempts to recover this particular one, but the engine couldn’t be saved even with high-end technology.

Another Briton, R.B. Pope, owned one as well. In more recent times, this particular one sits in a hidden garage belonging to fashion designing powerhouse Ralph Lauren’s car collection.

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