It was a life-altering experience. In September 2005, at the vintage races weekend at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, the featured marque was Bugatti. Walking up the hill toward the paddock, we were blindsided by a Jules Verne spaceship-looking car.
It was none other than a 1936 Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic, the car that had just won Best of Show at Pebble Beach. Driver/owner Dr. Peter D. Williamson was gracious and kind, patiently relating the history of the Atlantic and of his Atlantic, including its restoration.
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Upon close inspection, my brain just exploded, and the Atlantic became my new favourite car of all time. With only four examples having been built, it was evident that if I wanted one, I would need to build it myself. Cue months of dreaming, researching details of the Type 57SC Atlantic, collecting images from the web, identifying sources of material and components, making a preliminary Gantt chart of tasks, and drawing up a detailed 1/10-scale concept layout.
The key question was what to use as a chassis. Serendipitously, a Chevrolet S10 long bed pickup truck is a very close match for the Bugatti’s wheelbase and track and can be lowered with readily available components. I accepted from the outset that there would be deviations, including left-hand-drive orientation. Bodywork would be fibreglass. I built a full-sized body buck based on my 1/10-scale layout and pulled moulds from that. Interior components were to be in the spirit of the original, but not necessarily an authentic replication. For example, I fabricated the four-spoke wood-rimmed steering wheel myself, because the aftermarket one I initially had didn’t look correct. I also decided that this needn’t be a hot rod – the S10’s four-cylinder and five-speed manual would be just fine, although I’d need to relocate the radiator, engine, and transmission mounting rearward.
Twelve years later, the project was declared done (although we all know that a build like this is never truly finished). It’s a great grocery-getter and day-tripper. It’s fun to drive, light, and stable, although a little harsh on bad rail crossings. We allow an extra 15 minutes for any trip in order to accommodate curious crowds. Initially, when observers would ask, “Where’d you buy the kit?” I felt exasperated. Yet I have come to realise this is a compliment. Personally, I think it’s best called a “representation,” but you can call it anything you like. What matters is I can share my passion for 1930s French art deco industrial design and the genius of Jean Bugatti.
Extensive data, build detail, drawings and images, as well as reference links for the Bugatti Atlantic can be found at my website: http://trumpetb.net/57SC/.
