1938 Bugatti T57C Atalante Coupe

The catalog offered a believable explanation that the factory records are “mistaken,” and that the car was indeed an Atalante from day one

The Type 57 Bugatti was introduced in March 1934, and variants of this touring model formed virtually the entire output from the Molsheim factory until war intervened in September 1939—by which time a total of less than 700 examples had been produced. Influenced by Ettore Bugatti’s talented young son Jean, the car was larger and more refined than previous models.

This particular example, chassis no. 57679 fitted with engine no. 496, was invoiced by the factory as a Gangloff Stelvio drophead cabriolet for delivery to Earl Howe. However, RM Auctions believe that the records are mistaken because for well over 50 years the Atalante on offer here has been known and widely regarded as the Lord Cholmondley Atalante. This is further substantiated by period photographs taken in front of Lord Cholmondley’s house that show the Atalante registered with his traditional number plate, FGC180. Furthermore, the car known as the Lord Howe Stelvio, chassis no. 57698,...