bugatti 57sc atlantic in eurovea bratislava
BUGATTI 57SC
with replica bodywork ATLANTIC (1938, 2010)
One of the rarest and most iconic cars of all time.
Only four units were made, of which only three have survived — each with unique details and history. The 57SC Atlantic model represented the pinnacle of 1930s engineering and design, created by the famous Jean Bugatti, son of the brand’s founder Ettore Bugatti.
Engine: inline 8-cylinder
Displacement: 3.3 L with supercharger
Power output: approx. 200 hp
Top speed: 200 km/h — an exceptional figure for the time before World War II
Transmission
Electromagnetic Cotal transmission
(automatic 4-speed)
a unique transmission system developed in France in the mid-20th century,
which used electromagnets for gear changes instead of the traditional mechanical clutch and gear lever system
Bodywork
hand-formed Elektron, riveted central “spine” (due to the inability to weld Elektron alloy)
Number of units produced: 4
Number of surviving units: 3
Owners
1st car
known as the Lord Rothschild Car — owned by Peter and Merle Mullin and Rob and Melani Walton — displayed at the Mullin Automotive Museum in Oxnard, California
2nd car
Ralph Lauren Car — this example is currently owned by the American fashion designer Ralph Lauren, who bought it in 1988
3rd car
Holzschuch Car — this example was sold in 2000 after extensive restoration and is now part of the collection of Nicolas Seydoux, a French automobile collector
4th car
The mystery of the fourth car — La Voiture Noire: Of the four Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantics produced, one — remains missing to this day. It was the personal car of Jean Bugatti, nicknamed La Voiture Noire (The Black Car).
It was built in 1936 and was last seen in 1938 — then it vanished without a trace during World War II while being transported from the factory in Molsheim to Bordeaux, where it was to be hidden from the Nazis. This legendary “lost Bugatti” inspired the creation of a modern reincarnation — the Bugatti La Voiture Noire, built as a tribute and sold in 2019 for more than €18 million.
The car is prized not only for its rarity but also for its avant-garde design, with a long hood, riveted central “spine” along the bodywork, and teardrop-shaped rear. This particular vehicle was awarded at the Bugatti Festival in Molsheim, France, as the most accurate replica of the original car and received the expert jury’s award led by Caroline Bugatti, granddaughter of Ettore Bugatti, the brand’s founder.