The eccentric uncle who left a garage in his will... containing a £6m Bugatti supercar

dailymail.co.uk ^ | January 1, 2009 | Chris Brooke

[Free ThinkerNY]

When eccentric doctor and compulsive hoarder Harold Carr died at the age of 89, his relatives faced a daunting task to sort through his possessions.

His home was packed with piles of medical machinery, 1,500 beer steins, thousands of receipts and even a World War Two spy drone.

But all the effort became worth it when they opened the door of his garage - and struck gold.

Inside they found a 1937 Bugatti Type 57S Atalante, one of only 17 ever made.

The historic automobile with only 26,284 miles on the clock still has 99 per cent of its original parts.

It will be sold in Paris next month and is strongly tipped to surpass the £4.7million world record for a car at auction.

Auctioneers have put a reserve price of £3million on a two-seater described as one of the 'ultimate road-going sports cars from the golden era of the 1930s'.

And despite the credit crunch it could fetch anything up to £6million.

[DevNet]

Isn’t that like the car that Ducky drives in NCIS?

[Peanut Gallery]

ping

[JoeProBono]

[kbennkc]

I am eccentric and compulsive and but all my relative would have seen me driving my Bugatti or at least sitting in it making Bug noises . This is very hard to believe . Nice parting gift . Don't you wonder if the Uncle had a secret cool side his family hadn't seen ? A Bugatti hidden in the garage !

[Mr. Mojo]

[OL Hickory]

Safe bet Leno ends up with it.

[Bryanw92]

I was thinking the same thing.

[count-your-change]

No, He drives a British make in keeping with his character.
The Bugatti is Italian.

[Daffynition]

You've come a l-o-n-g way baby.......

[SolidWood]

The Shah's 1939 Bugatti 57C.

[Welsh Rabbit]

I had an eccentric, hoarding great uncle. Unfortunately, he mostly just hoarded phone books and TV Guides (he did leave everyone a sizable chunk of money when he died though, God bless him).

[DevNet]

Thanks. Cars aren’t exactly my specialty.

[AZLiberty]

For $9M, couldn’t you have one built to the original specs? Or better?

[JoeProBono]

[Attention Surplus Disorder]

Man oh man, that car looks like it came from a cartoon. Incredible.

[Kimmers]

My son has a ‘58 dodge power wagon.....only 18,000 miles on it and original tires, I am sure he would take under a million for it heck even under 500,000 for it......better deal than the Bugatti....I’ll throw in a case of Bud to sweeten the deal

[skr]

Interesting garage inventory, a Bugatti and a WWII spy drone.

[SolidWood]

More pics: http://www.supercars.net/Gallery?cmd=viewCarGallery&carID=2546&pgID=1

[CaptRon]

He drives a Morgan. With an electical system by Charlie Lucas, the Prince of Darkness. Same guy who designed the system for my old MG. Died every time it rained.