The Bugatti Type 57C Atlantic Coupe
A masterpiece of automotive design and engineering.
The Bugatti Type 57C Atlantic Coupe, designed by Jean Bugatti, son of Bugatti founder Ettore Bugatti, is considered one of the most beautiful cars ever made. Only four Type 57C Atlantic Coupes were ever built, with only three known to still exist; two in private collections, and one owned by the Musée National de l’Automobile de Mulhouse in France.
The Type 57 was once the most valuable car in the world as well, when in 2010 a 1936 Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic sold at auction for over $30 million. This record was subsequently broken by two separate Ferrari 250 GTOs — and then obliterated by a 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR “Uhlenhaut Coupe” that sold for a record $142 million in 2022.
“The Bugatti Type 57 Atlantic is, to me, the most elegant car ever built.” — Ralph Lauren, American fashion designer and classic car collector.
Built on a shortened Type 57S chassis, the Type 57C is powered by a 3.3L inline-8 engine producing around 120 horsepower, and has a top speed of around 110 mph. It features an aluminum body with ‘suicide doors’ and a split rear window.
