Posted on 01/02/2009 6:06:43 AM PST by Red Badger
A classic Bugatti car, which gathered dust in a Tyneside garage for almost 50 years, may fetch up to £3m ($4.35m) when it goes under the hammer.
Relatives of reclusive Newcastle doctor Harold Carr found the 1937 Type 57S Atalante in a garage after he died.
Now the classic car, thought to be one of just 17 built, is to be sold by Bonhams in Paris next month.
It was originally owned by Earl Howe - first president of the British Racing Drivers' Club.
Dr Carr, a former army surgeon, left the contents of a lock-up garage to his family when he died in 2007.
As well as the Bugatti, his nephew also discovered a classic Aston Martin, and a Jaguar E-type in the lock-up.
The nephew, an engineer from Newcastle, said: "We just can't believe it.
"Of course we're delighted and we're going to make sure the money is shared out among the family. It's a wonderful thing to leave."
Earl Howe took delivery of the sporty two-seat Atalante after it was completed in 1937 and kept the car for eight years.
After Earl Howe sold it, it changed hands a couple of times before Dr Carr bought the car in 1955 from Lord Ridley, a member of the Northumberland gentry.
He drove the car for the first few years, but in 1960 it was parked in his garage where it remained until his death.
James Knight, international head of Bonhams' motoring department, said: "I have known of this Bugatti for a number of years and, like a select group of others, hadn't dared divulge its whereabouts to anyone.
"It is absolutely one of the last great barn discoveries.
"The Atalante is incredibly original and, although she requires restoration, it is 'restoration' in the true sense of the word.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.bbc.co.uk ...
Old car ping...........
I wonder if Jay Leno will buy it.
I would not be surprised...........
You beat me to it.
Sigh.
“...a classic Aston Martin and a Jaguar E-type” were also discovered.
This is like the urban legend from early seventies.
Classic Corvette found in garage in mint condition to be sold by mother of man killed in Vietnam a decade before..............
There was a Type SC Atlantic (supercharged) built as well. I think only two or three were built and Ralph Lauren owns one:
One of his Hot Rod buddies did the following.
He had a son born, but had an old school Hot Rod, 5 window coupe, flathead and all. He had a big enough garage where he walled it off with a cinder block wall and would not break it down until the kid was old enough.
I wonder if it is back on the road now.....
Reminds me of that find in the barn with the doors welded shut over in France a year or so ago. Owner passed away and land had exchanged hands several times without anybody opeing up the old structure, only to later find over 50 vintage classic cars. I wonder what ever happened to them.
Every Aston Martin is a classic..............
I saw that story too. I believe I’ll have to do some digging and see what I can find out.
More likely to have a workable heater, maybe...
In 1978 I remember hearing a story about a man who bought some desert property out in southern California. He went out to inspect the property and found a storage shed that contained 20 or so pre-WWII automobiles, all brand new same type, like they had come from a dealership. The theory was that someone, a dealer most likely, had squirreled away the cars for after the war, to be sold at a big profit, but for some unknown reason were either forgotten or the person died.............
It was in Portugal and there were 180 old cars.
http://www.autoblog.com/2007/07/31/portuguese-barn-find-hoax-still-going-strong/
Autoblog claims the Portuguese barn collection was a hoax, but the photos reveal the license plates from Portugal from that era and some of the vehicles were formula one racers.
To me it is just as likely it wasn’t a hoax, but those who might be in a position to profit the most from procuring some of the collector cars wouldn’t mind the popular notion that they really weren’t available.
The outside picture of the barn seems to be something closer to a warehouse than a barn and probably much less likely to have been liquidated without earlier investigation.
I still regret not storing my fourth hand ‘56 TR-3 somewhere until I could afford to restore it. But, fifty bucks was fifty bucks!
If Leno can buy it he is being taxed way too little.
Would you put me on your old car ping list.
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