Bugatti Type 57 SC Atlantic.

Like the guys in Topgear in their Veyron we organized a race from Molsheim to Schiphol,
in a Bugatti Atlantic and a Bugatti Aeroplane Type 100. When the Atlantic drove onto the parking lot
of the Pelikaan restaurant the plane just flew low across the Ringvaart!

Bugatti Atlantic Type 57SC in front of restaurant Pelikaan along the Ringvaart.

 

 

 

Bugatti Aeroplane by Spark, Bugatti Atlantic Type 57SC by Neo Classic Models.

In the 1920s, Bugatti moved from Italy to France and remained a French citizen for the rest of his life, he died in 1946, and during two seasons of that decade his dark blue race cars swept past all competition, scoring one thousand victories and making the name Bugatti synonymous with the ultimate in performance. He also built touring and other cars and developed a strong nationalistic pride. This led him to start work in 1937 on a single engine racing plane and win the 1938 Deutsch de La Muerthe Cup, a race limited to aircraft with engines of 485 cu. in. displacement or less. To design his envisioned race plane, Bugatti brought in a well known aeronautical engineer by the name of Louis D. de Monge. The plane was given the designation Model 100 and was to be highly streamlined, powered by a straight eight Bugatti 50B racing engine, of 287 cu. in. displacement and 450 hp at 4500 RPM, which would have a lightweight magnesium block and be located behind the pilot, canted slightly to one side so the drive shaft could curve around the right side of the cockpit to the reduction gearbox in the nose.

Coupe Deutsch de la Meurthe.
The Deutsch de la Meurthe contests for aviation were not organized in Germany but in France by the Aeroclub de France. The first of these air races for the Coupe Deutsch de la Meurthe took place on May 1, 1912 from the airfield of St. Germain near Paris.These events were sponsored by Henry Deutsch de la Meurthe (1846 - 1919), a wealthy industrialist, known as the "Oil King of Europe" and an avid supporter of early aviation.
His father Alexander Deutsch, who originally came from the Meurthe area in the Lorraine (now Meurthe et Moselle), in 1845 established a laboratory and factory in La Villette, a commune of Paris, for the processing and marketing of vegetable oils. After the discovery in 1859 of petroleum oil in Pennsylvania, Deutsch began to develop the use of petroleum oils in France. In 1877, Alexander Deutsch brought his two sons, Henry and Emile into the business. Around 1889 the Deutsch family added "de la the Meurthe" (from the Meurthe) to their name.
After the death of Henry in 1919, his daughter Suzanne (1892- 1937) continued the Deutsch de la Meurthe sponsorship for the development of aviation and added a number of social philanthropic activities. Having served as a nurse during WWI, she donated the necessary funds to buy the Château de Boullains, as a convalescence home for military and civilian air personnel.
The last Coupe Deutsch de la Meurthe air race took place on September 13 1936. It was won by Yves Lacombe with a Caudron plane. The next air race for the Coupe had to be cancelled due to the fact that the French aircraft industry was fully engaged with building planes for the French Air Force because of the threat of WWII.

 

One of the most bizarre, elusive and expensive cars is the Bugatti Atlantic Type 57SC. With its low stance, 200 bhp engine, lightweight construction, 123 mph (200 kph) top speed and influential teardrop body, many believe this is the ultimate Bugatti and the first supercar ever made.
Ettore's son, Jean Bugatti, who played a large role in the development of the Type 57 series, personally styled the Atlantic. Jean's lines draw an interesting mix of aircraft styling together with the avant-garde tear-drop that is so reminiscent of the thirties. Design highlights include a heavily raked windscreen, riveted fins, and oval doors with kidney-shaped side windows.
Momentum behind the style was structured by a design concept of incorporating Electron, an alloy of magnesium and aluminum from IG Farben of Germany, in the design. Though it is strong, and up to one third the weight of aluminum, it is also highly flammable thus welding was not possible. This meant that each panel had to be riveted into place which posed a particular problem for traditional design. Therefore, Jean incorporated the rivet's aesthetic into the wings of the car and created a telling combination of function and form.
This is not one of the seven Atlantics ever built, but a true to life replica in the scale of 1:18, by Neo Scale Models.

On the scale of desirability and affordability CMC introduced an interesting option, which will cost around three and a half times more than the Neo Classic version, but then you may open the doors and the cover of the spare wheel may be taken off, and the split bonnet can be opened, exposing a masterfully detailed engine. Both marques are available at Autopassion in Haarlem. There is remarkable difference in color, but which blue is historically correct? Zooming in, when one has the opportunity to park both versions of the Atlantic next to each other, more differences become apparent, for intstance the steering wheel in the Neo Classic is mounted on a far longer steering column, seemingly more in line with the original, the protruding riveted seems on the front mudguards are accentuated, and the piano hinge on the bonnet is way higher, which is the logical consequence of making a smoothly working hinge, and besides, the plastic of the Neo Classic model lends itself better to make the details finer than in metal. Bugatti used different shades of blue, all original. Both automobiles are worth putting a little kingdom up to auction when you absolutely want one.

1936 Bugatti Type 57 SC Atlantic.
Make your dream devour your life, so that life doesn't devour your dream.
Antoine de Saint-Exupéry