Ultra-rare 1936 Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic sold

A 1936 Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic was sold to an undisclosed buyer, auction house Gooding & Co. said on Wednesday.

The price was not revealed, but it's believed to have sold for between $30 million and $40 million. That would be a record.

This is one of just three Atlantics built--ever. Each is distinct, and all three were derived from the Bugatti Aerolithe Electron Coupe prototype shown at the 1935 Paris auto salon.

This car wears chassis No. 57374 and is the first in the series. It was named Best in Show at the 2003 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance.

The car was formerly part of the Williamson Bugatti Collection, and Gooding was the broker for the family trust that owned the car. Seldom seen in recent years, the car has taken on an almost mythical status.

"I am extremely pleased to have found the new buyer for the 1936 Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic, one of the world's most significant and valuable automobiles that has been in a private collection and rarely seen during the past four decades," David Gooding, president and founder of Gooding & Co., said in a statement.

The Mullin museum in California was believed to have bought the Bugatti, but has since denied it, though it may display the car this year on a limited basis.

By Greg Migliore