Real estate mogul Manny Khoshbin owns some of the coolest supercars out there, but he's a big fan of the Mercedes SLR McLaren, owning no fewer than eight of them. But he also owns four Bugattis, all of the Veyron and Chiron variety. Khoshbin doesn't seem the kind of guy that would park a classic in his garage, but he just took delivery of a unique Bugatti 57C from 1939.
It's none other than the 57C previously owned by Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the Shah of Iran from 1941 to 1979. But there's a catch. Manny did not buy the Bugatti. It was delivered to him by the Petersen Automotive Museum, alongside an EB110, for a special photo shoot. The session is supposed to include a third "unique and special" Bugatti, according to Koshbin, but he doesn't say which car will join in.
As it usually happens when he's taking delivery of a new vehicle, Manny complains about having to move a few cars to make room. Talk about first-world problems, right? Anyway, the folks at the Peterson Museum bring the 57C "Shah" in a trailer, and seeing it come out into the light is breathtaking, to say the least.
Manny is actually surprised by how big the car is in real life, but he seems to enjoy its somewhat outlandish design with oversized fenders that cover most of the wheels. Sadly, there's no footage of him driving the car. The 57C is having its original fuel tank restored and the temporary tank they put in the rear is causing some issues when it comes to starting the engine.
So the guys from Peterson Museum push the car into the garage, parking it next to the silver EB110 supercar that was unloaded and parked under its own power. The 57C now shares the same space with its much more powerful and advanced descendants, the Veyron and the Chiron.
But unlike its grand-grandsons, the Type 57C "Shah" is a one-of-a-kind creation. Commissioned by the French government as a wedding gift for Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, this 57C was bodied by Vanvooren, a coachbuilder from Paris. One of the most dramatic-looking Bugattis from the era, the "Shah" features fully skirted fenders and an advanced top that conceals beneath a metal panel behind the seats. It also features a windshield that can be lowered into the cowl using a hand crank mounted under the dashboard.
The Shah of Iran kept the car until 1957 when it was sold for the equivalent of $275, a very small fraction of its production cost. It was owned by several Bugatti enthusiasts over the years and it was restored in 1983. Now it's part of The Margie and Robert E. Petersen Collection and sits on display in the Petersen Automotive Museum among other rare and valuable vehicles from the past.
Ask Ciprian about cars and he'll reveal an obsession with classics and an annoyance with modern design cues. Read his articles and you'll understand why his ideal SUV is the 1969 Chevrolet K5 Blazer. Full profile
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