9. Bugatti 57SC Atalante Coupe ($8.8 million)
This car is probably the one Ralph most proud of. Four years ago, this car won him the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este in Lake Como, Italy. Why wouldn’t he be proud? This car is historical, legendary, and the 5th most expensive Bugatti car ever sold in the world.
Arguably, this Jean Bugatti’s creation is the most beautiful classic Bugatti ever made. One of its distinctive features is its riveted fin down the center. That is not just merely for aesthetic reason, but it also serves a vital structural function of the Bugatti Type 57SC Atalante Coupe.
One of Jean’s ideas in designing this car is to use magnesium for its body. But back then, welding magnesium was hard to do. Thus, instead of making one big bodyshell, they came up with two halves of body and wings and rivet them together in the center with that distinctive fin. Eventually, the magnesium was replaced by aluminum, but not the fin. To date, it remains a striking detail of the car.
There were only two units of Type 57SC Atalante Coupe made. That made this car extremely rare. One went to Ralph Lauren’s collection. And eight years ago, a buyer bid $7,920,000 (or around $8.8 million today) to bring the other one home.
