Saturday 7th February 2009

A rare unrestored 1937 Bugatti Type 57S Atalante Coupe that had been found in the garage of a British doctor a month earlier, was sold at a Paris auction for some $4.4 million. The black two-seater was one of just seventeen 57S Atalante Coupes ever made by Bugatti. English orthopaedic surgeon Harold Carr had owned the car since 1955. Carr, who died in 2007, reportedly had kept the rare vehicle parked in his garage since the early 1960’s and hadn’t driven it in five decades. When the car was built in May 1937, the 57S Atalante Coupe was capable of reaching speeds of more than 120 miles per hour at a time when the average car couldn’t do more than 50 miles per hour. It was also notable for its low-slung frame and V-shaped radiator and featured pig-skin upholstery. At the time of the auction, Carr’s car was said to be in good condition and had 26,284 miles on its odometer.