The 1995 Chrysler Atlantic Concept Car and the Bugatti Type 57 Atlantique

by Pete Hagenbuch

Legend has it that, in 1994, one-time Chrysler design chief Tom Gale and then Chrysler president Bob Lutz served together as judges for the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. The classic cars to be judged were located on the 18th fairway, but arranged on the lawn around the club house were a number of concept cars, old and new, not included in the judging. They decided that next year, Chrysler was going to have a concept car that would put all the other concepts “back on their trailers”. The legend says that Lutz sketched his ideas on a napkin which he then gave to Gale. Gale gave his design staff the assignment but without the sketches, explaining that he didn’t want to give his designers any preconceptions which would stifle their creativity. They were told to use ideas and features of those curvaceous French coupes of the thirties (Bugatti, Talbot-Lago, Delahaye and Delage) to come up with a knock-out retro design that would mix the best of the old with the newest of the new. The result, designed by Bob Hubbach, is the 1995 Chrysler Atlantic.

Chrysler Atlantic concept cars

The car is 199.5” long, 75.8” wide, and stands 51.6” tall. Its wheelbase is 126”, and it rides on 21” wheels in front and 22” in the back. Power is provided by a 4.0 liter straight eight which consists of two 2.0 liter Neon 4 cylinder blocks arranged nose-to-tail. While its styling is an obvious blend of old and new, its list of features is cutting edge. Brakes are four-wheel discs with ABS. The transmission is automatic with Auto-Stick. Neon lighting is used for brake lights, CHMSL, and interior dome lighting.

The Atlantic is supposedly a part of the Walter P. Chrysler Museum collection. If it is, it’s getting a very bad mark for attendance. The Museum opened in October 1999 with an honored spot reserved for it, just right of the rotating pedestal. The Graphics were in place for the Atlantic, but in its place stood the bright red 1941 Newport dual cowl phaeton. It was in great demand on the show and museum circuit. It finally came home in the summer of 2004, but just for a visit. It was a part of the Museum’s “Chrysler Design Excellence” show, which highlighted the Chrysler brand and some of its most beautiful examples. That show is now concluded and the Atlantic is back on tour.

Ettore Bugatti was a builder of things mechanical. In his factory in Molsheim, France, he built boats and aircraft engines and at least one airplane and but his first love was automobiles. He is generally considered an artist, more so than an engineer. This might serve to explain why some of his designs were characterized as “a bit wacky” while others were inspired. He produced two outstanding Grand Prix cars, his Types 35 and 59. His engines were works of art, as were a number of his cars. One of his last designs is considered by many to be his best, the Type 57 sports and sports racing car.

It was in the realm of body design where he produced his most bizarre creations. If you like “modern art” you’ll probably like his wild ones. The Type 57 sported a 3.3 liter straight eight engine with double overhead camshafts and hemispherical combustion chambers. The angle between intake and exhaust valves was 90 degrees. The cylinder block and head were cast integrally and bolted to a cast aluminum crankcase/transmission housing. The Type 57S was equipped with a Rootes-type positive displacement supercharger. The Type 57S was a potent performer and in a streamlined body christened “The Tank” by the motoring press, it won the Le Mans 24 Hours in 1937 and again in 1939.

The Type 57 was produced in greater quantity than any other Bugatti, an estimated 750 in all. Bugatti offered a variety of body styles, and of course the chassis was made available to independent coach builders. One of the weirdest was an open sports body with fully skirted, steering front fenders. But the one most commonly associated with the Type 57 is the Atlantique coupe. It is hard to describe this one but its most noticeable feature is the very large spot welding seam which runs from the windshield header to the tailend of the body.

The photos of the blue Atlantique posed with the Chrysler Atlantic are obviously models, the Bugatti a rather poor one in 1/24 scale from Burago of Italy. Though lacking in fit and finish (the right hand door won’t stay closed), it does appear more or less accurate in its basic shape. The Chrysler is a 1/18 scale by Guiloy of Spain, considerably better in quality. And yes, I tweaked the smaller model so a comparison could be made. If you’re interested in obtaining the Guiloy model, I just checked the scale18.com* website which shows they have one left in stock for $69.95. They don’t show it as out of production. Also, check the WPC Museum Gift Shop; I’ve seen them there from time to time and fairly recently.. I’m sure they can still be found since Guiloy doesn’t retire their models the way some manufacturers do. As for the Bugatti model I’ve never seen it in stores. I bought mine by mail order sometime in the late 1980s.

chrylser atlantic and bugatti atlantique type 57 model cars

*Scale18 is the website of Kevin’s Hobbies of Anmore, British Columbia, Canada. Kevin claims that his “Huge List” contains every 1/18 scale diecast model car ever offered for sale. He includes not only all that are 1/18 scale, but all those that claim to be 1/18 scale. I’ve tried to find one that’s not on the list but so far no way. Kevin also has a huge inventory along with very competitive prices.

Chrysler Atlantic and Bugatti Atlantique Bibliography

Bugatti by H.G. Conway – Whitefriars Press Ltd. – 1963
Modern Chrysler Concept Cars - by Matt DeLorenzo – MBI Publishing Co. – 2000 - read Allpar's review!
Bugatti by Laurence Meredith – Sutton Publishing - 2001
http://www.maisonblanche.co.uk

See our main concept cars page.