Relique de la quatrième Bugatti 57 SC Atlantic... Lot n° 18

The original chassis plate of the missing Bugatti Atlantic 57SC. For several decades, the "black car" as it was nicknamed has been the subject of much ink. It was only thanks to brand historian Pierre-Yves Laugier that its existence came to light (we invite you to purchase his book on the Bugatti 57 Sport). Since then, every classic car enthusiast has fantasized about discovering it, deep in a barn, under thick blankets. It has made, still makes and will continue to make many enthusiasts dream, and its quest, like that of the Santa Maria, has become legendary. Some say that if it ever appeared, it would become the most desired car in the world. The chassis plate shown here is the one affixed to the car when it left the factory on October 3, 1936. The black car would later be photographed with different registrations (very common with Bugatti) and the last written trace, in February 1941 in Bordeaux, mentions it as #57454, so the original plate #57453 was already separated from the car just before it disappeared. But when and why were the plate and car separated? One theory caught our attention: In June 1937, chassis number #57453 was assigned to a Gangloff Sedan. We can therefore assume that the chassis plate was taken from the Atlantic and installed on the Sedan. This theory is all the more plausible given that in June 1939, the Atlantic was loaned to the King of Belgium as #57454. The black car was photographed one last time in Molsheim in 1939, before leaving for Bordeaux. The Berline with original plate #57453 continued on its way and passed into the hands of Jean De Dobbeleer around 1958, surely unaware that he had in his hands the plate of the factory Atlantic. Decades later, the plate would be found on another car, known to have passed through De Dobbeleer's hands. In any case, this is a significant piece of the puzzle that has kept the classic car world on its toes for decades. It is also, to our knowledge, the only piece of the black factory car whose authenticity and ownership are beyond doubt.