The Bugatti Type 57 SC Atlantic "one-off" based on the Chiron will be unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show

Bugatti draws inspiration from the legendary Bugatti Type 57 SC Atlantic to produce a one-off model based on the Chiron

As we reported last week, something was brewing at Bugatti. Beyond the brand’s refusal of a possible SUV from Bugatti, we also gathered statements from Stephan Winkelmann himself, CEO and figurehead of the French firm, who was the one who opened the door to launching models or editions that are more than special for its 110th anniversary.

That is why the posts published on the Bugatti profile on Facebook set off the alarm bells. All the more so because the focus of so much attention fell on one of the most iconic models of all time, the Bugatti Type 57 SC Atlantic.

The Geneva event is presented as the ideal venue for unveiling special models or exclusive variants, as they already did in 2018 with the arrival of the Bugatti Chiron Sport version, in 2016 with the Bugatti Chiron itself, and in 2015 with the farewell edition of this model’s predecessor, the Bugatti Veyron La Finale.

So the presentation of a vehicle that captured the exceptional essence of a 21st-century Bugatti Type 57 SC Atlantic could only thrill us.

Reinventing the 21st-century Bugatti Type 57 SC Atlantic

The series of posts begins by recalling the exclusivity of the original Bugatti Type 57 SC Atlantic, a car of which only four units were built.

Built in 1936 and 1938, and thanks to the rounded shapes of its distinctive bodywork, it is remembered as one of the most beautiful and elegant sports cars of all time, the work of Jean Bugatti, son of Ettore Bugatti himself.

Thanks to its construction in light alloys, which was remarkable for the era, the Bugatti Type 57 SC Atlantic did not exceed one tonne in weight and produced 210 CV from an in-line eight-cylinder engine of 3,300 cubic centimetres.

The firm then puts a challenge to its followers: “Jean’s Bugatti 57 SC Atlantic cannot be recreated, but can we adapt its design language to the 21st century?” A question that already seemed to have a preconceived answer.

The Bugatti Chiron that wanted to be a Bugatti Type 57 SC Atlantic

We can now confirm that the answer is yes.

Bugatti will indeed produce a vehicle inspired by the Bugatti Type 57 SC Atlantic and based on the Bugatti Chiron, and has confirmed this once again on its social media with three videos that demonstrate it.

In the first, Winkelmann himself talks to us about the one-off Bugatti Chiron that will bring to life the 2019 Bugatti Type 57 SC Atlantic.

And then come the images that shed a little more light on the car’s final appearance.

A sublime image that leaves no doubt that the silhouette of the Bugatti Type 57 SC Atlantic is based on the Bugatti Chiron. A unique car that we will see for the first time from tomorrow, when the Geneva show officially opens.

A unique Bugatti for a unique owner

Meanwhile, rumours have been flying naming the owner of this unique piece.

The owner of the Bugatti Type 57 SC Atlantic based on the Bugatti Chiron is reportedly Ferdinand Piëch, former CEO of Volkswagen and still one of the major shareholders of Audi, who may have paid around 15 million euros for this unit.

We will try to confirm this information from tomorrow at the Geneva Motor Show thanks to our correspondents at the Swiss event.