We’ve all seen examples of pristine show stopping rides. From modern to classic the automotive world has proved time and time again that the fire of artisans of old live on through the steel, aluminum, fiber glass, and plastic sculptures we see on the street today. The video above is a poignant example of how an inanimate amalgamation of materials can evoke powerful emotions like inspiration, wonder, and awe.

Delahaye USA is a company that tributes its roots to master auto craftsman of the late nineteenth century. This is an excerpt from Delahaye USA’s website on the topic of their brand name, “We respectfully named the company ‘Delahaye USA’ in tribute to Emil Delahaye, the revered designer who began manufacturing cars in Tours, France in 1879. Delahaye USA is not connected in any way with the original Delahaye GFA, or the Delahaye Club of France, a loyal group of dedicated enthusiasts who have registered more than 1,800 cars.”

Terry Cook, Owner of Delhaye USA and creator of the Pacific tips his hat to the European coach builders in many ways, the most evident are his renditions and personal takes on some of the world’s most historic luxury lines such as Bugatti, Auburn, and Delahaye. “Make no mistake, I’m just copying and tweaking cars that other people designed decades ago. But I’m picking the best looking cars in history and paying strict homage to those great car designers. I love what I do,” says Cook.

“The Most Beautiful Atlantic That Was Never Built”

The Pacific is a luxury coach, specter of the road, and an eclectic automotive sculpture that is seemingly brought to life and powered by ghosts of a golden age. “From the outset, we didn’t want to build an exact replica of the Atlantic. Artisans like Erik Kouk, Jean De Dobbeleer, Crayville, and others have done admirable work faithfully reproducing the 1937 classic. Instead, our goal was to build a modern, stylized tribute to the 57S that still respected Jean Bugatti’s original vision. The Pacific is the result,” says Delahaye USA.

The Pacific has a 127-inch wheelbase, the custom steel-tube chassis measures ten inches longer than the original 1937 Bugatti Atlantic. Cook’s design allowed for a substantial increase in driver and passenger room. The Pacific body is made out of carbon fiber, this allowed the builders at Delahaye USA to realize the project without the cost and time consumption typically associated with all-metal builds.

The Pacific’s drivetrain is comprised of a beefy fuel-injected 304ci BMW 12-cylinder motor mated to an electronically controlled four-speed BMW automatic transmission.

The tubular-beam front axle and the Ford nine-inch differential sit on leaf springs that give the Pacific classic comfort and handling. The Pacific’s luxurious wire wheels are 3.5 x 19 up front (as well as the spare) with 3.50/4.00-19 radial tires and the rear wheels are 5 x 20 with 4.75/5.00-20 radials.

The Pacific’s interior is a cross between supple hide and beautifully upholstered seats with floral designs indicative of early european motifs. “The stainless steel tubular seat frames are exact copies of those from Ralph Lauren’s Bugatti Atlantic. We fitted the seats with a richly decorative brocaded fabric trimmed with color-contrasting welting.” Modern comforts include power windows, brakes, steering and air conditioning.

Build Acknowledgments

The Pacific was assembled and painted by Gary Brown of Brown’s Metal Mods in Port Leyden, NY. The interior was done by Jerry Ambrosi of Master Upholstery of Newton, NJ. Performance tuning was handled by Koala Motorsport in Novelty, OH. Chrome finishes were added by Finishing Touch of Chicago. House of Kolor provided the paint, the Chassis was fabricated by Fatman Fabrications, rims were courtesy of Dayton Wire Wheels and the tires are a set of Excelsiors by Coker.

Check out Delahaye USA’s website for more information on the Pacific and their other masterwork contributions to the automotive world.