Atlantic inspired Unic is certainly unique

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When French auctioneer Osenat is selling some cars at the Époqu'Auto show on November 10, you can be sure to find a number of French obscurities among the lots. Indeed there are. From two-cylinder Darmont to eight-cylinder models from Mathis, Renault and Ballot. All very nice.

Unic 11CV

But the one that struck us most, is something much more unusual. This is a 1931 Unic 11CV that was turned into one man’s dream vehicle over what has to be a long period of time. Overwhelmed by the looks of the Bugatti Type 57 Atlantic, the builder supposedly promised himself to own one such car one day when he was a boy. Not too easy with so few (four) examples originally built and with prices now estimated at over many millions of dollars!

But fortunately, not everyone is put down just as easily by that kind of difficulties. Assuming we all know the Atlantics, the seller’s description states: “This little boy who became an adult realized his dream by building this automobile, inspired of course by the mixture of three Atlantics. This is not the ‘Black Car’ but the front is more inspired by the ‘Pope’ and the rear by ‘Holzschuh’.”

We’d want to add to that it has to be a lovingly scaled-down inspiration, as the Unic, with its just over 3 metres wheelbase is slightly shorter and smaller than the Type 57. Its two-litre engine is also not quite as exotic under its dramatic bonnet. Still, there is no doubt that this is a beautiful work of art, with even the interior being made to replicate that of the Atlantic. A file of photographs depicting the construction comes with the car. See it for sale here.

The question now is: would you want to own this dream car, dreamt up and made by somebody else?

Words by Jeroen Booij. Pictures courtesy Osenat Automobiles.

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