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Temporary UK Import
See UK Registration/Import Status Guide in catalogue.

When the Type 57 was introduced to the buying public in spring 1934, it was available as a rolling chassis for outside coachbuilders to clothe, or one of three factory-built coachwork options, each given the name of famous European mountain roads or passes: the Galibier, a pillarless four-door saloon, or Conduite Intérieure; the Ventoux, a stylish two-door sedan or Coach; and the elegant Stelvio, a four-seater drophead coupe or Cabriolet.

Toward the end of the first year of production, Jean Bugatti and the Bugatti design office, headed by Joseph Walter, conceived the “Grand Raid” chassis, a very small production run of Type 57 chassis intended for sportier, two-seater, open coachwork. Less than 10 of these Grand Raid chassis were built, but among them was chassis 57252, which was clearly marked “GR” in the Pracht Carnets factory records, although it is likely that it only had two characteristics of these special chassis: the 60 mm longer and steeper-angled steering column and the modified handbrake.

This chassis, constructed in November 1934, would ultimately receive one of the very first factory-built Faux Cabriolet, or Atalante, two-door, two-seater, fixed head coupe bodies. This body style would become the fourth factory option and when production of this special coachwork ceased in 1938, a total of 33 had been built, a remarkably high percentage of which have survived intact or relocated onto other Type 57 chassis. This very early example features a beautifully tapered tail section, which gives the entire car a lighter, more sporting design. This was achieved through convex wheel covers featuring special hand-formed tear drop shapes to clear the center-locking wheels, as well as rear fenders which sweep up behind the wheel openings, resulting in the delicately tapered appearance not present on later Atalantes.

Chassis 57252 was ordered on April 8, 1935, by the Lyon-based Bugatti, Ballot, and Unic agent Monestier for their client, Mr. Perrot, about whom little is known. According to the American Bugatti Club Registrar, Mr. Perrot specified the special-order option of Lockheed hydraulic brakes – showing he understood the need to harness his new high-performance bolide. Taking delivery on May 18, 1935, he would own 57252 for a little over a year before the car found new ownership in the hands of Mr. Glaizal on February 15, 1937. Surviving the war years, the Atalante came into the possession of well-known Bugatti dealer Gaston Docime in Neuilly-sur-Seine, just west of Paris, around 1948. Within a year, M. Docime sold or traded 57252 to fellow trader Edgar Bensoussan in Paris, who then sold the car in 1950 to Claude Dovaz, the brother of famous oenologist and serial Bugatti collector Michel Dovaz. Mercifully, it did not suffer the decay and decomposition of his brother’s “Sleeping Beauties” collection in Villemaréchal and, in 1955, he sold it to the Belgium-based Bugatti dealer Jean De Dobbeleer. While at M. De Dobbeleer’s garage, the early Atalante was “updated” with integral headlights in the front fenders, a feature of the final year of production of the factory-built Atalante in 1938.

In 1957, M. De Dobbeleer sold 57252 to Indiana-based collector and dealer Lyman Greenlee who, in turn, sold it in 1958 to the well-known Bugatti collector John C. North II of Easton, Maryland. Mr. North did not drive 57252 much, as the rear axle was making ominous noises. When the opportunity to acquire the famous ex-Benoist Atalante, chassis 57456, presented itself, he put 57252 into storage and tended to his growing collection of Bugattis and other collector cars.

Around 1964, a family friend of Mr. North, Sidney H. Dickson from St. Michaels, Maryland, met a young lady on a cross-country Vincent motorcycle ride. When the two married soon after, John North drove them from their wedding in an Inskip-modified Rolls-Royce. After Mr. Dickson’s uncle gave him a couple of thousand dollars for a wedding present, he turned around and purchased the early Atalante. Mr. North had warned Mr. Dickson that the rear axle was weak and that he should be careful when he drove it. While Mr. Dickson was able to put about 1,000 miles on the car, the noise in the rear axle grew louder and he finally took the car off the road and disassembled the rear end. When he discovered the crown wheel was missing a tooth and the pinion was near death, he decided to sell the car. He advertised it for sale in the Baltimore Sun for $5,000 or best offer, but in the meantime, Mr. North had informed Ray Jones of the car’s availability, which began a months’ long, cat-and-mouse game with an ever-increasing price in negotiations, finally ending up with Mr. Jones agreeing to pay Mr. Dickson $14,000 for the car. The funds eventually cleared and while Mr. Jones had said he intended on giving the car to his daughter as a birthday present, within a year or so, the car was sold to Guido Artom of Milan, Italy.

Guido Artom was a prolific author of 19th century historical novels that were translated into several languages, including his best-known work, Napoleon is Dead in Russia. He would own and actively use 57252 for 19 years before selling it to the UK-based collector Peter Rae. Mr. Rae would retain the Atalante for 20 years, during which time he had the car extensively restored, including returning the front headlight and fender treatment to the original design. The rear axle was also restored, resulting in half being original and the other half replacement.

Upon completion of the intensive three-year restoration, Mr. Rae would trade the Atalante in a straight exchange for a unique Delage to noted UK-collector Barry Burnett in 2008. Mr. Burnett passed away the following year and his daughter, Claire Harrill, took custody of the car and even displayed it at the 2009 Salon Privé. After another period of lengthy storage, 57252 was sold at auction from the estate of Barry Burnett in September 2019 to Jack Braam Ruben. Mr. Braam Ruben chose to have the car re-restored by Classic Skills of Lomm, The Netherlands, returning the exterior to its original two-tone “smoke and sage” green color scheme and adding a distinctive elephant-hide-style leather interior. For high-speed touring a removable overdrive unit was added to the Bugatti.

After the acclaimed display of Mr. Braam Ruben’s unique Type 57 coachwork collection at Salon Retromobile under the “Fine Automobiles” banner in 2023, he has decided to allow new custodians to have the opportunity to enjoy the labor and results of his passion. This superbly restored, historically important and extensively documented early Type 57 Atalante coupe, a true unicorn in every sense of the word, represents a unique opportunity for the discerning collector.