This one will clean up real nice...a long-lost, long-rumored car finally comes to light.
Back in '75, a business acquaintance heard about one of these in a barn in Iowa, USA. It had no title at the time, but I suspect it was one of the Shakespeare cars that had somehow been "diverted" during its flatcar trip across the USA before being shipped to France in the early '60s.
I recall he paid about $30K for the car, which was 100% complete but not running. It took months of negotiation with a very cagey seller before it arrived on a flatbed; I was there to receive it. It was painted a sort of Army OD green; very drab and it looked like the original paint. Inside were fitted all sorts of odd gauges and meters; a non-original chronograph, and a couple of big ashtrays, though smaller than Aitch's dad's.
The outside featured a pair of cheapo JCWhitney rectangular fog lamps which were wired with Scotchlok connectors and were quite rusty, and a set of huge diesel locomotive air horns on the hood. Despite these modern "improvements", it looked like the car hadn't been driven in decades. $30K was not a bad investment, though, considering what they are worth now, even factoring in that the restoration could have cost about $150K in 1975 dollars.
Somehow he got a clear title after a bit of hassle, and it went into restoration. I have no idea where it is now.
Interesting trivia bit: Zymol car wax was developed specifically for Ralph Lauren's Type 57 Atlantic, in its debut showing at Pebble Beach in 1990, where it won best of show. Another Atlantic won in 2003.
Of course, now you can buy the wax at Wal-Mart, though not the Bugatti...
Note the difference between the Atalanté (notchback and a rather clumsy body style, 17 made) and the Atlantic, a lovely fastback design which saw only 13 ever made.