Sixty classic cars have been found tucked away in a massive barn in France, including a rare Ferrari that has been lost for decades.
The barn in western France belonged to Roger Baillon, a shipping magnate, who
collected the cars originally with the intention of starting a museum, Motoramic said. But from the 1950s to the 70s, his business faltered and he sold off half of the cars, leaving the others on the land.
The Artcurial Auction House announced the find, saying the cars will be on display at the Retromobile Salon in Paris in February.
“Not since the revelation of the Schlumpf Collection in Mulhouse, of which Maître Hervé Poulain was the expert, has such a group of emblematic automobiles been disclosed and what is more, in such original condition,” Matthieu Lamoure, managing director at Artcurial Motorcars, said in a release. “Visitors to the Retromobile Salon will be able to share in our emotion, much like that experienced by Lord Carrington and Howard Carter entering Tutankhamun’s tomb. Artcurial will ... show the magic of these sixty mysterious mechanical creatures, like a giant work of art: the unrealised dream of its owner brought back to life”
“These sleeping beauties are clothed in the precious patina of time gone by,” said Pierre Novokoff, a senior specialist at the auction company, in the release. “A collection like this can’t fail to arouse the passions of those who love automobiles, as well as art and history enthusiasts. Never again, anywhere in the world, will such a treasure be unearthed.”
Some of the cars were well-sheltered, Motoramic said, but others were exposed to the elements. A 1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spyder is the most valuable car in the collection; only 37 were built and a recent one sold for $15 million.
The cars will all be sold at the Retromobile sale on Feb. 6.
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