One of Ettore Bugatti’s famous quotes reads; “nothing is too beautiful, nothing is too expensive.” Yet, his company created arguably the most beautiful and potentially the most expensive car ever — the 1937 Bugatti Type 57 SC Atlantic La Voiture Noire. One of four Atlantic Coupes built in the '30s. There’s one problem though. We can’t find it. Also, the 83 year-long duration of the search for the iconic vintage car makes finding it seems a little bit more hopeless with each passing day.
However, hopelessness is for the feeble-minded, and that isn’t an attribute of vintage car collectors and automotive treasure hunters alike. In fact, the longer the search, the more valuable the car when eventually found… perhaps. Notably, the three other units are well-spoken for, and should you want to join the hunt for this unimaginably valuable missing classic car, we have a clue for you; it’s painted black! Let’s tell you more about the disappeared automotive marvel, the original La Voiture Noire.
10 Designed By Jean Bugatti
Born January 1909, Jean Bugatti was the eldest son of Ettore Bugatti, who later became an automotive designer and test engineer for the Bugatti Company. Jean had always been interested in his father’s automotive business even as a young boy, and at 23 years, Jean did most of the design of the Bugatti Type 41 Royale.
He went on to design several iconic cars for the company, including the four Atlantics, and one of them is the missing Bugatti Type 57 SC Atlantic La Voiture Noire.
9 Based On The Aérolithe Concept
The missing La Voiture Noire was based on the 1935 Aérolithe concept car. Built on a standard Type 57 chassis, the Aérolithe Concept car was designed by Jean Bugatti and its body panels were fabricated using an Elektron composite. Asides from been extremely durable and light, Elektron however becomes extremely flammable when exposed to intense heat.
Hence, the Aérolithe Concept car was never welded. Instead, its body parts were riveted together, creating a unique and beautiful seam across the car. Unfortunately, it has disappeared as well.
8 Powertrain
For the Type 57SC Bugattis, the “S” is an acronym for “Surbaissé” which means “Lowered” in English, while the “C” is an acronym for “Compresseur” — which is French for a supercharger, used to increase power. With the supercharger, the Atlantic’s 3.3-liter inline-eight cylinder engine produces an extra 25 horsepower, taking the total output of the car to 200 horsepower.
According to The Drive, the missing unit was factory-fitted with the supercharger, while the other three Atlantics had their superchargers retrofitted at the factory.
7 Chassis Number & Body Shape
This missing La Voiture Noire had chassis number 57453. Along with the other Atlantics, it has flowing coupe lines with a teardrop shape and can be categorized as a Grand Tourer. Being a ‘S’urbaisse, the La Voiture Noire has a low stance due to its low-slung frame design, and it was given a shorter wheelbase as well.
Although the prototype 1935 Aérolithe concept car was made from Elektron, however, the Atlantics, including the missing La Voiture Noire, were all crafted with aluminum. The riveting seam structure on the car is mere aesthetics.
6 Production Factory
The missing Bugatti Type 57 SC Atlantic La Voiture Noire, along with the three other Atlantics were produced in the Bugatti Molsheim factory. A commune found in the heart of Alsace in France, Molsheim is a peaceful and serene community with quite a moderate population density.
Molsheim is the birthplace of the Bugatti brand, the origin of a successful journey into luxury automotive production which started in 1909. It’s also the home of the Bugatti family, as well as the modern headquarters of the brand.
5 Naming
Born in 1901, Jean Mermoz was a heroic French aviator. Among several other great feats, Mermoz was the first pilot to fly a plane across the South Pacific. A very good friend of Jean Bugatti, Mermoz would later lose his life when he crashed into the Atlantic Ocean due to a Latécoère 300’s engine failure in 1936.
Notably, the Atlantic model was originally named “Coupe Aero,” however, on hearing about the crash, Jean Bugatti changed the car’s name to “Atlantic Coupe,” in honor of his late friend.
4 Was Never Sold
Show cars are often built by automotive companies specifically for marketing purposes. They are used as test cars and also for public displays, hence, they’re never sold. The missing La Voiture Noire was the second Atlantic to be built, and it was purposed as sort of a show car. It was built to be the company’s display and test car.
Therefore, it was never sold nor registered to any owner. This has also been a major reason the car has been extremely difficult to trace.
3 Became Jean’s Car
The La Voiture Noire war never sold. However, it had to still be driven around to serve its purpose of being a ‘show car.’ We believe this was the reason it was adopted by Jean Bugatti as his personal car.
According to Tim Bravo, who is the current Head of Communication at Bugatti, the missing La Voiture Noire was adopted and “driven only by Jean Bugatti and select friends.” Racing driver Robert Benoist is believed to be one of those friends.
2 Last Seen
The 1940s was a tough era for the whole world. Hitler had gone berserk and the Second World War was in full gear. Germany launched an invasion of France in 1940, destroying everything in its path while at it. That brings us to the unsubstantiated tale of the missing La Voiture Noire.
Ettore is believed to have bundled all his tools and cars in a train leaving for Bordeaux to save them from destruction. But according to Bravo, the La Voiture Noire which was also on the train, “never arrived.”
1 Current Worth
Bugatti makes cars for the affluent. The French automobile company specializes in producing high-performance automobiles, which are revered for their aesthetic and amazing racing prowess. The Atlantic Coupes were extremely rare, as only four units were ever produced. This rarity also makes them such highly coveted and valuable cars.
However, for its massive automotive significance, and going by the current worth of the three other Atlantic Coupes, the missing La Voiture Noire, according to Hemmings, is worth about $114 million if found today.