History has shown how much cars can go around in public/ private auctions. We are at a time where wealthy individuals can spare millions on a car. A while ago, the Ferrari 250 GTO set a record for the most expensive car sold at a public auction for an eye-popping sum of $48-million!
Although that’s a serious sum of money for any car let alone a classic car, there’s one that could potentially leave the GTO in the dust—if found, that is. We’re talking about the missing Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic No. 57453. Speculators believe, if the car is found, it could be worth a whopping $114 million!
Not too long along a Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic changed hands for a hefty sum of $30 million. No.57374 currently calls sunny California its home and Peter W Mullin proudly exhibits his acquisition at the Mullin Automotive Museum.
With just 4 of them in total, the SC Atlantic befits the expression “rarer than hen’s teeth.” This is just one among many reasons why the Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic marks itself as one of the most valuable cars in the automotive fraternity.
Bugatti Type 57: A Brief
Owning a car is one thing but getting your hands on expensive cars is a privilege reserved for a lucky few. While it’s not easy to be a proud owner of a Ferrari, Lamborghini, or any supercar for that matter, it’s always been a race between the elite to one-up their neighbor.
Bugattis were always reserved for the one percent. It’s no surprise that when the company started making cars back in the late 1900s, it would normally be 10 times the price of what was affordable and twice the cost of a prime residential property. Being coach-built and exquisitely designed the Bugatti brand quickly started getting traction across wealthy clients.
Fast forward a few years and the iconic Type 57 was born in 1934 when founder Ettore Bugatti’s son Jean started waving his magic. The Bugatti Type 57 used the 3.3-liter inline-8 engine from the Type 59 Grand Prix cars, producing 135 horsepower. This gave the Type 57 a top speed of 95 mph, an astonishing figure for the time. Only 630 odd examples were ever produced which marks how exclusive the car is. Production of the Type 57 continued through 1940 post which its successor, the Type 101 was introduced in 1951 after World War II.
Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic: An Icon Is Born
The Type 57SC Atlantic is a special version of the regular model. The Atlantic was envisioned as the pinnacle of Bugatti’s craftsmanship.The "S" stood for "Surbaissé" ("Lowered") and the "C" for "Compresseur" (for the supercharger onboard). The combination resulted in the birth of what many claim to be the world’s first supercar. The Type 57SC Atlantic shared the 3.3-liter straight-eight but power stood at 200 horsepower (thanks to the supercharger), which helped it reach a top speed of 120 mph. Monumental stats for any production car of that period. The Type 57SC Atlantic’s body featured flowing coupé lines with a pronounced dorsal seam running along the length of the car.
It was based on the 1935 Aérolithe concept designed by Jean Bugatti which was built on a prototype chassis, more specifically, a shortened version of the Type 57 chassis. The iconic riveted design was to incorporate the Elektron panels which were lightweight and incredibly durable. However, the material posed a serious flaw. It was highly flammable and any form of welding was rendered impossible. Engineers decided to rivet them externally, a common technique used in the aviation industry.
The SC Atlantic was named in honor of Jean Bugatti's friend, French pilot Jean Mermoz. He was the first to cross the South Atlantic by air and was regarded as a pioneer aviator. Originally, the Type 57SC Atlantic model was to be named "Coupé Aero" but upon Mermoz’s tragic demise, Jean Bugatti changed the name of the model to "Atlantic Coupé."
Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic: Why Is It So Valuable
The Type 57SC Atlantic’s rarity and never before or since adopted design ethos can be attributed to this Bugatti’s astronomical values. The SC Atlantic proved to be an exercise of extreme engineering and attention to detail; one that Jean Bugatti cherished. Regarded as one of the rarest Bugattis of all time, the Type 57SC Atlantic is more than just an icon. With just 4 in existence, they are truly priceless.
In order to commemorate the Type 57SC, Bugatti brought out the La Voiture Noire. As a tribute, La Voiture Noire stood for “the black car” which is what Jean Bugatti affectionately called the second (and currently elusive) Type 57SC Atlantic. When the one-off Bugatti La Voiture was unveiled in 2019, it marked something special with a price tag of a whopping $18.68 million! The La Voiture Noire is currently the most expensive car in the world.
Sources: Supercars.net. Motortrend, Hemmings