The Bugatti Chiron Super Sport is already one of the most exclusive and expensive cars in the world, with a top speed of over 260 mph and a price tag of $3.9 million. But for one customer, that was not enough. She wanted her Chiron Super Sport to pay homage to another Bugatti icon: the Type 57 SC Atlantic, a masterpiece of art and engineering that is widely regarded as the most valuable and elegant car ever made.
The result is the Chiron Super Sport ‘57 One of One’, a unique creation that blends the modern performance and technology of the Chiron Super Sport with the classic style and heritage of the Type 57 Atlantic. This is the story of how Bugatti’s Sur Mesure division, which specializes in bespoke customization, made this dream come true.
A Love Story That Began 20 Years Ago
The customer, who wishes to remain anonymous, is a lifelong car lover and a fan of Bugatti. She first saw a Type 57 SC Atlantic 20 years ago at the Mullin Automotive Museum in Oxnard, California, where one of the only three surviving examples is on display. She was instantly captivated by the car’s beauty and history, and it became her favorite car of all time.
The Type 57 SC Atlantic was designed by Jean Bugatti, the son of the founder Ettore Bugatti, in the late 1930s. It was based on the Type 57 S, a sporty version of the Type 57, which was Bugatti’s most successful model then. The Atlantic added a striking coupe body with a distinctive dorsal fin that ran from the front to the rear, inspired by aviation design. The car also featured a supercharged 3.3-liter inline-eight engine that delivered 200 horsepower, making it one of the fastest cars of its era.
Only four Type 57 SC Atlantics were ever built, and each one had its own unique features and history. The first one, known as the Aérolithe, was a prototype that was made of magnesium alloy and had riveted seams. It was shown at the 1935 Paris Motor Show, but it disappeared shortly after, and its fate is unknown. The second one, chassis number 57374, was sold to Victor Rothschild, a British banker and aristocrat, who later had it modified with a more powerful engine and headlights. It won the Best of Show award at the 2003 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance and is now part of the Peter Mullin collection. The third one, chassis number 57473, was owned by Jacques Holzschuch, a French industrialist who died in a car accident in 1941. The car was hidden during World War II, and it was later sold to various collectors, including Ralph Lauren, who still owns it today. The fourth one, chassis number 57591, was the personal car of Jean Bugatti, who died in a crash while testing a Type 57 C Tank in 1939. The car was inherited by his brother Roland, who sold it to a French racing driver named Pierre Bouillon who raced under the name Levegh. The car was destroyed in the infamous 1955 Le Mans disaster when Levegh’s Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR crashed into the crowd and killed 83 people.
The customer of the Chiron Super Sport ‘57 One of One’ was inspired by the second Atlantic, the one that belonged to Rothschild and is now in the Mullin Museum. She said, “I remember the day like it was yesterday. I visited the Mullin Automotive Museum at Oxnard, and there it was, one of only three cars that still remain on a pedestal all by itself. I fell in love with it from the very second I saw it.”