Bugatti Type 57S Atalante (57502)

The Bugatti Type 57S Atalante number 57502, built in 1937 by Automobiles Ettore Bugatti, is one of 43 Bugatti Type 57S made and one of only 17 Type 57S produced with the in-house Atalante coupé coachwork. The car hit the headlines in 2009 when auctioned by Bonhams, after having been rediscovered in 2008, following 48 years of storage in a private owner's garage in Gosforth, England, with few people aware of its location.

1937 Bugatti Type 57S number 57502 pictured in the garage where it was discovered (undated photograph released by Bonhams)^[1]

History

Chassis number 57502 was completed at the Bugatti works on 5 May 1937, with the works number plate 1127-W5;^[2] it then wore the British number plate DYK 5,^[3] finally being re-registered as EWS 73, the number which it wore on rediscovery. The car was ordered new from the factory by Francis Curzon, 5th Earl Howe (1884–1964), a keen motor racing enthusiast, who took delivery of it on 9 June 1937 from Sorel of London, the UK agents for Bugatti. 57502 then passed through three intermediate owners before being bought in 1955 by Dr. Harold Carr (1917–2007), from Newcastle upon Tyne.^[4] Passionate for machinery, aviation and adventuring, Carr suffered from obsessive compulsive disorder, which in his later life caused him to become a recluse and a hoarder.^[5] In December 1960, after its last tax disc expired, Carr stored the Bugatti along with other classic cars^[6] in a lock-up garage in Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne.^[1] There it remained unused and untouched until after Carr's death, when it was discovered by Carr's nephew clearing the garage of his uncle's possessions in 2008. 57502 still possessed its original chassis, engine, drive train and body, though it did contain some modifications: bespoke bumpers, rear-view mirrors on the A-pillars, and a luggage rack dating from the Earl Howe ownership, as well as a Marshall K200 supercharger fitted by a later owner. According to the nephew, notes found in the garage showed that some people had previously inquired about the car, and attempted to buy it from Carr. Other family members had known of the Bugatti and other cars in Dr. Carr's possession, but weren't aware of the car's true value.

Auction house Bonhams, instructed to sell the car by the eight Carr heirs,^[7] made it the centrepiece of their February 2009 sale at the Rétromobile car show in Paris.^[8] Due to its rarity, low mileage and original condition, it was speculated that it could become one of the most expensive (nominal) cars ever sold at auction, at around £6 million. However, it fell short of the £3 million reserve price, selling for £2,989,495 (3,417,500 euros, US$4,408,575).^[4] The car was restored, then sold for £7,855,000 ($10,433,965), at the Gooding & Co. ("Passion of a Lifetime") on 5 September, 2020, making it the most expensive Type 57 ever sold at auction.^[9]

References

1. Gregory Katz (2 January 2009). "Rare 1937 Bugatti supercar found in English garage". San Diego Union-Tribune (image caption). Associated Press. Retrieved 1 February 2018. In this undated image released by Bonhams, an extremely rare 1937 Bugatti Type 57S Atalante, is seen in a garage in Gosforth, England, where it was revealed by relatives after the death of the owner.
2. . The Bugatti Trust. Archived from the original on 11 February 2009. Retrieved 1 January 2009. T.57S Atalante with works registration number plate. Near the factory gates, Molsheim
3. . The Bugatti Trust. 1938. Archived from the original on 11 February 2009. Retrieved 1 January 2009. Raymond Mays talking to Lord Howe. Donington Park 1938
4. "Classic Bugatti makes 3.4m euros". BBC News online. 7 February 2009 [4 November 2008].
5. Rob Pattinson (1 January 2009). "Family inherit Bugatti worth millions". Evening Chronicle. pp. 1+. Retrieved 1 February 2018.
6. Katz, Associated Press: "He also left behind an Aston Martin, which was sold, and a Jaguar sports car that was scrapped because it was in such poor condition".
7. Katz, Associated Press, "Knight and a small number of Bugatti enthusiasts knew of Carr's proudest possession, but not the eight relatives who inherited Carr's estate."
8. . Bonhams. Archived from the original on 4 February 2009.
9. Andrew Newton (30 December 2020). "10 Highest Auction Sales of 2020". Hagerty media. Retrieved 10 September 2021.

External links

• . Bonhams. Archived from the original on 16 December 2008.
• . Bugatti Builder.com (Image gallery: starts with left side profile). Archived from the original on 11 February 2009.
• TheExStig (16 April 2013). 1937 Bugatti Atalante 57S discovered in lock up (video, 8 mins. 45 secs.). YouTube. Archived from the original on 2021-12-15.