Bauer Atalante 1937 Type 57SC

It was the combination of classic elegance and modern high-performance sport that Jean Bugatti, son of Ettore Bugatti, achieved with the creation of the 57S in 1936. The S stands for "Surbaissé"; French for lowered. The lowering was achieved by no longer running the rear axle under the chassis, but instead running it directly through the chassis. The 57S differed from the standard 57 by sharper camshafts, a dry sump lubrication and a magneto ignition. Only two examples of the 57S series were additionally delivered from the factory with a supercharger. 57542 was one of these two cars. A total of 42 chassis were built; and the price of this chassis alone exceeded the purchase price of a spacious villa at the time.
To do justice to this very sporty chassis, Jean Bugatti personally designed a very impressive, sporty coupe that went down in history as one of the most beautiful bodies in the 57S series. This was called the 'Atalante'. Unique to the Bugatti 57S was the V-shaped bent radiator, which looked much more aggressive than the flat radiator Bugatti normally used. Many of the Atalante bodies were given a striking two-tone paint job, making the car a unique eye-catcher. With this design, Jean Bugatti created a lasting monument in the history of car design. The prototype for this model is the only original factory-bodied Atalante with supercharger 57SC and original body of Jean Bugatti.