Bugatti Type 57 S Atlantic – the mother of all Art Deco cars…
This car claims to be one of the three surviving Atlantic, but this might be a bold claim. The Type 57 S Atlantic is considered by many the most influential car of all time. It combined the state of prewar technology with the most sensual Art Deco styling.
The technical basis was inherited from the 57 S Compétition model, fitted with a body that followed the latest in aerodynamic lightweight construction, and the riveted longitudinal edge was not just a design element but a simple method to sculpt the aluminium bodywork. It was all about being fast, being cool was just a byproduct. The name Atlantic honoured the crossing of the Atlantic Ocean by Jean Bugatti’s friend Jean Mermoz in 1933.
Altogether, four Atlantic versions were made, and two of them survived: one is resident in the Mullin Automotive Museum, and the other is part of Ralph Lauren’s collection. A third one got lost during World War II, and the last one had to be rebuilt after a deadly accident with a train in 1955.
This particular car is the fourth one, originally delivered to Mr. and Mrs. Holzschuch in Paris, and was totalled by the second owner, René Chatard. In 1963, Paul-André Berson of Montargis acquired the remains of the car from the French Railways and embarked on an extensive restoration. He removed the damaged original engine and body panels and installed another Type 57 engine and new panels.
In 1977, noted Collector Nicolas Seydoux purchased the car and re-restored it. Since then, the Atlantic has gone through other private collectors and has ever-increasing originality, including reintegrating the original engine and body parts.
