Considered by some to be the most beautiful pre-war car, the Atlantic body Type 57S featured flowing coupe lines with a pronounced dorsal seam running front to back. It was based on the "Aérolithe" concept car of 1935. Like the Type 59 Grand Prix car, the Aérolithe used Elektron (magnesium, a combustible material) or Duralumin (aluminium) for its body panels. Therefore, the body panels were riveted externally, creating the signature seam.
The production Atlantics (just four were made) used plain aluminium, however. But the dorsal seams were retained for style, and have led to the car's present fame.
Dr. Peter Williamson won the 2003 Pebble Beach Car show with an SC57 Atlantic. Another is owned by Ralph Lauren.
Re your apology to Michael McC - I owe you an apology for not noticing that you had already offered "riveted fin" - les grands esprits se rencontrent ....
As you say Chris, for Asker to decide. The important thing maybe is that the French plural is best represented by an English singular, whether fin, ridge, flange or whatever because although riveted together as a joint, English will see it as a single ridge.
This riveting discussion could go on for ever (never fin-ish ?), and it's up to Asker to decide, so I'll drop out at this point, having no useful suggestions to add to yours !
Well, maybe, but animal terminology has been applied to cars since the year dot: "sleek", "purring", growling", "fin"... Maybe not "scales" or "gills" yet, but it's only a matter of time. If not "dorsal", why not just "central ridge", or just "ridge"? Plus you get the alliteration of "riveted ridge".
I guess 'fin' is preferred because of the analogy with the dorsal fin of a fish. Like Chris though I still wonder if it is the best term. Maybe 'raised ridge'
But surely the whole point here is not that it had 'fins' in the American fifties sense but that it had a single dorsal 'fin' (une arête dorsale) running down the central body 'spine' of the car. It was entirely charactertisic of this model and as far as I know seen on no other car.
They're fins, Jim, but not as we know it.... Thanks, Lianne, but I wonder what IS the best way of describing these curvy bits. "Edge" is too hard, "protuberance" is too unpoetic, "bulge" is inappropriate.
La dernière Atlantic construite. N° de châssis 57591, elle est connue sous le nom de EXK-6 (la seule et unique immatriculation qu'elle ait porté). Elle fut livrée neuve en 1938
Carrosserie dessinée par Jean Bugatti sur le châssis Type 57.
Ses formes donnaient l'impression qu'elle était tombée de l'espace, d'où son nom d'Aérolithe.
Fabriquée en « Elektron », un alliage de magnésium, cette carrosserie présentait une arête dorsale très caractéristique résultant de l'impossibilité de souder le matériau dont elle était faite.
Réalisée en un exemplaire unique sur la base du châssis T57 normal, l'Aérolithe servira de prototype pour l’« Atlantic » qui sera produite à 3 exemplaires sur le châssis 57S. L'Aérolithe fut présentée en 1935 au salon de l'auto de Londres et Paris
That confirms it, then. It is indeed referring to 'riveted fins'. It would have been *immensely* helpful to have known the model of car before attempting an answer.
For a start it shows that Telletubby's disagree is misplaced, the Bugatti T57SC did indeed have fins, just not of the type we are used to these days.
9 minutes confiance : approbation des pairs (net) : +1
fins
Explication : Probably a typo for arêtes. In the car embellishment context (though I'm no expert on Bugattis), I imagine he is referring to the go-faster fins at the rear.
chris collister France Local time: 04:28 Spécialisé dans le domaine Langue maternelle : anglais Points PRO dans la catégorie : 158
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approbation des pairs (net) : +1