The road to Pebble Beach

Not only was this 1937 Bugatti Type 57 Atalante restored just in time for this year's Pebble Beach Concours, it drove there too - from 4000 miles away

- Massimo Delbò

As an international concours judge, I feel qualified to say how the process works.

You need a beautiful car with a solid story to start with, then, if necessary, a high-class restoration. A shakedown test to check that everything works as it’s supposed to. Finally, a good detailer and a safe transporter to minimise risks on the journey to the concours field. But what if you decide to skip that final aspect and drive your entry fresh from restoration to the venue?

‘Saving on the transportation fee was not the main target,’ Fritz Burkard laughs thunderously. Yes, the Swiss collector has just driven his 1937 Bugatti Type 57 Atalante Rolltop Coupé all the 4000 miles from Rhode Island on the US’s East Coast to Pebble Beach, on the West Coast: no ordinary car, no ordinary drive, and no ordinary concours.

‘I simply thought it was a unique opportunity. I had the 57 in Vermont, at Sargent Metal Works, for the much-needed restoration in preparation for Pebble Beach; there were several US states I'd never visited, and I really love to drive my cars. So, when the Friends of the Audrain Museum in Rhode Island happily offered to provide logistical support, the decision came naturally and I immediately thought “Let's drive!” Going from the Atlantic to the Pacific shows that you can drive a prewar car for such a long way without too many worries and still have fun on the concours field. I dream of my Bugatti shifting from trailer queen to road warrior, and hope that other owners of classics will decide to follow this path.’