1936 Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic Coupe takes Best of Show at Arizona Concours d’Elegance

1936 Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic receiving Best of Show at the 2017 Arizona Concours d’Elegance. Photo by Larry Edsall; all photos courtesy Arizona Concours d’Elegance.

Twice, in 1971 and in 2010, the 1936 Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic Coupe now co-owned by Peter and Merle Mullin and Rob and Melani Walton set the bar as the world’s most expensive automobile. One of just four examples built, Jean Bugatti’s design masterpiece can usually be seen at the Mullin Automotive Museum or, most recently, the Petersen Automotive Museum, but on Sunday, January 14, the stunning French coupe graced the field at the fourth-annual Arizona Concours d’Elegance, where it bested 89 other entrants to capture Best of Show honors.

Photo by Ken Bryant.

Displaying the car on the greens at the Arizona Biltmore was Warner Hall, a senior docent at the Mullin Museum, located in Oxnard, California. The Bugatti’s immaculate condition, coupled with its rarity, initially earned it a first in class ribbon in the Cars of Ettore and Jean Bugatti category, and made it a strong contender for Best of Show. Still, Hall admits to being a bit surprised when the coupe was selected, saying, “We didn’t want to count on anything, especially in a field of cars this fabulous.”

The Bugatti’s riveted spine and fenders are among its most distinctive design traits. Photo by Larry Edsall.

The Bugatti was sold new to Nathaniel Mayer Victor Rothschild, the third Baron Rothschild, in September of 1936. After passing through a pair of owners in London, it was sold to Robert Oliver, an American serving with the Army Medical Corps, who exported it to the United States in 1946. When the car sold at auction in 1971, its hammer price of $59,000 set a record for an automobile sold at auction, and in 2010 it sold in a private transaction for a sum reported to be between $35 million and $40 million, enough to again qualify it as the most expensive automobile of the day.

This 1953 Ferrari 250 Europa Coupe, with Vignale coachwork, was also a finalist for Best of Show. Photo by Ken Bryant.

Three other cars were finalists for Best of Show honors at the Arizona Concours, including a 1937 Lagonda LG45 Rapide owned by the Stephens family of San Francisco, California; a 1933 Marmon V16 convertible coupe owned by Aaron and Valerie Weiss of San Marino, California; and a 1955 Ferrari 250 Europa coupe, with Vignale coachwork, owned by Kevin Cogan of Louisville, Kentucky.

This 1908 Renault AX finished atop the Antique Automobiles class. Photo by Ken Bryant.

Other key awards included Director’s Choice, presented to a 1951 Ferrari 212 MM; Historic Vehicle Association Most Well-Preserved Vehicle, presented to a 1933 Lincoln KB Judkins; Historic Vehicle Association National Automotive Heritage Award, presented to a 1955 Ferrari 500 Mondial; and the Hagerty Youth Judging Award, presented to a 1959 Bocar XP-5.

Look for complete coverage of the 2017 Arizona Concours d’Elegance in the April issue of Hemmings Sports & Exotic Car. Next year’s Arizona Concours d’Elegance, the fifth annual, is scheduled to take place on Sunday, January 14; for more information visit ArizonaConcours.com.