Bugatti Chiron Super Sport ‘57 One of One’ pays homage to a special icon

Bugatti Chiron Super Sport ‘57 One of One’ pays homage to a special icon

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Created by Jean Bugatti, the son of Bugatti Automobiles Ettore Arco Isidoro Bugatti, the Type 57 SC Atlantic has always been a masterpiece in the history books of the French marque since its birth in 1934 through 1940.‍

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Its innovative use of a supercharger and lowered suspension, which gave it the SC designation, distinguished it from other vehicles of the era. SC stands for Surbaisse Compresseur, or Lowered Compressor in English, and it signifies the birth of the world’s first supercar, as many enthusiasts would agree.

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About 90 years later, the Bugatti Type 57 SC Atlantic is still regarded as the most valuable and exclusive model in the world, which brings us to the Chiron Super Sport '57 One of One' model that was commissioned by a customer.

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According to the customer, a lifelong car lover, she saw the iconic Type 57 SC Atlantic 20 years ago. “I remember the day like it was yesterday. I visited the Mullin Automotive Museum at Oxnard, and there it was, one of only three cars that remain, on a pedestal all by itself. I fell in love with it from the very second I saw it,” she said.

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Working hand-in-hand with Jascha Straub, Lead Designer Sur Mesure at Bugatti, the customer and her husband (also a Bugatti owner) surprised her for her 70th birthday with a personal invitation from Bugatti to come to Molsheim in France to configure her own Chiron Super Sport, and that’s where it all began. 

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“That original car had such a deep effect on our customer that we wanted to get the same colour for her Chiron Super Sport. What we wanted to achieve is that every time she sees her car, she feels the same emotion that she felt on that day 20 years ago, when her admiration for the Type 57 SC Atlantic began. I flew to Bilbao with a colour swatch that we had created to observe the paintwork under different light conditions. It needed to be completely authentic to the original,” he said. 

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In terms of design, the Chiron Super Sport 57 One of One features a large horseshoe Bugatti grille, and each inlet, line, and vent is carefully considered to execute cooling and aerodynamic duties.

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The special model also features 5-spoke Super Sport wheels that are painted in the same blue as the original car. This is further complemented by chrome accents, a hand-drawn silhouette of the Atlantic on the underside of the rear wing, and ‘57’ and ‘One of One’ lettering. 

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As for the interior, the customer opted for the ‘Gaucho’ leather, Atlantic’s silhouette hand-stitched in ‘Lightnign Blue’ on the door panels, and the centre console with a custom ‘57 One of One’. There’s also a ‘Dancing Elephant’ sculpture embroidered on the headrests to signify Rembrandt Bugatti’s love for animals, as well as the signatures of Jean Bugatti and Rembrandt on the door sills. 

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Bugatti says the ’57 One of One’ will eventually achieve the same legendary status as its predecessor, earning a rightful place at the Concours d’Élegance.