Recently a rare Bugatti sportscar was found in a garage in Britain.  The car, an extremely rare 1937 Bugatti Type 57S Atalante, was owned by a doctor who did drive the car for a time, but had stored the car since the 1960s in his garage. 

A picture of the car is seen below:

 

I can’t even imagine owning a car like that and NOT driving it, but that’s exactly what Dr. Harold Carr did.   Relatives of Dr. Carr have discovered there were only 17 [Atalantes]  ever made, and when it’s cleaned up and auctioned in Paris next month, experts believe it will fetch at least 3 million pounds ($4.3 million) and possibly much more.

I did a little research here and there about the Bugatti Company and the man who originally owned Dr. Carr’s Atalante.  It was an interesting journey as current events tend to be. 

To say that Ettore Bugatti, the founder of the Bugatti Company, was an innovator is an understatement.  The designs for his engines and chassis for various models were top-notch and several models of Bugatti automobiles had great success in early Grand Prix motor racing.  In fact, my research indicates a Bugatti automobile won the first ever Monaco Grand Prix.

During World War 1, Bugatti secured contracts with the French and American governments providing aircraft engines.  Following the war, Ettore Bugatti took the money these government contracts brought in and built a larger factory .

Ettore Bugatti was born in Italy, but his newly enlarged automobile company was headquartered in Molsheim, France which is located in the Alsace region. 

Why is this so important to note? 

Have you ever heard of a part of France called Alsace Lorraine?

Originally part of the Holy Roman Empire, this region has been in a tug-of-war between France and Germany since the 17th Century.  The Bugatti company website advises for many years during the Reformation and the Counter-Reformation the bishops or the archdiocese of Strasbourg resided in Molsheim and a famous Jesuit university was located nearby at one time.  Think back to your World History class in high school and you might remember this region mentioned during your discussion concerning both World Wars.

The original owner of Dr. Carr’s Atalante was known as Earl Howe.  Just by his name he sounds like a nice average man, right?

Hardly.

Earl Howe was not actually the original owner’s name but his title.  To be more precise, the original owner of the Bugatti Type 57S Atalante was Francis Curzon, fifth Earl Howe pictured below.

While Earl Howe had a distinguished career in the Royal Navy including service during World War I at Gallipoli, Mudros, France, and Belguim he also served for a time as an aide-de-camp to George V. 

This site explains Earl Howe was a leading mover and shaker in the early days of British motor sport and would often drive the Bugatti to Brooklands, a motorsport venue and later an airfield.  He won the 1931 Le Mans partnering with Sir Henry Birkin in an Alfa Romeo and served as the first president of the BRDC until 1964.  Under Earl Howe’s 35-year stewardship, the BRDC went from private dining club to one of the most successful and high profile motor sports associations in the world. The Earl Howe Trophy is awarded annually to the highest placed British driver in the Indy 500 race or to the British driver who has established the most meritorious performance of the year in North America.

Though the Bugatti family released their last vehicle in the 1950s new models can be found today.  The Bugatti company website states in 1998, Volkswagen AG decided to revive the legendary Bugatti automobile brand, purchasing all trademark rights, and the next year Bugatti Automobile S.A.S. was founded in Mosheim, Alsace, as a Volkswagen France subsidiary.