The 2023 Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 57 pays homage to the Type 57 SC Atlantic with a modern twist.

2023 Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 57 pays homage to the Type 57 SC Atlantic

Aesthetes and car enthusiasts have always been captivated by the timeless Bugatti Type 57 SC Atlantic, a nearly ninety-year-old masterpiece designed by Jean Bugatti, which is still considered the most valuable and exclusive car in the world.

Bugatti’s current design DNA was influenced by several of its design elements, such as the bolted fin that runs the length of its body. However, this vehicle serves as more than just a design guide for Bugatti’s designers; one customer went above and beyond by crafting a unique homage to the legendary Atlantic for her first Bugatti vehicle, a Chiron Super Sport1. The “57 One of One” came to be in this way.

The customer was left with a lasting impression of the brilliant blue color with a silvery tinge that shimmered under the Mullin Automotive Museum’s lights. There was only one color that she and Jascha could think of for this colorful tribute. However, accomplishing this was no easy task.

Due to the meticulous nature of every Sur Mesure project, which involves attention to even the smallest details, and the need for humility and precision when referencing one of the greatest pieces of automotive design ever conceived, Jascha Straub traveled to the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, where the original car served as the centerpiece of a temporary exhibition titled “Motion, Autos, Art, Architecture.”Our customer was so affected by the original car that we wanted to get her Chiron Super in the exact same color.

What we wanted to accomplish was to evoke in her the same feeling that she experienced on that day twenty years ago when her admiration for the Type 57 SC Atlantic first began. Using a color swatch we had made, I flew to Bilbao to examine the paintwork in various lighting scenarios. Everything about it had to match the original exactly.

The massive horseshoe-shaped Bugatti grille on the Type 57 SC Atlantic is perched proudly upright as if it were suspended between the elegant wheel arches. This element of design served as a crucial point of reference.

The Sur Mesure team collaborated closely with Bugatti engineers to design the Chiron Super Sport “57 One of One,” which is a faithful homage to the original while adhering to the Bugatti “Form Follows Performance” design philosophy and the car’s engineering specifications. The Chiron Super Sport’s inlets, lines, and vents are all meticulously designed to satisfy the high aerodynamic and cooling demands of a hypersports car capable of reaching 440 km/h. The distinctive resultant design, which features a thicker center spine and a new grille with polished vertical lines, is a lovely modern interpretation that stays faithful to the recognizable SC Atlantic Type 57.

Bright chrome accents and five-spoke Super Sport wheels, which combine polished chrome and the same blue as the original, complete the look.

The hand-drawn Atlantic silhouette on the underside of the rear wing is completed with the words “57” and “One of One,” which are a subliminal tribute to the artistry and architecture that went into creating this one-of-a-kind piece of automotive art.

The customer chose “Gaucho” leather for the interior, going with a classic hue to further highlight the external design. Highlights include the center console with a personalized inlay that reads “57 One of One” and the Atlantic’s silhouette hand-stitched in “Lightning Blue” on the door panels. Carefully embroidered on the headrests is Rembrandt Bugatti’s iconic “Dancing Elephant” sculpture, which symbolizes her love of animals and the family’s artistic vision and wider history. The door sills bear the signatures of Rembrandt and Jean Bugatti, the brilliant man who designed the much-admired Type 57 SC Atlantic.

The managing director of Bugatti Automobiles, Hendrik Malinowski, stated: “We will always look to pay tribute to our rich heritage when crafting a bespoke car for our customers.” It is a proud moment when a customer embraces our heritage in this way and takes the lead in incorporating such design elements. An invention such as the ’57 One Of One is an ideal fit for our Sur Mesure offer, uniting our incredibly talented and creative design and engineering teams with an enthusiastic customer with audacious ideas. As a result, the Type 57 SC Atlantic legend has a breathtaking new chapter that is true to life, exquisite, and designed in the spirit of Jean Bugatti’s original. This most recent tribute can proudly stand next to the iconic Type 57 SC Atlantic on the concours lawns of the future. It will always be a beloved vehicle.

The ’57 One Of One’ will eventually surpass its predecessor in iconic status and be awarded a proper spot at the Concours d’Élegance. For the time being, though, the customer is relishing her Bugatti driving experience after touring the breathtaking roads of the American West in her remarkable Bugatti during the US Grand Tour.