1937 Bugatti Type 57SC Atalante Coupe

The Atalante body style, named for a huntress in Greek mythology, was one interpretation of the 1935 Aerolithe coupe, the prototype that also inspired the Atlantic. Designed by Jean Bugatti as a two-seater sports coupe, the Atalante was among the rarest of the body styles offered by Bugatti on the Type 57 chassis. This automobile was first registered to a Monsieur Gandon of Paris on April 16, 1937. It originally had an Atalante coup body painted in monochrome noir with a black interior. Used through the war, the car was sold by M. Gandon in 1952. The original Type 57S engine was damaged and a supercharged SC engine was then installed by a new owner.

The car came to the United States around 1959-1960, and it was sold to George Huguely. His caretaker-mechanic put a tablespoon full of upper-cylinder lubricant in each cylinder. This caused a hydraulic lock that damaged the block. The importer, Gene Cesari, bought a new block directly from Molsheim for about 4125.

George Huguely removed the original engine and sold the car without the engine to Donald Versley. Versley found a standard T57 engine and used it in this chassis. The engine was converted to SC configuration, including a dry sump lubrication and compressor.

The car passed through a couple more owners before ending up as part of the Blackhawk Collection. The current owner acquired the car and commissioned Bob Mosier of Mosier Restorations, Inc., to completely restore the car in late 2006.

This car was constructed in Molsheim in April of 1937 and was originally equipped with frame number 27 and engine number 23S. It was given a Jean Bugatti-designed Atalante coachwork. The two-passenger coupe was named after an Arcadian princess from Greek mythology. Though these were offered through the factory as a catalogued body style, no two 57S Atalantes are alike and each differs in subtle detail.

This example, body number 10, has several unique details, the most recognizable being its large Scintilla headlamps, which project from the bodywork on tubular forms. It has full-skirted rear fenders and is originally finished in monochromatic black livery. It was delivered to the official Bugatti agent on Avenue de Montaigne in Paris. In May, the car was sold to its first owner Alphonse Gandon. Mr. Gandon had owned at least one other Bugatti prior to his acquisition of 57523, a Figoni-bodied Type 55 Roadster with which Jacques Dupuy won the 1933 Paris-Nice race.

Early in the car's life, it was returned to the factory to receive a Roots-type supercharger and became one of the very first Type 57SCs.

On September 17th, 1940, the Bugatti was registered in Ville d'Avray under Gaston Polonois. In April of 1946, the car was re-registered by M. Gandon.

After M. Gandon's ownership, the car was sold to Jacques Longuet of Paris and registered as '7815 BP 75' on December 2nd, 1952. Around the close of the 1950s, the car was sold to Jean De Dobbeleer of Brussels, Belgium. In 1959, the car was imported to the United States by Gene Cesari. In late 1959 or 1960, the car was sold to George W. Huguely of Annapolis, Maryland. Shortly after Mr. Huguely purchased the Bugatti, his mechanic put a tablespoon of upper-cylinder lubricant in each cylinder. Eventually, this resulted in a hydraulic lock, which caused damage to the block. Mr. Huguely removed the original engine and, sometime later, sold the 57SC Atalante to Dr. Donald Vesley.

During Dr. Vesley's ownership, he acquired a standard Type 57 engine, which he then converted to SC specifications - complete with dry-sump lubrication and a supercharger, and had it installed in 57523. The car was eventually sold through Ed Lucas of Troy, Michigan, to Illinois collector William Jacobs. In the 1990s, the Blackhawk Collection acquired the car and had it restored, refinishing it in two-tone red and black. In 2005, the current owner purchased the car and had the original matching-numbers engine installed into the car. The engine, which had been repaired and installed in a Bugatti special, was acquired through careful negotiation.

In 2006, the car was entrusted to Bob Mosier for a no-expense-spared restoration. The work took three years to complete, during which every aspect of the car was addressed, from rebuilding the engine to restoring the Atalante coachwork. The original Scintilla headlights, Marchal auxiliary lights, and distinctive parking lights, and traditional 'moustache' bumpers - which had been removed from the car before its arrival in the US, were sourced in Europe and returned to 57523.

In 2009, the car made its post-restoration debut at the 2009 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. It completed the Tour d'Elegance and later displayed on the lawn at Pebble Beach. It completed in Class E-2 (Bugatti Type 57 Special Coachwork) and earned both First in Class and the French Cup. In 2010 it was shown at the Amelia Island Concours where it won Best in Class honors. It was later shown at the Santa Barbara and Avila Beach Concours where it won Best of Show honors.

After its show circuit tour, the car was refinished in its original black livery. The upholstery was refinished and the headliner and carpeting was re-done with tan hides and a French walnut dashboard.

In total, Bugatti built just 42 production Type 57S models between the fall of 1936 and the spring of 1938. Of these, just 17 examples were completed with Jean Bugatti's Atalante coachwork. From this list, two 57S Atalantes have been lost and four are permanent fixtures in the Musee National de l'Automobile in Mulhouse, France. The 11 remaining examples are in some of the world's finest collections.

By Daniel Vaughan | Dec 2013