Vehicle Description
1939 Bugatti Pacific Bespoke Creation by DelahayeUSA
Designer: Terry Cook �
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Estimate: $240,000 - $300,000
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Chassis Number:1F90039B7EC120411
Engine: 300 hp 5 liter fuel injected BMW V-12, 4-speed automatic
transmission
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The Model: Distinguished by its "dorsal fin", used to rivet the
body panels together, the Bugatti Type 57 Atlantic was the
masterpiece of the Jean Bugatti. The Type 57 Bugattis were given
highly modified versions of the type 49 engine, throwing away the
chains that formerly drove the twin cams and replacing them with a
much more precise gear drive system. Bugatti only produced four of
the aluminum bodied Atlantics and only two still exist. One of the
existing examples is owned by Ralph Lauren and has been valued at
over 40 million dollars. The other is being kept in the Mullin
Museum in Oxnard, CA. With only two examples available and a
presumably cost prohibitive price tag, the door has been left wide
open for coachbuilders to recreate interpretations of this
beautiful design.
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The Car: When Terry Cook, former editor of Hot Rod magazine and Car
Craft Magazine, took on the task of building this car, he brought
years of custom car knowledge with him. He knew what he wanted was
not an exact copy of Jean Bugatti's car, but rather a sort of
rolling sculpture that would pay homage to both its designer and
its most well known owner, Ralph Lauren. The process of hand
sculpting a final product out of carbon fiber was a process that
would take builders four years to complete, ending with several
coats of House of Kolor jet black paint.
The Pacific is noticeably longer than the original, 10 inches to be
exact, giving the interior a spacious feel that is roomy enough for
any of the NBA's starting forwards. The upholstery was handpicked
by Cook after scouring New York, eventually finding the brocade
fabric in an antique warehouse. The fabric was then laid over the
exact copies of the tubular stainless steel seat frames that were
used in Lauren's Bugatti. A graceful BMW V12 resides under the hood
and is no less pleasant to look at than the sweeping lines of the
body. Paired with an electronic 4 speed transmission the power is
finally passed to the wire wheels through a Ford nine inch
gear.
This Pacific exudes grace and beauty. It has even been remarked,
several times, that this stunning piece with its wider body and
longer flowing lines, is a worthy bespoke tribute to the stunning
Jean Bugatti's design. If your collection lacks a custom coachbuilt
automobile, or you simply can not stand it when someone shows up in
the same type of car as you, the Pacific is the car for you. � �
